"Mary Poppins Syndrome" gone Mad!

From Eric Dondero:

Michael Gerson is the ultimate insider establishment Republican. Some might even call him a dreaded "NeoCon." Gerson served in various capacities in the Bush administration, including a stint as the President's chief speechwriter. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He is currently a columnist for the Washington Post.

But Gerson is starting to feel the "socialist creep" of big government. From his latest WaPo column, "With health care reform, it's nag, nag, nag".

I can hardly be called a libertarian. Legalizing drugs is a foolish idea because addiction robs people of liberty. Restaurant smoking bans have improved my life and my appetite. But freedom implies some leeway for personal risk and minor, pleasurable foolishness. Democrats in particular seem to be afflicted with Mary Poppins Syndrome: They will not rest until Americans are practically perfect in every way.

This tendency has added relevance because of the passage of health-care reform. When the provision of health insurance to every American becomes a direct responsibility of government, nearly every health matter becomes a public matter. Why not regulate tanning at beaches? Wouldn't mandatory, subsidized sunscreen save billions in health costs? Why not a jelly doughnuts tax? Why not make saturated fat a controlled substance? Shouldn't children on tricycles be required to wear safety helmets?

For some of us, the problem is not the tyranny but the nagging.

Of course, we libertarians would argue that the problem is both the nagging and the tyranny. Regardless, it's nice to have Mr. Gerson on board.