So individuals are forced to save in order to prevent them from gaming the system – not saving when young, knowing that they will be assured a minimum level of support by a humane society when old. Similarly, the mandated purchase of insurance in the Obama administration’s health-care bill is an attempt to prevent the young and the healthy from remaining uninsured and turning to the government for support only when they discover that they need it.
但在文明社会中，一定程度的家长作风是必不可少的。社会保险就是一种家长式作风，它强迫人们为衰老储蓄，防止个人随心所欲地消费和储蓄。这一制度的存在部分是因为人们知道文明社会不会坐视老年人饥寒交迫。因此人们被强制储蓄，以防止作弊——在年轻时不储蓄，因为他知道老来无论如何都可以获得最低限度的社会福利。类似地，强制性购买奥巴马政府的医保也是在试图防止年轻人和健康人有朝一日发现自己需要医保时再向政府伸手索要。