The "Dead Hand" of government has become a fist

"In 2001, Brink Lindsey wrote Against the Dead Hand, in which he contrasted the "dead hand" of central economic planning with the "invisible hand" of the market. The distinction is memorable. It is also slightly misleading. These days, the "dead hand" is very much alive.

Look around. The state has never been more in vogue. Everywhere one turns, central governments are intervening in markets. For political elites, the question is no longer whether the state has an obligation to provide economic security for its citizens. The question is how to do it."

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/016/125yutlj.asp