Gov't Knows Best? White House creates 'nudge squad' to shape behavior

rathi said:

The whole point of government is to influence peoples behavior. Limited Liability is a thing because more people will create businesses when they don't have to worrying about personally bankrupting themselves if it fails. Criminal justice does nothing but deter certain actions through threat of punishment. Applying behavioral science to improve our current governments sloppy and inefficient ways of doing things is not something to get upset about.

Click to expand...

While you have some points, this is not what this thread is about. This is about psychological behavior modification not enforcing the rules of society. The details are what's important. I personally dislike this administration so I will be very wary about the propaganda they disseminate. On the other hand, there may be a future administration that I support and many others dislike. The precedent that an administration sets with respect to it's propaganda arm should be looked at closely and with much skepticism. In addition, I don't believe that this effort fits within the Federal government's responsibilities with respect to spending.

sawdust said:

While you have some points, this is not what this thread is about. This is about psychological behavior modification not enforcing the rules of society. The details are what's important. I personally dislike this administration so I will be very wary about the propaganda they disseminate. On the other hand, there may be a future administration that I support and many others dislike. The precedent that an administration sets with respect to it's propaganda arm should be looked at closely and with much skepticism. In addition, I don't believe that this effort fits within the Federal government's responsibilities with respect to spending.

Click to expand...

Enforcing the rules of society is psychological behavior modification. Simply using indirect methods isn't inherently any more harmful than being blatant about it. The end result of how it impacts the citizens is what really matters.

trfjr said:

Didn't Hitler do the same thing but used propaganda threats and violence to accomplish the same thing and we all now how that turned out millions of murdered Jews

Click to expand...

14 posts and Godwin's law is invoked.

SMTA said:

14 posts and Godwin's law is invoked.

Click to expand...

would you rather me use Stalin as an example with his reeducation camps

go blindly to your slaughter sheep

brothern said:

Oh, dear Lord. They're getting behavioral scientists to recommend how to make government run more efficient; i.e. putting tax forms online instead of mailing them. Where to place public notice signs at the beach. How to combat tagging and vandalism.

You don't need to be in a corner hyperventilating into a brown paper bag.

Click to expand...

Your overreaction signals your own fear that I am right.

Jango said:

Gov't Knows Best? White House creates 'nudge squad' to shape behavior | Fox News

As if we're not manipulated enough by forces outside our purview, now our government is openly engaging in these tactics.

Click to expand...

Nudges huh? I wonder how many nudges it will take to get the average American to believe Obamacare will actually save them money and provide better health care?

nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge,nudge

rathi said:

Enforcing the rules of society is psychological behavior modification. Simply using indirect methods isn't inherently any more harmful than being blatant about it. The end result of how it impacts the citizens is what really matters.

Click to expand...

If an extreme right wing government is installed and you are comfortable with the psyops they produce, then bless you. I'm not even though our current government is run by left wing extremists. I would be comfortable with neither.

sawdust said:

If an extreme right wing government is installed and you are comfortable with the psyops they produce, then bless you. I'm not even though our current government is run by left wing extremists. I would be comfortable with neither.

Click to expand...

You'd be hard pressed to find historical examples of where the government went off the rails by indirectly influencing people. Openly killing citizens with drone strikes is more the kind of thing that you have to be worried about.

trfjr said:

would you rather me use Stalin as an example with his reeducation camps

go blindly to your slaughter sheep

Click to expand...

Bwaahaahaa!

rathi said:

You'd be hard pressed to find historical examples of where the government went off the rails by indirectly influencing people. Openly killing citizens with drone strikes is more the kind of thing that you have to be worried about.

Click to expand...

I don't want to use Godwins Law but the Nazi propaganda machine was pretty off the rails.

sawdust said:

I don't want to use Godwins Law but the Nazi propaganda machine was pretty off the rails.

Click to expand...

The techniques used by the Nazi propaganda machine are pretty much standard in modern political discussion. The difference is that we don't have a monolithic state controlled media pushing a single narrative with no competition.

rathi said:

The techniques used by the Nazi propaganda machine are pretty much standard in modern political discussion. The difference is that we don't have a monolithic state controlled media pushing a single narrative with no competition.

Click to expand...

Yet...but they're trying.

j-mac said:

Yet...but they're trying.

Click to expand...

The news is being consolidated by the private sector, not the government. Even guys like Soros and Koch who have political agendas don't take orders from anyone in Washington, they push their own views.

brothern said:

Oh, dear Lord. They're getting behavioral scientists to recommend how to make government run more efficient; i.e. putting tax forms online instead of mailing them. Where to place public notice signs at the beach. How to combat tagging and vandalism.

You don't need to be in a corner hyperventilating into a brown paper bag.

Click to expand...

Don't worry. He and others will feel better when a republican does it. Right now all they have is hyperbolic chicken little stuff.