A walk along beachy head

Prof Julian Le Grand, no stranger to making outrageous socially authoritarian suggestions, is back with a few more;

Without having to undergo a public ceremony or take any vows, they should simply be regarded as married in law as soon as the child's birth is registered, Prof Le Grand, Tony Blair's former Downing Street health adviser, said.

and;

Other proposals include requiring companies to organise an "exercise hour" for staff to reduce obesity.

Tim Worstall correctly points out that such 'libertarian paternalism' is, in fact, social fascism, but I am pretty convinced that Prof Le Grand thinks he is actually being jolly fair and reasonable. He believes that the state should have the right to 'nudge' people into the 'correct' course of action. Nudge, you see, not force. All very reasonable......

So, in the highly unlikely event that Le Grand gets to read this blog post, allow me to demonstrate why I find his approach completely authoritarian, and thus morally repugnant, and why the term 'libertarian paternalism' is a particularly stupid oxymoron. I suggest we do this by going for a walk along Beachy Head, with the good Prof walking right alone the edge, outlining his 'libertarian paternalistic' principles. When he mentions one that I don't think will is good, I will simply 'nudge' him in the direction of the sea.