Sowell: The 'Fairness' Fraud

Creators Syndicate ^ | February 25, 2014 | Thomas Sowell

[jazusamo]

It seems as if, everywhere you turn these days, there are studies claiming to show that America has lost its upward mobility for people born in the lower socioeconomic levels. But there is a sharp difference between upward "mobility," defined as an opportunity to rise, and mobility defined as actually having risen.

That distinction is seldom even mentioned in most of the studies. It is as if everybody is chomping at the bit to get ahead, and the ones that don't rise have been stopped by "barriers" created by "society."

When statistics show that sons of high school dropouts don't become doctors or scientists nearly as often as the sons of Ph.D.s, that is taken as a sign that American society is not "fair."

If equal probabilities of achieving some goal is your definition of fairness, then we should all get together — people of every race, color, creed, national origin, political ideology and sexual preference — and stipulate that life has never been fair, anywhere or any time in all the millennia of recorded history.

Then we can begin at last to talk sense.

I know that I never had an equal chance to become a great ballet dancer like Rudolph Nureyev. The thought of becoming a ballet dancer never once crossed my mind in all the years when I was growing up in Harlem. I suspect that the same thought never crossed the minds of most of the guys growing up on New York's lower east side.

Does that mean that there were unfair barriers keeping us from following in the footsteps of Rudolph Nureyev?

[MNGal]

“Care to share how you think the drivel that Dr. Sowell published about Ted Cruz will EVER lead to better leadership from the GOP-E?”

I think you misunderstood my response. I didn’t agree with Sowell’s “drivel.” I agreed with the comment that had the Dems and left-leaning independents scrutinized the current POTUS, we may not be in the dire straits that we find ourselves in now.

[SoConPubbie]

I think you misunderstood my response. I didn’t agree with Sowell’s “drivel.” I agreed with the comment that had the Dems and left-leaning independents scrutinized the current POTUS, we may not be in the dire straits that we find ourselves in now.

OK, I apologize for that, however, why attempt to link the two?

Dr. Sowell's commentaries concerning Ted Cruz were not so much critical thinking and an appropriate questioning of Ted Cruz but a sop to the GOP-E.

What you are talking about is actual constructive criticism.

They are not the same.

[MNGal]

“Sowell made a mistake with Cruz, but Sowell has been fighting liberalism effectively for longer than Cruz has been in politics. We cannot afford to throw him under the bus for one mistake.”

I completely agree that Sowell is a true warrior for the conservative cause. I found it very curious that he had a “slug” of articles last week that were critical of Cruz. I was stumped as to why Sowell was attacking someone who seems to be fighting on the same side.

[SoConPubbie]

Sowell made a mistake with Cruz, but Sowell has been fighting liberalism effectively for longer than Cruz has been in politics. We cannot afford to throw him under the bus for one mistake.

I'm not throwing Dr. Sowell under the bus, I am, however, correctly taking him to task for writing commentaries against Ted Cruz that can only be called sacrificing conservative ethics and principles for the historically failed strategies of the GOP-E.

I have enormous respect for Dr. Sowell's past efforts; but his latest editorials leave me believing either that he has changed, in a dramatic way, from being a stalwart conservative to somewhat mushy conservative, or he was never what I thought he was.

[MNGal]

“They are not the same.”

Very true.

[MNGal]

I never thought in a million years we’d be sitting here discussing Sowell’s criticism of Ted Cruz. What, do you suppose, prompted the attack??? I call it an attack because it wasn’t just ONE article...it was MULTIPLE articles in one weeks time.

Thoughts?

[unlearner]

My opinion is that Sowell is being overly pragmatic about what the GOP can accomplish. I’m pragmatic also to a degree. I held my nose and voted for the past two GOP presidential nominees, but I also fought for them NOT to be the nominees as much as possible.

In this article he says that “fairness” mentality is what got us Obmamacare. I think the GOP pragmatism is what got us Romney and McCain as loser candidates.

Maybe running a Cruz or a Palin will lose too. But I would rather lose with a good candidate than with a mediocre one.

So, in my mind, I always want to hear what Sowell has to say, but his take on Cruz is a rare case in which I must disagree. Otherwise, he is still a conservative hero to me.

[MNGal]

“Maybe running a Cruz or a Palin will lose too. But I would rather lose with a good candidate than with a mediocre one.”

I would love to see a Presidential debate between the Dem nominee (Hillary???) and Ted Cruz (or someone like him). It frustrates me to no end to watch the Republican nominees trying desperately to “out Democrat” the Democrats. I wish they would play their own (conservative) game and just see which ideas the public likes more.

On the other hand, we may have reached the point in this country where candidates promoting personal responsibility, free market principles, traditional morals and values, and individual sovereignty will be consistently outvoted in national elections.

[Vigilanteman]

I'm glad to see that. I've come to the sad conclusion that Dr. Sowell has a blind spot for Ted Cruz.

Sort of like Pat Buchanan who writes very analytical thoughtful articles unless the topic involves "Jooze." At that point, Buchanan is off into Cuckoo land and I skip the entire article.

[hosepipe]

Does that mean that there were unfair barriers keeping us from following in the footsteps of Rudolph Nureyev?

---

Actually what it means is there is/was FAIR BARRIERS to not becoming a ballet dandy..

there are many FAIR barriers to doing stuff you don’t want to do..
and unfair barriers to doing stuff you want to do...

What stops you makes you stronger UNLESS what stops you makes you WEAKER..
The weak want the gov’t to be their MOMMY!...

The strong.......................... laugh at them..

[rdb3]

I'm not throwing Dr. Sowell under the bus, I am, however, correctly taking him to task for writing commentaries against Ted Cruz that can only be called sacrificing conservative ethics and principles for the historically failed strategies of the GOP-E.

Yes you are.

YOU are the one spouting this nonsense "correctly taking him to task for writing commentaries against Ted Cruz that can only be called sacrificing conservative ethics and principles for the historically failed strategies of the GOP-E."

I disagree with Dr. Sowell's thoughts on Cruz, but he's human just like me. So spare us all the over-the-top stupidity!

Jesus Christ: You can’t impeach Him and He ain’t going to resign.

[SoConPubbie]

Maybe running a Cruz or a Palin will lose too. But I would rather lose with a good candidate than with a mediocre one.

Says who, you?

Did God give you the ability to see into the future?

Do you know they were saying the exact same things about Reagan, and those stating that were the so-called Moderates?

Don't mimick the GOP-E.

[SoConPubbie]

YOU are the one spouting this nonsense "correctly taking him to task for writing commentaries against Ted Cruz that can only be called sacrificing conservative ethics and principles for the historically failed strategies of the GOP-E."

And just how is it nonsense and NOT the truth?

[Hugin]

Did God give you the ability to see into the future?

Did God give you the ability to understand the word "maybe"?

[hosepipe]

I disagree with Dr. Sowell’s thoughts on Cruz, but he’s human just like me. So spare us all the over-the-top stupidity!

---

I see you(we) cannot disagree with Sowell, why because he’s black?..
right most of the time?.. a “conservative?”...(probably)..

Actually I rarely disagree YOU!... but will if you say something STUPID...

[SoConPubbie]

Just a smattering of the GOP-E infected ramblings of Dr. Sowell lately:

At this crucial juncture in the history of America, internal battles within the only party that can turn things around are the last thing Americans need. Moreover, each side in this political civil war has all too many valid criticisms of the other.

Senator Cruz's filibuster last year got the Republicans blamed for shutting down the government -- and his threatened filibuster this year forced several Republican Senators to jeopardize their own reelection prospects by voting to impose cloture, to prevent Cruz from repeating his self-serving grandstand play of last year.

Jeopardizing the reelection of current Republican Senators is an act of utter irresponsibility, a high risk with zero benefits to anyone except Ted Cruz -- and the Democrats.

All Dr. Sowell is doing is parroting the GOP-E.

His statement that "a high risk with zero benefits to anyone except Ted Cruz -- and the Democrats" could have been written by any Democrat flak and any GOP-E flak.

[rdb3]

I see you(we) cannot disagree with Sowell, why because he’s black?..

Negative. That's a juvenile way of thinking.

Actually I rarely disagree YOU!... but will if you say something STUPID...

And thank you for helping in making my point!

I simply find it PATHETIC when disagreement with anything within on our own side is really a "conspiracy" in aiding the GOP-E!

What, we can no longer disagree amongst ourselves without spewing false accusations?

Jesus Christ: You can’t impeach Him and He ain’t going to resign.

[rdb3]

GOP-E this and GOP-E that.

Yada yada yada...

Ooooh, watch out! The GOP-E is hiding under your bed and in your closet!

Jesus Christ: You can’t impeach Him and He ain’t going to resign.

[hosepipe]

I simply find it PATHETIC when disagreement with anything within on our own side is really a “conspiracy” in aiding the GOP-E!

---

Hard, to not, admit there are several serious conspiracy’s going on at any one time in America..
The very word conspiracy has become a “by word”...

A word used to discredit looking “into” the very conspiracy’s being foisted on America at any given time..
At last count almost everything related to the Executive Branch is some form of conspiracy..
AND thats just the stuff “We” know about..

Makes you dread looking at Congress or the Supremes closely..
God knows what hanky panky is going on with those guys..

RINO season is open... and the hunt is afoote’..

I say.... IT’s ABOUT TIME.. YES; shoot the complicit.. let the revolution begin...

[SoConPubbie]

I see that when you say conservative and when I say conservative, it’s not the same thing.