If you live in America, you must read John Cassidy’s New Yorker article on Bush’s plan for the ownership society. You should really ask yourself if America will be a better place if this vision is achieved. On the other hand, if you’re prone to fits of depression, you may be better off not reading it. Between this article and the Republican vision for further screwing up health insurance, I find myself taking a look at a world map and trying to figure out where I’d prefer to live.

Update: Daniel Gross explains how expanding government and personal debt confounds the idea of moving toward the “ownership society.”