You can forget Big Brother and the Nanny State, here comes Daddy Government.
Over the weekend, the Western Australian Government asked citizens to wish their “Premier and State Dad” a Happy Father’s Day.
The WA Labor Party shared a link to an e-card on social media on Saturday, asking Western Australians to thank state Premier Mark McGowan for being the “best state dad.”
“Dear Premier McGowan,” the card reads. “Happy Father’s Day.
“Thanks for being the best Premier and State Dad for WA. From the people of Western Australia.”
Naturally, the post has drawn a barrage of mockery and criticism, and rightly so.
“Stockholm Syndrome is strong in WA,” one commenter wrote in the comments section.
“Wow, the social interns must have daddy issues,” said another.
“Did you get this idea from China?” asked another user.
“How many dads won’t be with their families tomorrow because of our uncompassionate government?” another said.
But perhaps what’s most concerning is the fact that this reveals, not only how the government views itself, but how it views the citizens it ought to be serving.
While the fear of personal responsibility might incline some to forfeit their lives to daddy government, it’s important to remember that the state only ever promises benevolent care.
What it delivers is generally the opposite, because any government that assumes the role of parent will inevitably treat their citizens like ignorant children.
