Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Libertarian Paternalism

     This is my theory about Libertarian Paternalism.  There are people who will insist on "nudging" others, for a variety of reasons, some of them well-intentioned. If you don't give them something to nudge (if you don't let them set the status quo for retirement account savings rates, or influence whether fruits come first or last in a school cafeteria) they will eventually begin to shove, and they will justify their shoving as an attempt to prevent society from you.
     You will have become "the man" who oppresses society.  Let them nudge just enough to occupy themselves, and keep them out of the bigger decisions.  Because if they ever get the power to shove, everyone and everything will seem to need shoving.

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