The New York Times has published my LTE on former University of Chicago law professor Cass Sunstein, a leading advocate of so-called “libertarian paternalism”.

My LTE was in response to their May 16, 2010 article in the Sunday Magazine section, “Cass Sunstein Wants to Nudge Us” praising his work as President Obama’s director of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) to use his philosophy to push people into behaviours the government deems desirable.

The LTE will also be appearing this weekend in the May 30, 2010 print edition of the NYT in the Sunday Magazine section (as opposed to the main letters section of the newspaper). It’s the second one down:

Cass Sunstein explicitly compares Americans to Homer Simpsons requiring government guidance to live. In my view, the proper function of government is to protect individual rights and freedoms. Unless we violate others’ rights by force or fraud, the government should leave us alone to live according to our best judgment.

Of course, individuals may voluntarily “nudge” themselves to achieve long-term goals, like having your bank automatically deposit a portion of each paycheck into a child’s college fund. But each person must make these decisions for himself based on his goals and circumstances. These choices are his responsibility and his right — not the government’s.

Libertarian paternalism in essence says, “Don’t worry — we’ll do your thinking for you.” If Americans start surrendering their minds thus to the government, they will become easy prey for demagogues and dictators.

PAUL HSIEH
Sedalia, Colo.

Amit Ghate has another fine OpEd at PajamasMedia entitled, “Czar Wars: Can The Rebels Fight Back?“

Here is the opening:

In recent years our nation has been beset by a proliferation of political “czars.” Pay czars determine compensation. Auto czars hire and fire CEOs. Last year the Van Jones fiasco captured headlines. There’s even been talk of a health insurance czar. Yet while each of the individual news items received appropriate attention from better commentators, the phenomenon as a whole has not. Looked at from a wider perspective, there’s something troubling about Americans’ new willingness to accept and submit to authority. If we’re to turn the country around, this is an issue we must understand and confront.

(Read the whole text of “Czar Wars: Can The Rebels Fight Back?“)

Proper rule of law requires a government that is limited to its proper functions, enforcing laws based on objective criteria. Amit shows how the proliferation of czars violates both principles.

Congratulations to Amit on getting another essay published!

(As usual, please feel free to blog about this, leave supportive comments, forward to friends, etc.)

PajamasMedia has just published the latest OpEd by Amit Ghate entitled, “Force and Violence: How the Left Blurs Terms“.

Here is the opening:

In a recent New York Times column, Frank Rich attacked and smeared the nascent tea party movement. While most of his diatribe received the fiskings it deserved, one significant fallacy went unchallenged. Perhaps it was overlooked because the left has committed it for so long now that it seems unquestionable. All the more reason to bring it to light.

The fallacy is the equation of violence with force. The error and its consequences are manifest in what the left condemns and condones…

(Read the full text of “Force and Violence: How the Left Blurs Terms“.)

I’m always glad to see more principled discussion of fundamental ideas as applied to the current political and cultural debates.

Please feel free to leave supportive comments, blog about it, circulate to interested friends, promote on Facebook/Twitter/etc.

Congratulations to Amit for having another fine essay published!