The War Against Children and the Shredding of the Social Contract

I begin with two quotes that I believe signal the presence of another war somewhat removed from the Iraqi conflict, a war being waged on the domestic front that feeds off the general decay of democratic politics and reinforces what neoliberals cheerfully call the death of the social This war is ostensibly aimed against “big government,” which is really a war against the welfare state and the social contract itself—this is a war against the notion that everyone should have access to decent education, health care, employment, and other public services. The first quote comes from Debbie Riddle, a current Texas state representative. The second quote comes from Grover Norquist, the president of the Americans for Tax Reform and arguably Washington’s leading right-wing strategist.