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Sowell: Random Thoughts
Creators Syndicate ^ | February 12, 2013 | Thomas Sowell

Posted on 02/11/2013 10:43:55 AM PST by jazusamo

Random thoughts on the passing scene:

I can't get excited by the question of whether Senator Robert Menendez had sex with a prostitute in Central America. It is her word against his — and when it comes to a prostitute's word against a politician's word, that is too close to call.

If an American citizen went off to join Hitler's army during World War II, would there have been any question that this alone would make it legal to kill him? Why then is there an uproar about killing an American citizen who has joined terrorist organizations that are at war against the United States today?

Of all the things said during the gun control controversy, one of the most disquieting has been the emphasis on "mental health." If that ends up letting the guesses of shrinks put more murderers back on the street, the public can be in even greater danger after such a "reform."

However emotionally similar envy and resentment may seem, their consequences are often very different. Envy may spur some people to efforts to lift themselves up, while resentment is more likely to spur efforts to tear others down.

New York's Mayor Bloomberg wants to restrict the use of pain-killers in hospitals. Is there any subject on which this man does not consider himself an expert? There are, after all, doctors treating individual patients who currently decide how much pain-killer to use.

One of the talking points in favor of confirming Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense is that he was a wounded combat veteran. How does that qualify anyone to run the whole military establishment? Benedict Arnold was a wounded combat veteran!

In the modern welfare state, a vote becomes a license to take what others create — and these others include generations yet unborn.

(Excerpt) Read more at creators.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: randomthoughts; sowell; thomassowell
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To: Sergio; Persevero; smoothsailing

Sunday’s L.A. Times ran a cartoon starting with “from my cold dead hands” followed by a drone facing down a cracker with a hunting rifle.


21 posted on 02/11/2013 1:01:44 PM PST by norton
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To: smoothsailing

That’s true.

My new theory is that drones are like ninjas. The purpose of a drone is to flip out and kill people. Drones are totally sweet!

In all seriousness, our one consolation is that the president can’t do anything without the consent of our military, and our military is made up of good men and women who, when it comes down to brass tacks, will support our Constitution and the common good of the American people before they would support some would-be tin pot dictator.

There are some highly influential people trying to change that, of course. Thankfully, they haven’t succeeded yet.


22 posted on 02/11/2013 1:21:45 PM PST by MWS
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To: MWS
My new theory is that drones are like ninjas. The purpose of a drone is to flip out and kill people. Drones are totally sweet!

You know it must drive the left nuts having to support Obama and his kill list. They would much rather those drones did nothing more than deliver pizzas.

23 posted on 02/11/2013 1:31:26 PM PST by smoothsailing
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To: norton; Sergio; Persevero
...a drone facing down a cracker with a hunting rifle

Close up and personal? I figure the cracker wins.

24 posted on 02/11/2013 1:35:22 PM PST by smoothsailing
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To: smoothsailing

I admit, I’m quite frankly shocked that they are armed with something other than flowers, apologies, and notices of surrender.

Give ‘em time.


25 posted on 02/11/2013 1:36:06 PM PST by MWS
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To: MWS
Flowers! Wow, you just gave me an idea! I've been trying to come up with something special to do for my wife on Valentines Day.

A DOZEN RED ROSES DELIVERD BY A DRONE!!!

If that doesn't say I love you, nothing does!!! :o)
26 posted on 02/11/2013 1:54:58 PM PST by smoothsailing
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To: smoothsailing

LOL! We’re on to something here! :)


27 posted on 02/11/2013 1:57:46 PM PST by MWS
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To: BwanaNdege

“Tin foil hat time???”

No! Definitely not! The tin foil hat acts as an antenna for the mind-control device that was implanted in your brain while you slept!


28 posted on 02/11/2013 2:59:22 PM PST by spel_grammer_an_punct_polise (Learn three chords and you, too, can be a Rock Star!)
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To: jazusamo
However emotionally similar envy and resentment may seem, their consequences are often very different. Envy may spur some people to efforts to lift themselves up, while resentment is more likely to spur efforts to tear others down.

To the extent that an emotion inspires people to lift themselves up, I would not call it "envy". Greed, perhaps. The names of the Seven Deadly Sins aren't completely clear and unambiguous, though the fact that "Greed" is listed separately from "Envy" suggests to me that the latter term should be somewhat narrowly defined. A trickier issue is "Pride", which could refer to either a belief that one is good, or to a belief that the ability to find fault in others is an affirmation of one's goodness. The former quality is a good thing in moderation, and a bad thing in excess; the latter isn't really good in any quantity.

29 posted on 02/11/2013 3:32:07 PM PST by supercat (Renounce Covetousness.)
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To: Persevero

Thank you.

I agree with Sowell and don’t know why we’re hissy-fitting about this. Unless it’s to show their hypocrisy.

Or unless there’s some detail I these rules I don’t know. If you’re in enemy territory expect to be killed. The US does not have to find out what US citizens might be there before a strike and be worried about being sued.


30 posted on 02/11/2013 4:24:10 PM PST by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Technological progress cannot be legislated.)
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To: Sergio
Most Dem pols aren't so stupid as to declare the NRA a terrorist org. Even the newly elected leftist, nutjob senator from my state of Wisconsin, Tammy Baldwin, isn't stupid enough to say anything against the NRA like that. There's too many Dem gun owners/lovers in Wisconsin. Only the Marxist lunatics in Manhattan or Berkeley could get away with it.

As for the other conservative orgs, I highly doubt Dems will ever do that. They don't like us, but they're not quite so stupid as to declare peaceful citizens terrorists. Again only the truly deranged libs say stuff like that...libs who aren't running for election somewhere. The Dem pols know full well that drone strikes on peaceful American citizens means civil war. And their demise.

31 posted on 02/11/2013 4:30:21 PM PST by driftless2
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To: driftless2

I so hope you are right.


32 posted on 02/11/2013 4:40:07 PM PST by Sergio (An object at rest cannot be stopped! - The Evil Midnight Bomber What Bombs at Midnight)
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To: the OlLine Rebel

” The US does not have to find out what US citizens might be there before a strike and be worried about being sued.”

It’s impossible. What are they supposed to do, conduct a survey of all present in a Jihadi house before they attack? We can’t conduct warfare this way.


33 posted on 02/11/2013 8:58:11 PM PST by Persevero (Homeschooling for Excellence since 1992)
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To: jazusamo

>> and when it comes to a prostitute’s word against a politician’s word, that is too close to call.

Very good!

>> If an American citizen went off to join Hitler’s army ... Why then is there an uproar [over Al Wackadoo et al]

In a rare moment of dissent, I don’t agree with the basis of Sowell’s thought-provoking analogy. Congress must be involved in situations where U.S. citizens might be subjected to intentional military action. I am not at all comfortable with the Executive branch having unilateral authority to kill U.S. citizens especially when Liberty loathing jackasses are in charge.


34 posted on 02/11/2013 9:43:42 PM PST by Gene Eric (The Palin Doctrine.)
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To: supercat

Yes, I hate to disagree with Dr. Sowell, but he’s confusing “envy,” which always seeks destruction, with “jealousy,” which may seek to emulate or excel.

If I’m jealous of my friend’s weight loss, I might join her at Weight Watchers and become thin myself. If I’m envious, I’ll try to do her harm in some way.


35 posted on 02/12/2013 2:31:21 AM PST by Tax-chick (We are all going to die.)
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To: jazusamo
I don't think it was a coincidence that the Iranians freed their American hostages just hours before Reagan took the oath of office.

Even the great Dr. Sowell misses something once in awhile.

I was a college student on that January day when Ronald Reagan took his first oath of office. The American hostages were not technically freed, but were aboard a plane on the tarmac in Tehran.

We watched the split screen in awe-- Reagan taking the oath on one screen, the Iranian officials blocking the plane on the Tehran Tarmac on the other.

As soon as Reagan completed the oath, the Iranians in Tehran stepped aside and gave the plane the signal to take off. It was a great day for the hostages and an even greater day for all Americans who had been held hostage to the inept policies of Jimmy Carter for four long years.

36 posted on 02/12/2013 7:19:48 AM PST by Vigilanteman (Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)
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To: Vigilanteman

You are correct as I remember it and it was an emotional event.

You’re right on the mark about Carter also, he was a dud and still is.


37 posted on 02/12/2013 8:35:17 AM PST by jazusamo ("Mercy to the guilty is cruelty to the innocent." -- Adam Smith)
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