Dennis Prager argues the nanny state is a German invention from Bismarck, not American. The founding ideal was self-reliance. He contrasts true selfishness, taking care of yourself, with the modern welfare model that spread from 19th-century Germany to Denmark and beyond.
So it is almost inevitable that you have countries committing suicide. They elect people who love power. The people get elected who love power because they promise the people who elect them money. Vote for us, we'll give you more. Most people are fine with that. There's something so ennobling in taking care of yourself. It's the opposite. It is truly the— it's the opposite of selfishness. Selfishness is take care of me. You take care of me. That's selfishness. I take care of me is altruism, because then you don't have to take care of me. And the people who take care of themselves inevitably take care of others. That was the American dream. I take care of me, I take care of my family, I take care of my community. And by and large, it was exactly what was happening until the idea caught on in the late 19th century from Germany, where it originated under Bismarck. That, no, the state will take care of you. That idea never occurred to the American founders. The state will take care of me? There's no such thing as the state will take care of me. States crush. They say, oh, look at Denmark. This is always the thing, right? Look at Denmark. You should— yeah, let's look at Denmark. See Denmark's latest proclamation? No more refugees from the Middle East. Want to follow Denmark's ideas? You're probably not familiar with him. Don't we have a Dane giving a— we have a Dane giving a PragerU video. I'm sorry, say it again. Oh, a Danish economist. Yes, exactly. By the way, this week's PragerU video is Dennis Prager. I give 1 out of 10. I don't give— 90% are given by others. I'm explaining what communism did. Let your kids see that if your kid's flirting with communism. Oh, I want to read the comments on YouTube. Right. And what do the opponents say? What is their argument? I'm dying to read it. Thank you for telling me that. I'm going to read the comments to you folks tomorrow. Anyway, it's prageru.com. It's also YouTube. Maybe they'll— I wonder if they'll take it down. I wonder if you could actually condemn communism today. Here's a question to ask Coca-Cola. What's morally worse, the Georgia voting law or communism? I actually don't know what the heads of Coca-Cola, Nike, and the others would answer.
Life, Legacy, and a Dangerous Mission in the Soviet Union | Sunday Fireside Chat
