Okay, we know the Brits are a batty bunch. But spending hundreds of thousands of pounds over two years as The Children’s Society did to generate this week’s report called A Good Childhood in which they find “more young people are anxious and troubled”? Hello? Do you remember being a teenager? By definition, it is to be anxious and troubled… It’s called HORMONES.

But they don’t stop there. The report finds:

‘Excessive individualism’ is to blame for many of the problems children face and needs to be replaced by a value system where people seek satisfaction more from helping others rather than pursuing private advantage.

“Excessive,” as determined by whom? Shall we create a Department of Anti-Individualism to go with all the other useless departments of Her Majesty’s Gubberment? (Or am I being redundant?) Moderate individualism is alright, ole chaps, but let’s not pursue private advantage too, too much, eh?

Look, there is nothing wrong with helping others. In fact, it is to be lauded, and I would argue is a core tenant of libertarianism–certainly of my strain. The problem in this scenario is using government coercion–force–to make people behave in a certain manner.

Lord Richard Layard, the report’s principal author, goes on to state, “Individual freedom and self-determination bring many blessings, but in Britain… the balance has tilted too far.”

Lordy Mama! Too far? Towards individual freedom and self-determination? In Britain? Land of Big Brother? Country of Bobby Assassins? [Aside: note how no police officer was charged for the murder of Menezes because of "insufficient evidence." Discharged gun, dead guy on train platform? Shouldn't be too hard, even for them.] Place of on-the-spot fines for anti-social behavior?

Individual freedom is the beating heart of liberty, of progress. It is the engine that creates wealth and improves the world. Self-determination is a natural right, not one granted to you by the powers-that-be. Think about it: either you have self-determination, or you have what-someone-else-tells-you-indetermination, in which case, aren’t you a slave?

The British Government issued this statement about the report:

…In many ways our children have never lived so well - children are more educated, less sick, and more tolerant, and the government is working hard to invest, help and support children and their families to make Britain the best place in the world to grow up.

I wish the government would stop working so hard. Any progress that has been made is despite the government. The government, no matter how well-intentioned, can only impoverish and hurt.

But there is one thing they are right about: There is more for US to do to fight this sort of insanity. Their kryptonite is our knowledge. Arm yourself: Intel.