Ugh

We really need to talk about politics in wellingtonnz some more, because I'm so starved for the internet rage that I'm picking fights in lj_biz and that's just not good for you. also, I don't really have the context to respond to someone who things the USA is a nanny state. !!!

Coincidentally, I'm quite perplexed by the use of the phrase "nanny state" in comments over there, to the extent that I'm wondering if (despite wikipedia) it is actually used differently elsewhere. Here "nanny state" is used to describe socially paternalistic laws, including but not limited to welfare/social security, occupational health and safety, and drug and alcohol laws. In other words, a state is a nanny state when it treats its adults as if they were children (& therefore unable to take care of themselves/make sound decisions).* However, people seem to be using it over there to literally mean the state as a nanny - i.e., the state taking responsibility for the upbringing of children whose parents are disinclined to bring them up in a certain way (this is about LJ's new age policies which are icky, IMO). Is this a consistent usage over there? or are these people just grabbing on to a phrase they don't understand (like political correctness) and misusing it?

*NB: I am pretty relaxed about the nanny state, FWIW.