It's about "nudging," and our blog friend Dr. Helen discusses it here, with a podcast.
Of course, our government nudges already in innumerable ways - mortgage deductions, for one. Pension deductions and charitable deductions for more on the plus side, and gas and tobacco taxes on the negative side. I happen to be a flat-taxer, on principle: I will give you 13% of my income to pay you off and to preserve our civilization, and I will do whatever I want with the rest.
What principle? The principle that I do not need or want anybody else to "improve" me: My life is my gift from God and nature. It is my problem, my challenge, my adventure, and presents my own dilemmas, my own choices, my own consequences. That is the core and the meaning of human dignity in a free society, and I expect everybody else in my vicinity to buy into that revolutionary and inspiring idea.
The reason I would not waste my time on the book is that, while I respect Sunstein as a smart guy, I do not generally regard him as wise. In this case, the premise that government or government-acquired or politically-processed "expertise" is something that "we the people" want or need - or wish to pay for with our tax money - is absurd. Are we retarded? Everyone in the world these days gets advice from other people, and can get it from anywhere. From Oprah to my doctor to my pastor to the politicians to the internet, everybody seems to be sure that they know how I ought to live.
We are swamped by the Advice du Jour, which usually turns out to be wrong - whether from the government or from anyone else. For one example, if I followed our government's dietary recommendations, I would weigh 300 lbs and resemble the revolting American happily-overfed blimps at Disney World.
What people want, I believe, is a government that has the humility to stay out of our personal lives. That's the way to grow strong, self-sufficient people who do not turn to the government in a dependent, whining, or entitled manner. God, the internet, the library, and our brains are all that we need to take charge of our own lives. Plus we need to know the laws, so we don't break them, because breaking laws is a bad idea.
The arrogance of the Government-Academic Complex never ceases to amuse and to exasperate.
Does Cass run his life better than I run mine? I doubt it. Are his investments doing better than mine? I doubt it. Does he run more miles per week than I do? I doubt it. Is his marriage more fun than mine? I seriously doubt it. Does he have a more interesting life than mine? I doubt it. Is his worship more heart-felt than mine? Doubt it. Does he view me, his fellow Citizen, as somehow pitifully deprived of the wisdom and knowledge of my betters (despite government schools which are supposed to prepare us)? No doubt.
Government is no font of wisdom, and everybody knows that. Here's my message to the condescending experts:
"Shut the hell up, because when it comes to running a life, we are all on training wheels."
