Vigil,

The Internet, and its pretty face, the WWW, is enabling many new activities, some obviously better than others. That’s what new technologies do. Clearly, the technologies used in preparation of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons have such terrible risks that access to them is restricted.

Distinguishing between human rights and government entitlements is an interesting discussion. Comparing the number or range of individual freedoms available to Europeans and Floridians is another. The freedom or lack thereof of women, in this instance a religious minority, the Muslims in France, to wear headscarves might serve to launch the debate. Here in the States, we consider such a choice innocuous and entirely within the realm of personal choice. The government of France no longer shares that view.

I’m sure we all agree that there are consequences to choices. Given the coercive power of the state, I’d suggest that the wisest course of action is to leave few rather than many choices for it to make. Which choices should the state make? What is the remit of government?

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Eudaimonia