Who is Sunstein?
In a post on at Cato@Liberty on January 8, 2009, Tomas Firey calls Cass Sunstein "in his own way, a supporter of liberty", although he would probably not qualify as a libertarian.
The distinguished philosopher Thomas Nagel gives us reason to doubt Firey's verdict. In a review of Sunstein's Republic.com, he said that Sunstein had difficulty suppressing "the impulse to exercise centralised control" and that he distrusted consumer sovereignty. Nagel noted with disfavor Sunstein's proposal to compel Internet sites to link to political sites that opposed their own views. Sunstein, Nagel says, "underrates the pure importance of individual freedom."
In another book, The Second Bill of Rights, Sunstein praised Franklin Roosevelt's call for an economic Bill of Rights and urged that welfare rights be given a constitutional guarantee. In yet another book, Nudge, written with the behavioral economist Richard Thaler, Sunstein defended "libertarian paternalism".
In a review in The Mises Review, I endeavored to show that these authors want the government to guide "irrational" consumers to what we really want.
The prolific Sunstein has also written, this time with the political theorist Stephen Holmes, The Cost of Rights, that explains why we need taxes. If Mr. Firey considers this record to be one of support for liberty, so be it.
Comments (7)
RickC
Over at The Volokh Conspiracy they are arguing that given how this is an Obama appointee we should count our blessings. It could have been much worse. I hate that argument. Things can always, and probably will be much worse. Big O has also appointed the climate fear-monger Holdren. That's just two of his picks and neither of them appears to have ever come across a government intervention they didn't like.
Published: January 9, 2009 3:55 PM
doug
To me, the term "libertarian paternalism" is oxymoronic.
Published: January 9, 2009 4:06 PM
Bruce Koerber
The international propaganda of the socialists has made it possible for people to not blick an eye when a Soviet-style designation exists ("Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs") in America, a place where practices of classical liberalism used to be its claim to fame.
Cato@Liberty completes its camouflage by forgetting to use the lingo of the unConstitutional coup. Here is their omission: Obama has chosen Cass Sunstein as Information and Regulatory Affairs Czar.
Published: January 9, 2009 5:11 PM
gene berman
Don't know the guy. But he seems of a type, of whom the archetype is Milton Friedman. I call it "iron fist in a velvet glove socialism."
Published: January 10, 2009 6:26 AM
Michael
Doug, yes, it is quite oxymoronic. Sunstein is not a defender of liberty.
Published: January 10, 2009 1:03 PM
Hume
I am no fan of Cass Sunstein, but he makes his arguments for "libertarian paternalism" in an article entitled "Libertarian Paternalism is Not an Oxymoron." 70 Univ. Chi. L. Rev. 1159 (2003). A great response is Gregory Mitchell's "Libertarian Paternalism is an Oxymoron." 99 Northerwestern L. Rev. 1245 (2005). Also, Mario Rizzo has done great work refuting Sunstein's thesis. You can find his work here: http://works.bepress.com/mario_rizzo/
Published: January 10, 2009 4:53 PM
Channah
For those of us who have given up on the main stream media, and not yet found a substitute, could you answer the question you asked in a more simplistic form first, before continuing your commentary?
In this case, I had to read the comment section to learn that Sunstein had anything to do with Obama (or even -- given this site -- current events). All you would have had to say is something like, "Obama's new appointee, Cass Sunstein". I admit, his title appears to be such a mouthful that it would probably require a separate sentence.
Published: January 11, 2009 10:48 AM