Thursday, August 1, 2013

The Government's New "Nudge" Program

If anyone thinks that the government knows all and should impose its will on the people who they seem to think know little, then this latest proposal by the
current administration will not bother you.  It should, however, really bother the rest of us.  The government is now exploring how to "nudge" the people
into doing what it thinks is the right thing to do.  A couple of quotes: 

"The federal government is hiring what it calls a 'Behavioral Insights Team' that will look for ways to subtly influence people's behavior, according to a document describing the program obtained by FoxNews.com. Critics warn there could be unintended consequences to such policies, while supporters say the team could make government and society more efficient."  How many times has the government attempted and failed to remake society with its assundry programs?  Too many to count.  The arrogance of the government's apparent belief that it knows what is best for all of us is beyond the pale.  Remember, we pay for this stuff. 
 
"I am very skeptical of a team promoting nudge policies," Michael Thomas, an economist at Utah State University, told FoxNews.com.
"Ultimately, nudging ... assumes a small group of people in government know better about choices than the individuals making them."

George Burns

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