Posted on 04/07/2008 9:03:53 PM PDT by jazusamo
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.
Rachael Ray is showing up in so many places on various television programs, on magazine covers, on boxes of crackers that the question must be asked: Are we sure that she is not twins, or perhaps triplets?
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.
Thomas Sowell is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institute and author of Basic Economics: A Citizen's Guide to the Economy.
Only Sowell could pull this off and make it stick. IMO, the money quote of the piece.
Bears repeating.
Priceless. Sowell is a treasure.
Brilliant! You beat me to it.
I agree that it’s the money quote and a great one.
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.
We will be wandering in the wilderness for at least the next four years.
Ditto!
You’re right, way too many only speak to give a performance, and bad ones.
This guy is soooo good...every single time.
He really never misses. Once in a while someone will disagree with him but they’re usually on matters that can be legitimately debated.
This is about 50,000 times better than my idea of maybe having Mexico go Communist in their recent election, but that whole "oh yeah, we get oil from Mexico" thought really squashed that idea.
I’m adding that quote as the signature on everyone of my emails.....priceless!
Maybe it’s the weather, but this post had me tears. I couldn’t help but hear Jackie Mason’s voice over a couple of the one liners.
If you’re a Mason fan, give it a try.
Thanks for the Ping Jaz. Enjoyed reading Dr. Sowell’s Random Thoughts again.
I love Mason’s videos and you’re right about some of Dr. Sowell’s Random Thoughts and I always look forward to the next one.
New Tagline....
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.
He shoots. He scores. BTT.
Beautiful!
ping
It will be seriously worse than that.
Wandering in the wilderness doesn't get you any forward progress, but at least you emerge eventually with nothing lost but time.
Introduction of socialist policies and laws into our government has to be fought continuously, because once in place, they tend to stick. An Obama or a Clinton brings us closer to the end of America as we know it.
“Senator John McCain could never convince me to vote for him. Only Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama can cause me to vote for McCain.”
Truer words describing this comming presidential election have not been written.
>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.
How true, how true!
Nobody, but nobody can cut the center out of an x-ring like that man.
I’m reading Economic Facts and Fallacies now. Heard TS do a brilliant interview with Mark Levin about this book. It’s fantastic!
There are multiple money quotes in just about anything Sowell writes, especially his periodic Random Thoughts pieces.
A sentiment that's too widely held. How did it ever come to this? Oh my.
“Senator John McCain could never convince me to vote for him. Only Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama can cause me to vote for McCain.:”
Throw Condi in as VP and it’ll be a LANDSLIDE, Mr. Sowell. :)
He is, unfortunately, in his late seventies. And hates to travel.Even at that, if he were nominated for VP he would destroy the Obama campaign:
"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."
Thanks for the ping. Sowell is one of my favorite columnists.
“Once in a while someone will disagree with him but they’re usually on matters that can be legitimately debated.”
That made me think...I can’t recall a time when I’ve thought he was wrong.
I’m with you on that, I personally haven’t disagreed with with him that I can recall.
I find it ironic that his views are pure common sense, yet they are thought outrageous and radical by many, if not most, Americans. We live in “interesting times”.
BTTT
Exactly! His common sense is his greatest asset and those that find him outrageous only show their lack of it.
Carolyn
Actually, they might decide the U.S. will be easy to defeat - which isn't true yet.
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