PrintAugust 20, 2010
Never Enough
Never Enough by William VoegeliNever Enough is an analysis of the history, politics, and economics of liberalism. You'll find nothing better. William Voegeli's perceptions are keen, and his wry humor exposes the liberal bent for espousing contradictory positions simultaneously. Voegeli's thesis is that liberalism has no limiting principle. As Samuel Gompers once famously said, "We do want more, and when it becomes more, we shall still want more." Liberals insist that government must do more to help the poor, provide economic security, develop social justice -- fill in the blanks -- but they are unable to say how much more is enough. In 1964, Lyndon Johnson said, "We're in favor of a lot of things and we're against mighty few." That's about as rigorous as the liberal theory of the welfare state ever gets.The author reviews the premises and strategies that accompanied the growth of the welfare state, as well as conservatives' (unsuccessful) efforts to thwart it. In...(Read Full Article)
