All your children belong to us

The Scottish government for years has pursued what amounts to state-sponsored surveillance of families. By August 2016 — unless a court or public pressure can stop it — the country will appoint an official state guardian for every child in Scotland. The jobs will be filled by teachers, social workers, health care professionals and the like. The feel-good part of the plan makes every guardian a personal resource to families, available to answer questions. The sinister part of the plan gives those guardians access to a family’s records, and requires them to monitor and report every child’s development and welfare and recommend household changes. Thus, legislation to expand free school meals and subsidized child care becomes the means to create the Family Stasi.

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What happens when a family doesn’t return a guardian’s call to check in? What happens when a parent rejects an, ahem, friendly suggestion from said guardian using a few choice curse words? A knock on the door from police and social workers, that’s what. Can cameras in every home be far behind? To be fair, I can’t imagine many would-be guardians are thrilled with the idea of being appointed domestic spies, but orders are orders.

Don’t pretend to be shocked by this development. This is not a radical, new idea, but a perfectly logical progression of the Nanny State’s incremental child welfare policy achievements.

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