Quote of the Day

Consider the following quote written in 1921. Think about the desires for and heeded calls for increasing government control and statism.

The whole development of modern society has tended mightily toward the
limitation of the realm of freedom for the individual man. The tendency is
most clearly seen in socialism; a socialistic state would mean the reduction to
a minimum of the sphere of individual choice. Labor and recreation, under
a socialistic government, would both be prescribed, and individual liberty would
be gone. But the same tendency exhibits itself today even in those
communities where the name of socialism is most abhorred. When once the
majority has determined that a certain regime is beneficial, that regime without
further hesitation is forced ruthlessly upon the individual man. It never
seems to occur to modern legislatures that although "welfare" is good, forced
welfare may be bad [emphasis mine]. In other words, utilitarianism is
being carried out to its logical conclusions; in the interests of physical
well-being the great principles of liberty are being thrown ruthlessly to the
winds.

J. Gresham Machen, Christianity and Liberalism, 1921.

Powerful words indeed.