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Old 07-12-2018, 10:06   #1
tonyz
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Thomas Sowell Quotes

There is wisdom here for young and old alike.

The 30 Best Thomas Sowell Quotes
PJ Media
BY JOHN HAWKINS JULY 11, 2018

Thomas Sowell is a prolific author and brilliant economist and he is about as good at distilling conservative wisdom into pithy quotes as anyone you will ever read. If you think there’s not enough extraordinary brilliance left in the world, let me introduce you to Thomas Sowell, one of the greatest minds of our generation….

30. “The problem isn’t that Johnny can’t read. The problem isn’t even that Johnny can’t think. The problem is that Johnny doesn’t know what thinking is; he confuses it with feeling.”

29. “One of the consequences of such notions as ‘entitlements’ is that people who have contributed nothing to society feel that society owes them something, apparently just for being nice enough to grace us with their presence.”

28. “Each new generation born is in effect an invasion of civilization by little barbarians, who must be civilized before it is too late.”

27. "Virtually no idea is too ridiculous to be accepted, even by very intelligent and highly educated people, if it provides a way for them to feel special and important. Some confuse that feeling with idealism."

26. "I wonder what radical feminists make of the fact that it was men who createdthe rule of 'women and children first' when it came to rescuing people from life-threatening emergencies.”

25. “The word ‘racism’ is like ketchup. It can be put on practically anything — and demanding evidence makes you a ‘racist.’”

24. “To believe in personal responsibility would be to destroy the whole special role of the anointed, whose vision casts them in the role of rescuers of people treated unfairly by ‘society.’”

23. “What sense would it make to classify a man as handicapped because he is in a wheelchair today, if he is expected to be walking again in a month and competing in track meets before the year is out? Yet Americans are given ‘class’ labels on the basis of their transient location in the income stream. If most Americans do not stay in the same broad income bracket for even a decade, their repeatedly changing ‘class’ makes class itself a nebulous concept.”

22. "There is much discussion of the haves and the have-nots, but very little discussion of the doers and the do-nots, those who contribute and those who merely take."

21. "It would be hard to think of a more ridiculous way to make decisions than to transfer those decisions to third parties who pay no price for being wrong. Yet that is what at least half of the bright ideas of the political left amount to."

20. "When you want to help people, you tell them the truth. When you want to help yourself, you tell them what they want to hear. People with careers as ethnic leaders usually tell their followers what they want to hear."

19. "'We are a nation of immigrants,' we are constantly reminded. We are also a nation of people with ten fingers and ten toes. Does that mean that anyone who has ten fingers and ten toes should be welcomed and given American citizenship?"

18. “It is amazing how many people think that the government's role is to give them what they want by overriding what other people want.”

17. “Those who cry out that the government should 'do something' never even ask for data on what has actually happened when the government did something, compared to what actually happened when the government did nothing.”

16. “Four things have almost invariably followed the imposition of controls to keep prices below the level they would reach under supply and demand in a free market: (1) increased use of the product or service whose price is controlled, (2) Reduced supply of the same product or service, (3) quality deterioration, (4) black markets.”

15. “Much of the social history of the Western world, over the past three decades, has been a history of replacing what worked with what sounded good.”

14. “Weighing benefits against costs is the way most people make decisions – and the way most businesses make decisions, if they want to stay in business. Only in government is any benefit, however small, considered to be worth any cost, however large.”

13. “Considering how often throughout history even intelligent people have been proved to be wrong, it is amazing that there are still people who are convinced that the only reason anyone could possibly say something different from what they believe is stupidity or dishonesty.”

12. "Since this is an era when many people are concerned about 'fairness' and 'social justice,' what is your 'fair share' of what someone else has worked for?"

11. "For the anointed, traditions are likely to be seen as the dead hand of the past, relics of a less enlightened age, and not as the distilled experience of millions who faced similar human vicissitudes before."

10. "It is amazing how many of the intelligentsia call it 'greed' to want to keep what you have earned, but not greed to want to take away what somebody else has earned, and let politicians use it to buy votes."

9. “If you cannot achieve equality of performance among people born to the same parents and raised under the same roof, how realistic is it to expect to achieve it across broader and deeper social divisions?”

8. "It is amazing how many people think that they can answer an argument by attributing bad motives to those who disagree with them. Using this kind of reasoning, you can believe or not believe anything about anything, without having to bother to deal with facts or logic."

7. “Experience trumps brilliance.”

6. “There is usually only a limited amount of damage that can be done by dull or stupid people. For creating a truly monumental disaster, you need people with high IQs.”

5. "There are few modest talents so richly rewarded — especially in politics and the media — as the ability to portray parasites as victims, and portray demands for preferential treatment as struggles for equal rights."

4. “In short, killing the goose that lays the golden egg is a viable political strategy, so long as the goose does not die before the next election and no one traces the politicians’ fingerprints on the murder weapon.”

3. ”The charge is often made against the intelligentsia and other members of the anointed that their theories and the policies based on them lack common sense. But the very commonness of common sense makes it unlikely to have any appeal to the anointed. How can they be wiser and nobler than everyone else while agreeing with everyone else?”

2. “No one will really understand politics until they understand that politicians are not trying to solve our problems. They are trying to solve their own problems – of which getting elected and re-elected are number one and number two. Whatever is number three is far behind.”

1. “There are no solutions; there are only trade-offs.”

https://pjmedia.com/lifestyle/the-30...sowell-quotes/
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Old 07-12-2018, 10:12   #2
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Truly miss his wit and wisdom...as I do Charles K....National Treasures retired and gone
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Old 07-12-2018, 17:05   #3
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All very appropriate.

My favorite though:


Quote:
15. “Much of the social history of the Western world, over the past three decades, has been a history of replacing what worked with what sounded good.”
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Old 07-12-2018, 21:18   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ret10Echo View Post
All very appropriate.

My favorite though:
The Great Thomas Sowell the heir apparent to Milton Friedman a brilliant economist and one of the great minds of the Chicago school of Economics.....Walter Williams is another great one who follows in the Adam Smith tradition.....Have no fear Jordan Peterson, Ben Shapiro, Dinesh D'Souza are in the same tradition....I will certainly pause in a moment of silence when Sowell passes he will probably live to over a hundred like Friedman did.
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Old 07-13-2018, 04:47   #5
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28. “Each new generation born is in effect an invasion of civilization by little barbarians, who must be civilized before it is too late.”

Got grand-kids? Take care of business.
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Old 07-13-2018, 05:39   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WarriorDiplomat View Post
The Great Thomas Sowell the heir apparent to Milton Friedman a brilliant economist and one of the great minds of the Chicago school of Economics.....Walter Williams is another great one who follows in the Adam Smith tradition.....Have no fear Jordan Peterson, Ben Shapiro, Dinesh D'Souza are in the same tradition....I will certainly pause in a moment of silence when Sowell passes he will probably live to over a hundred like Friedman did.
So you are a fan of the Intellectual Dark Web are you?
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Old 07-13-2018, 06:50   #7
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My favorites on that list:


29. “One of the consequences of such notions as ‘entitlements’ is that people who have contributed nothing to society feel that society owes them something, apparently just for being nice enough to grace us with their presence.”




22. "There is much discussion of the haves and the have-nots, but very little discussion of the doers and the do-nots, those who contribute and those who merely take.


This society today always cries "foul", and tries to destroy what hard-working individuals do on a daily basis in this Country. I guess I am old fashioned to a point, but I've worked since I was 9 and never asked for a thing from anyone; including my parents; and I have never expected anyone to give me a hand out. I have learned and was taught that it is my responsibility to provide for myself and want nothing in return. What I've earned, and what I have today is what I've worked for all these years. And to those that "take", and "want/need" and sit idol expecting charity w/out contributing to society...kiss my little ass....
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Rita

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Old 07-13-2018, 11:14   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rsdengler View Post

This society today always cries "foul", and tries to destroy what hard-working individuals do on a daily basis in this Country. I guess I am old fashioned to a point, but I've worked since I was 9 and never asked for a thing from anyone; including may parents; and I have never expected anyone to give me a hand out. I have learned and was taught that it is my responsibility to provide for myself and want nothing in return. What I've earned, and what I have today is what I've worked for all these years. And to those that "take", and "want/need" and sit idol expecting charity w/out contributing to society...kiss my little ass....
Here is something that popped up and is apparently creating a lot of whining


July 13, 2018 01:05 PM


Quote:
The Tampa Bay Rays’ Double A affiliate Montgomery Biscuits is trying a new promotion to get fans to the ballpark.

July 21, the club says, will be “Millennial Night.”

“Want free things without doing much work? Well you’re in luck!” the club’s tweet on Wednesday about the promotion reads. “Riverwalk Stadium will be Millennial friendly on Saturday, July 21st with a participation ribbon giveaway just for showing up, napping and selfie stations, along with lots of avocados.”
Read more here:
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Old 07-13-2018, 11:39   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ret10Echo View Post
Here is something that popped up and is apparently creating a lot of whining


July 13, 2018 01:05 PM




Read more here:
HEE...HEE...says it all “Millennial Night.
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Old 07-13-2018, 13:09   #10
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Ok, it's Friday. That's officially funny, lmao.
Hopefully someone doesn't get their sensitive parts in a bunch over some condescending racistxenophobicmidlifecrisisNaziTrumper mocking them.
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Old 07-15-2018, 19:49   #11
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I think this one is very appropriate these days as well.

"One of the painful signs of years of dumbed-down education is how many people are unable to make a coherent argument. They can vent their emotions, question other people's motives, make bold assertions, repeat slogans—anything except reason.", Thomas Sowell
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Old 12-03-2020, 18:16   #12
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Dr. Thomas Sowell on the passing of his friend and colleague Professor Walter Williams. The world lost a voice of reason. After Dr. Sowell’s remembrance for his friend - is Professor Williams last publication - published on the day of his death.

Walter E. Williams 1936-2020
By Dr. Thomas Sowell
December 2, 2020


Walter Williams loved teaching. Unlike too many other teachers today, he made it a point never to impose his opinions on his students. Those who read his syndicated newspaper columns know that he expressed his opinions boldly and unequivocally there. But not in the classroom.

Walter once said he hoped that, on the day he died, he would have taught a class that day. And that is just the way it was, when he died on Wednesday, December 2, 2020.

He was my best friend for half a century. There was no one I trusted more or whose integrity I respected more. Since he was younger than me, I chose him to be my literary executor, to take control of my books after I was gone.

But his death is a reminder that no one really has anything to say about such things.

As an economist, Walter Williams never got the credit he deserved. His book "Race and Economics" is a must-read introduction to the subject. Amazon has it ranked 5th in sales among civil rights books, 9 years after it was published.

Another book of his, on the effects of economics under the white supremacist apartheid regime in South Africa, was titled "South Africa's War Against Capitalism." He went to South Africa to study the situation directly. Many of the things he brought out have implications for racial discrimination in other places around the world.

I have had many occasions to cite Walter Williams' research in my own books. Most of what others say about higher prices in low income neighborhoods today has not yet caught up to what Walter said in his doctoral dissertation decades ago.

Despite his opposition to the welfare state, as something doing more harm than good, Walter was privately very generous with both his money and his time in helping others.

He figured he had a right to do whatever he wanted to with his own money, but that politicians had no right to take his money to give away, in order to get votes.

In a letter dated March 3, 1975, Walter said: "Sometimes it is a very lonely struggle trying to help our people, particularly the ones who do not realize that help is needed."

In the same letter, he mentioned a certain hospital which "has an all but written policy of prohibiting the flunking of black medical students."

Not long after this, a professor at a prestigious medical school revealed that black students there were given passing grades without having met the standards applied to other students. He warned that trusting patients would pay — some with their lives — for such irresponsible double standards. That has in fact happened.

As a person, Walter Williams was unique. I have heard of no one else being described as being "like Walter Williams."

Holding a black belt in karate, Walter was a tough customer. One night three men jumped him — and two of those men ended up in a hospital.

The other side of Walter came out in relation to his wife, Connie. She helped put him through graduate school — and after he received his Ph.D., she never had to work again, not even to fix his breakfast.

Walter liked to go to his job at 4:30 AM. He was the only person who had no problem finding a parking space on the street in downtown Washington. Around 9 o'clock or so, Connie — now awake — would phone Walter and they would greet each other tenderly for the day.

We may not see his like again. And that is our loss.

https://www.creators.com/read/thomas...iams-1936-2020

This was Professor Williams’ last article:

Black Education Tragedy Is New
Walter E. Williams Walter E. Williams |Posted: Dec 02, 2020 12:01 AM
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com.

Walter E. Williams
Black Education Tragedy Is New

Several years ago, Project Baltimore began an investigation of Baltimore's school system. What they found was an utter disgrace. In 19 of Baltimore's 39 high schools, out of 3,804 students, only 14 of them, or less than 1%, were proficient in math. In 13 of Baltimore's high schools, not a single student scored proficient in math. In five Baltimore City high schools, not a single student scored proficient in math or reading. Despite these academic deficiencies, about 70% of the students graduate and are conferred a high school diploma -- a fraudulent high school diploma.

The Detroit Public Schools Community District scored the lowest in the nation compared to 26 other urban districts for reading and mathematics at the fourth- and eighth-grade levels. A recent video captures some of this miseducation in Milwaukee high schools: In two city high schools, only one student tested proficient in math and none are proficient in English. Yet, the schools spent a full week learning about "systemic racism" and "Black Lives Matter activism." By the way, a Nov. 19, 2020, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article asks: "How many Black teachers did you have? I've only had two." The article concludes, "For future Black students, that number needs to go up." New York City is one of many school systems in the United States set to roll out Black Lives Matter-themed lesson plans. According to the NYC Department of Education, teachers will delve into "systemic racism," police brutality and white privilege in their classrooms.

Should we blame this education tragedy on racial discrimination or claim that it is a legacy of slavery? Dr. Thomas Sowell's research in "Education: Assumptions Versus History" documents academic excellence at Baltimore's Frederick Douglass High School and others. This academic excellence occurred during the late 1800s to mid-1900s, an era when blacks were much poorer than today and faced gross racial discrimination. Frederick Douglass High School of yesteryear produced many distinguished alumni, such as Thurgood Marshall and Cab Calloway, and several judges, congressmen and civil rights leaders. Frederick Douglass High School was second in the nation in black Ph.Ds. among its alumni.

Also, in Sowell's "Education: Assumptions Versus History" is the story of Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, a black public school in Washington, D.C. As early as 1899, its students scored higher on citywide tests than any of the city's white schools. From its founding in 1870 to 1955, most of its graduates went off to college. Dunbar's distinguished alumni include U.S. Sen. Edward Brooke, physician Charles Drew and, during World War II, nearly a score of majors, nine colonels and lieutenant colonels, and a brigadier general. Today's Paul Laurence Dunbar and Frederick Douglass high schools have material resources that would have been unimaginable to their predecessors. However, having those resources have meant absolutely nothing in terms of academic achievement.

If we accept the notion that rotten education is not preordained, then I wonder when the black community will demand an end to an educational environment that condemns so many youngsters to mediocrity. You can bet the rent money that white liberals and high-income blacks would not begin to accept the kind of education for their children that most blacks receive.

The school climate, seldom discussed, plays a very important role in education. During the 2017-18 school year, there were an estimated 962,300 violent incidents and 476,100 nonviolent incidents in U.S. public schools nationwide. Schools with 1,000 or more students had at least one sworn law enforcement officer. About 90% of those law enforcement officers carry firearms. Aside from violence, there are many instances of outright disrespect for teachers. First- and second-graders telling teachers to "Shut the f--- up" and calling teachers "b---h."

Years ago, much of the behavior of young people that we see today would have never been tolerated. There was the vice principal's office where corporal punishment would be administered for gross infractions. If the kid was unwise enough to tell his parents what happened, he might get more punishment at home. Today, unfortunately, we have replaced practices that worked with practices that sound good and caring. And we are witnessing the results.

https://townhall.com/columnists/walt...s-new-n2580836

Walter E. Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason University.
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Old 12-03-2020, 19:06   #13
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Rest in peace professor Williams, I always enjoyed listening to you on the radio.
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Old 12-03-2020, 20:31   #14
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Two men, who’s life experience, wisdom and ability to distill complex concepts to readily understood concepts...two great conservative thinkers.

One, now gone too soon and the other retired.

R.I.P. Walter Williams.
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Old 12-03-2020, 22:58   #15
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I loved Walter's Christmas gift list for Mrs. Williams. My favorite was his gift of new golf shoes so she wouldn't slip on the ice when shoveling the driveway.

Rest in Peace, Mr. Williams. What did you get Mrs. Williams for Christmas this year?
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