Thomas Sowell: Resenting Achievement More than Wealth

National Review ^ | 05/04/2010 | Thomas Sowell

[driftless2]

You are correct. It appears about ten percent of the posters on this forum have a racist bent. The ones imitating black jargon should be banned.

[PugetSoundSoldier]

Considering the number of military applications that have come from NASA, I would say that it is covered by the Constitutional role of defense.

[carton253]

I agree with you on your sentiment about the bigger kids in sports. That's not fair, and I would have protested the game, too.

But I don't know if I would use that scenario in terms of the Chinese immigrants coming into our school systems and achieving though they were 2 to 3 years older than their classmantes.

My brother teaches 4th grade and at the beginning of the year received a Chinese student (a little older than his kids). This child spoke no English. (That's another problem for another thread) She entered a race where the other students were far ahead. Yet, she worked hard on her language skills, her school work, etc. While she didn't lead the pack at the end of the year, she had almost caught up with them. Why? Because she worked hard. That's achievement and it should be recognized. At least in my opinion. :>)

[Shade2]

I think that he disregards the bully aspect. Bullies seek the weak and Asian students are often perceived as weaker. When interviewed, students complained that they were being misrepresented due to actions of a handful of students. That handful are probably typical bullies who are more likely to target those who are different and defenseless.

[carton253]

I don’t know if the bully aspect was what Sowell was going for in the article. Bullies exist and they do pick on the weak. (I’m sure Sowell is aware of that) But, Sowell’s main point is correct. It’s not weath that people seem to resent, but achievement. Just my opinion.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

But is NASA a constitutional role the government should be involved in ?

No more than social security, medicare or public schools.

But at this point in history, private enterprise is not being allowed to acquire the capital to be able to get into space, even though the technology has been around since the 1940's.

Then there's the defense component. Chinese and Russian moon bases stocked with nuclear missiles are going to be a much bigger problem to an earthbound USA. We would be much better off if we have the same capability.

And for a governemnet agency, NASA is relatively efficient. The 2010 budget is about $19 billion, barely more than New York City spends on it's school system.

I would argue that NASA accomplishes more than the New York City school system, where the average graduate reads at a 4th grade level, of the 45% who actually graduate.

[neverdem]

TS Ping

[neverdem]

You forgot the subtitle.

"Achievement is a slap in the face to those who had the same opportunities but did not succeed; inherited wealth is no such insult.""