Comments on: Of Sin Taxes, Substitute Goods, and Libertarian Paternalism http://www.showmedaily.org/2009/12/of-sin-taxes-substitute-goods.html Advancing liberty with responsibility by promoting market solutions for Missouri public policy Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:56:48 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Ruth Carlson http://www.showmedaily.org/2009/12/of-sin-taxes-substitute-goods.html/comment-page-1#comment-4549 Ruth Carlson Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:49:56 +0000 http://www.showmedaily.org/?p=10485#comment-4549 Chrissy, Great post! I find it ironic how much effort is put into creating laws to perfect society. If men were good enough to create laws good enough to make us good, then we wouldn't need these laws to perfect us, right? Reminds me of a I a Christmas card I got with the following poem: If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator. If our greatest need hand been technology, God wold have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. But our greatest need was forgiveness, So God sent us a Savior. ...it seems to me that the poem should also include the line: If our greatest need had been more laws, God would have sent a lawmaker. ; ) Chrissy,

Great post! I find it ironic how much effort is put into creating laws to perfect society. If men were good enough to create laws good enough to make us good, then we wouldn’t need these laws to perfect us, right?

Reminds me of a I a Christmas card I got with the following poem:

If our greatest need had been information,
God would have sent us an educator.

If our greatest need hand been technology,
God wold have sent us a scientist.

If our greatest need had been money,
God would have sent us an economist.

But our greatest need was forgiveness,
So God sent us a Savior.

…it seems to me that the poem should also include the line:

If our greatest need had been more laws,
God would have sent a lawmaker.

; )

]]> By: David Friedman http://www.showmedaily.org/2009/12/of-sin-taxes-substitute-goods.html/comment-page-1#comment-4537 David Friedman Wed, 23 Dec 2009 04:34:36 +0000 http://www.showmedaily.org/?p=10485#comment-4537 While I agree that soda taxes are a bad idea, I don't think it is accurate to label them libertarian paternalism or choice architecture. In the Sunstein/Thaler approach, the choice architect puts the alternatives in a form which, given predictable irrationalities of human choosers, nudges the outcome in the direction the architect believes that the chooser really prefers. A soda tax instead changes the cost of the behavior that those imposing it wish to discourage, making it an example of old fashioned paternalism--the sort of thing that, I argue, libertarian paternalism risks morphing into. While I agree that soda taxes are a bad idea, I don’t think it is accurate to label them libertarian paternalism or choice architecture. In the Sunstein/Thaler approach, the choice architect puts the alternatives in a form which, given predictable irrationalities of human choosers, nudges the outcome in the direction the architect believes that the chooser really prefers. A soda tax instead changes the cost of the behavior that those imposing it wish to discourage, making it an example of old fashioned paternalism–the sort of thing that, I argue, libertarian paternalism risks morphing into.

]]> By: Today’s Food and Ag Links « Organizations and Markets http://www.showmedaily.org/2009/12/of-sin-taxes-substitute-goods.html/comment-page-1#comment-4530 Today’s Food and Ag Links « Organizations and Markets Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:08:01 +0000 http://www.showmedaily.org/?p=10485#comment-4530 [...] Christine Harbin writes on libertarian food paternalism. “If America were serious about reducing the caloric intake of its citizens, then officials would eliminate the subsidies that it pays to corn producers rather than instituting sin taxes.” [...] [...] Christine Harbin writes on libertarian food paternalism. “If America were serious about reducing the caloric intake of its citizens, then officials would eliminate the subsidies that it pays to corn producers rather than instituting sin taxes.” [...]

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