Random Thoughts By Thomas Sowell April, 2008 (thanks, Jim!)
Random thoughts on the passing scene:
Most of the problems of this country are not nearly as bad as the "solutions" -- especially the solutions that politicians come up with during election years.
Some people actually think that televising Congress gives us information. What it really does is give politicians millions of dollars worth of free advertising, while they play charades on camera to fool the rest of us.
Alfred E. Neuman of Mad magazine said: "What, me worry?" During election years, Democrats running for office say: "What, me liberal?"Senator John McCain could never convince me to vote for him.
Only Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama can cause me to vote for McCain.
What is more scary than any particular candidate or policy is the gullibility of the public and their willingness to be satisfied with talking points, rather than serious arguments.
One way to reduce illegal immigration might be to translate some of our far left publications into Spanish and give everyone in Mexico subscriptions. After they read how terrible this country is, many may want to stay away.
Whenever I see one of Barack Obama's smooth performances, it reminds me of a saying from my old neighborhood in Harlem: "An eel is like sandpaper compared to you."
Most people on the right have no problem understanding people on the left because many, if not most, were on the left themselves when they were younger. But many, if not most, people on the left find it inexplicable how any decent and intelligent person could be on the right.
It is amazing to me that there are people who still take seriously claims by some candidates that they are against "special interests." All politicians are against their opponents' special interests and in favor of his own special interests.
Nothing is more fraudulent than calls for a "dialogue on race." Those who issue such calls are usually quick to cry "racism" at any frank criticism. They are almost invariably seeking a monologue on race, to which others are supposed to listen.
The same people who have gone ballistic when some prominent figure is found to belong to some all-male social club are full of excuses for why Barack Obama remained a member of a racist and anti-American church for 20 years.
Among the many wise things said by the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan was that you are entitled to your own opinion, but not to your own facts. Yet an incredible number of people make up whatever "facts" are needed to support whatever they choose to believe.
The way to get people's votes is to say that all their problems are caused by other people, and that you will stop those other people from giving them trouble. But if you really want to help, then you can tell them the truth and risk losing their votes.
The idea behind giving professors lifetime tenure is that this will enable them to speak out freely. But it would be hard to name any other occupation with a more cowardly record than academics, who have been giving in to politically correct campus bullies ever since the 1960s.
There is no question that Barack Obama is a clever and glib fellow. There is also no question that some of the most foolish, dangerous and horrific things done around the world in the past hundred years have been done by clever and glib fellows.
When someone is brutally murdered, the media often defuse our shock by focusing on praise of the victim, instead of focusing on what can be done to keep the murderer from ever doing this again. In the midst of all this emotional venting, it is galling to realize that chances are the murderer will eventually be put back on the street again.
zabelle's personal favorite! Do you have one!!?
9 comments:
I love APS Members... even if they are only Class 3, SDiv 302 economists. They're the best of the best.
;-)
Sowell is always an intelligent, common sense writer. Good stuff.
I admire and respect Dr. Sowell, he is a clear and concise thinker!
And eloquent to boot!
tmw
Love Sowell... thank God for men like him. and he's absolutely right about the McCain issue.
Sowell thinks clearly, which is something liberals can't seem to manage. This is exactly the way I feel regarding this election. Hillary and Obama are both so far left that we must vote for McCain to keep them out. It's a mell of a hess!
i will vote mccain ONLY if he doesn't choose condi as his running mate. what desperate times these are.
did you see her heinous on bor last night? the rest of the interview is this evening.
sowell's a gem amongst thorns.
*8]
FreeThinke says:
Every bit of this is superb. I'm sorry I didn't give it the attention it deserves earlier.
Because of the undue importance of "race" in our presidential election in November that has been forced upon us, I chose the following as a "favorite," because it needs so desperately to be said, and it comes from an absolutely unimpeachable source:
••• "Nothing is more fraudulent than calls for a "dialogue on race." Those who issue such calls are usually quick to cry "racism" at any frank criticism. They are almost invariably seeking a monologue on race, to which others are supposed to listen." •••
Dr. Sowell is one tough cookie, and one of the few truly honest men in public life.
FT
Aas! This wonderful man's fine words have been given short shrift.
I wonder why?
FT
FT...isn't he brilliant? Yes, I liked that one, too, because I was asking Net at FPM "what the heck is a DIALOGUE ON RACE? Sounds ridiculous......has to be a monologue these days, everyone voicing their grievances, screaming over the others'...
Why is he given short shrift?
He's Conservative. And Brilliant. Could it be racism that prevents him from becoming as noted as Buckley? Or does he just not bang his own drum hard enough? Good question, FT>
I sometimes think it's because he is basically known as an economist and maybe people haven't caught up to his even MORE brilliant expertise in writing cultural/political stuff. I don't know. odd, you're right.
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