Free Republic

What the Welfare State UnleashedFrom dignity to dependence to thievery.America’s debate over poverty has undergone a remarkable—and troubling—transformation. Two centuries ago, the central challenge was persuading needy people to accept public assistance. Today, the challenge is preventing people from fraudulently claiming benefits to which they were never entitled.That trajectory tells us something profound about the nation’s changing moral culture.Alexis de Tocqueville noticed something remarkable when he traveled through America in the early 1830s. Unlike Europe, where poverty often produced permanent dependence upon the state or aristocratic patrons, Americans possessed an almost universal determination to remain independent. They formed voluntary associations...

Because it's getting hard to keep track of all the places where you're not allowed to smoke, the city council of Calabasas, Calif., decided to start over from scratch and make things simple. "Smoking is prohibited everywhere in the city," says a Calabasas ordinance that takes effect on March 17, "except as otherwise provided." The exceptions are private residences, up to 20 percent of hotel rooms, "smokers' outposts" in shopping-center parking lots, and "any outdoor area in which no nonsmoker is present and... it is not reasonable to expect another person to arrive." The smoke-free areas, a k a "everywhere...