[ExI] question for libertarians

[William Flynn Wallace]

I am getting forgetful, so if this is a rerun, please forgive.  Maybe
newbies haven't seen this yet.

This is from Thaler's work in Nudge:

Suppose you were hired and given an option on joining a pension plan.
Totally your choice.

But if the paperwork is set up so that you have to opt out by checking a
box, far more people will participate than if you make the option to opt in
a box to be checked.  This is libertarian paternalism.  It takes advantage
of the fact that whatever it is, say a new cell phone, people will
generally go with most of the defaults.

Big difference - opt in opt out.  Now the question:  is this unethical
manipulation of your choices?  Thaler calls this libertarian paternalism -
libertarian in the sense that you have full sayso over your choices, and
paternalistic in that you are being nudged to make a choice that will
likely be better for you in the long run. (esp. if soc. secur. goes broke)
 (note that jokers like true contrarians will want to change the default
whether it hurts them or not)

What say?

bill w
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