If you are looking for a single statement that defines the essence of the modern welfare state, look no further than Secretary of Energy Steven Chu's defense of the administration's efforts to ban incandescent light bulbs. "We are taking away a choice that continues to let people waste their own money," Chu said, quite satisfied with government's efforts to protect Americans from their own choices. Contrast this with Milton Friedman's view that those of us who believe in freedom must believe also in the freedom of individuals to make their own mistakes. If a man knowingly prefers to live for...