I noticed one glaringly obvious missing bit of information in this article. Are these changes, on the whole, beneficial or harmful to society?

I'm all for personal freedom, but in a society that tells me I must wear my seatbelt or face a stiff fine, and must not work for less than minimum wage, and is fast approaching the point where I will be told I cannot eat foods the government deems unhealthy and must purchase health insurance whether I want to or not (all for the good of society, of course) I would think that the question of whether or not these changes are good or bad for the social fabric would at least factor in.

Apparently not. I guess "the greater good" only comes into account when telling me what I can and cannot do with my money.