the word, “safe,” there is a good chance that there is a gulag in there somewhere. It simply can’t be otherwise. The destruction of human agency will always march under the banner of “safety.”
Because who could argue? Are you some kind of monster who wants things to be UNsafe? It’s pretty hard to argue against someone who says, “I will make things so they are safe for EVERYONE! (And surely I will do it…).”
It is a VERY seductive argument. Saying that, “Yeah, life is dangerous and there will be some who fail and suffer” is certainly not an easy sell, and is often derided as “Social Darwinism” or much worse.
Those who offer safety for everyone MUST do it at the cost of human agency. You can’t have both. ONLY an unlimited “Gestapo” can provide safety for everyone. If you ride a bicycle, you could break your arm (or much worse–I had a dear brother-in-law who who recently DIED in a bicycle wreck on a city street, with only a typical mailbox involved!). But the only way to prevent all bicycle injuries is to prevent all bicycle-riding!
So despotism ALWAYS marches under the banner of “safety.” Because otherwise it is immensely unpalatable! Therefore, it hides its snarling maw of Hell behind a mask of “safety” and “fairness.”
And THAT tactic has long been a very attractive one for a lot of people!