[EBH]

I was not so surprised at seeing the reference to ‘virtue’ in government. I had read similar expressions from reading the 5,000 Year Leap in that the founders placed great value on not just virtuous leaders for government, but in the people themselves. This is indeed one area that we have strayed very, very far from. The vacuum left has created the “in” for all sorts of mischief by the government.

[LearsFool]

The vacuum left has created the "in" for all sorts of mischief by the government.

Not least of which is that, when social problems arise from our lack of virtue, we cry out to government to fix them for us - which government is more than happy to do, in exchange for more power.

(Not to hijack this discussion, but Hillsdale College's "Constitution Town Hall" last Saturday was quite enlightening on this very subject - particularly when one fellow, during the Q&A, advocated legalization of narcotics. Here's the archive, for anyone interested.)