The Neo-Croms..

The National Post has an article today by Carlos Grande from the Financial Post on the "New Puritanism".

Mr. Flatters, chief executive of Future Foundation, the research group, thinks a tendency to take a priggish attitude to the indulgences others is on the increase. He has even turned this into a trend: the rise of the neo-Croms - short for neo-Cromwellians, in a nod to the censorious 17th-century English stateman.

Neo-Croms support curtailing the consumption of alcohol, smoking, rich foods and some technology on health grounds and patronage of SUVs, budget airlines and mass tourism on environmental ones. To their critics, however, they seem keenest on regulating other people.

Mr. Flatters said: "There is a culture out there in favoour of restricting other people's pleasures. If you're a smoker but don't drink, then you are quite happy to see regulation on drinking. This is an assault on pleasure and many businesses are likely to see more regulation."

Yes, indeed. The left is going to be demanding more and more regulation of our behavior.