Signs of the Times (Thomas Sowell)

Florida Times-Union ^ | July 12, 2010 | Thomas Sowell

[r-q-tek86]

Thanks for the ping, jaz.

There is no free lunch and the biggest price of all is paid by people who are unemployed because politicians cannot leave the economy alone to recover, as the American economy has repeatedly recovered faster when left alone than when politicians decided that they have to “do something.”

A liberal friend of mine just does not get this. He is a Keynesian when it suits him and believes that government spending is the way out of a recession. His feeble logic says that if some spending is good that any and all spending must, therefore be good.

I keep trying to get him to realize that government investment on infrastructure or other capital spending is the only logical way that government spending can stimulate. Giveaways to favored political cronies does not.

[jazusamo]

You bet...Sounds like your friends mind is pretty much made up but every once in a while a lib comes along that sees the light. :-)

[r-q-tek86]

I've got a running battle with several libs. This one is too far gone for hope, but the exchanges can be informative. Know thy enemy kinda thing.

There are a couple of libs that work for me that have moderated somewhat as we get more in-depth on issues. They find that their bumper sticker mentality does not serve them well when they are forced into a logical debate.

Dr. Sowell has been a priceless resource for me in these discussions. He has a way of boiling an issue down to its essence. I have asked my lib friends for a comparable author that voices their views so I can educate myself on their perspective, but they cannot seem to come up with any.

Have you ever run across an author that presents the liberal economic case in a well though out, logical way? I'm not trying to be funny here. I really would like to try to learn something.

[jazusamo]

To be honest I don’t read too many libs but the ones I have are not even close to putting forth their views as Dr. Sowell does his. Of course they’re handicapped to begin with by trying to make truth of fantasy. :)

Sowell can say in a few sentences and make it clear what most take several paragraphs and many times they still don’t get the idea across.

[mc5cents]

Have you ever run across an author that presents the liberal economic case in a well though out, logical way?

Well, maybe one...