Monday, July 13, 2009

Cass Sunstein and Malicious Online Melees

I wonder how the new, tougher punishments for online political misinformation that Kyle Smith fears Cass Sunstein will encourage would affect things like this semi-comedic enraged rant (pointed out by Helen) about Sunstein himself, Martha Nussbaum, and Nussbaum’s thirtysomething replacement in Sunstein’s life, Samantha Power?

I wouldn’t mind higher standards for gauging misinformation, really, even altered libel laws, done the right way — but I would appreciate it if pedants, including some of my own political persuasion, didn’t go berserk every time someone calls Sunstein “regulatory czar” instead of “likely new Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA).” Basic cost-benefit analysis shows one of those takes a lot less time to say, you’ll notice.

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