Found this clip on Youtube. Its an interview with one of if not the greatest economists in the history of America.
5 comments:
steven estrada
said...
Sowell hits it on all counts. Obama is so steeped in the vision, that he ignores all the history that disproves all of what his vision.
We now have seen the humiliating American apology tour, his boot-licking and scraping to the middle east thugs, and how the Russian leadership laughed under ttheir breathe at the boy blunder.
Sowell is right, as Obama drives full tilt to go beyond the tipping point, our country is going to be like a death row inmate going to the gallows.
OK, I just watched this because it's been so recommended. I'm not, surprisingly, impressed, and on a couple of points. Point one? Sowell is an economist - what logical reason would I have for taking his expertise in economics as a credible background for making comments on racism, affirmative action, Munich and Hitler? He makes some very disconnected analogies between Chamberlain and Obama. He's also a member of the conservative Hoover Institute and a columnist at Townhall.com. You may agree with what he says, but you can't say it has any more validity in terms of politics than your own expertise as a voter. that's a logical fallacy, and if you don't realize that, you aren't worthy of entering the argument. What Sowell has to say about the economy and what he has to say about Marxism (he is a former Marxist - kind of like a former smoker ranting about the dangers of smoking - we believe them, but they do tend to go way overboard from time to time) I'll listen to and regard as the thoughts and opinions of an expert. In this item, he doesn't exercise his mind, nor does he display any of his obvious intellect. Just because you're a well-known somebody doesn't qualify you to talk about politics with any more certitude than the average Joe on the street. For that matter, The President has a hell of a lot more experience in making law and governance than this guy - for God's sake, Obama is a constitutional law professor who taught at the very conservative University of Chicago law school. I'd listen to him on this - hell, I'd even listen to Obama's doctor talk about healthcare reform - at least he's an MD and has some expertise in terms of healthcare. What credentials does Sowell have in terms of making political analogies? He's an ECONOMIST, and a well-known crank when it comes to politics. Your dissenting opinion welcome - but c'mon, you've got to do better than this. If this is what the baggers are throwing at us as reasoned discourse, it ain't working. You're not providing us with any facts, and Sowell doesn't say a damned thing about how economics ties into all this. When he does that, I might take what he says to heart - until then, this is a waste of time for all of us.
YOu might want to read his books, then, since you are missing large parts of the puzzle, and ignoring others.
Trying to dismiss Sowell because his expertise is economics is pretty weak. Part of the art and science of economy is conencting the pieces, one dot to another, and one has to be steeped in history. Cosidering the use Obama has made of his education by being less with it than most eight graders, I would be more secure in any and all research and reasoning from Sowell.
The allegation that being a former Marxist, and the zeal against being a qualifier of disqualifier is pretty silly. As you say, a smoker can be pretty obnoxious about smoking, but that comes with the very real realization of the dangers. Such would be the case with a reform marxist. After a while of pushing marixist ideology, and seeing the misery it brings, one would rail against it. Especially someone as steeped in historical detail as Sowell.
Sowell does have his over the top moments, but you always know you will be well informed reading his tomes.
Steven, I don't want to "dismiss" him because of his expertise, but to try and recommend him to me on that basis is illogical. If you agree with his assertions, no problem, but no one should try to tell me I should agree or even consider his opinion worthy because of his economics background.
As for being well-informed, based on this piece of tape, I'm not convinced of that, because most of what I heard I find misleading, including a huge jump comparing anyone today to Chamberlain. No historian worth his or her salt in academia would make such an illogical conclusion - and if they did, they probably wouldn't go on a videotaped program and flog it as well.
If Sowell has opinions on politics, that's fine - as we know here everyone does, but we don't argue from a point of authority on many things or try to call ourselves economists, or for a moment think that anyone at a partisan thinktank has an unbiased opinion that hasn't been reimbursed in some fashion.
Does that mean he's wrong? IMHO, not necessarily, but to consider him an authority on the matter is beyond the pale.
As for the President and his education - he graduated at the top of his class at Harvard, tought some of the most prestigious litigators about the consitution, and has managed to serve at the state and national level as a working lawmaker. Why do you want to deride the man's education? Do you have the education or accomplishment to match that? I don't - nor would I deride a well-known conservative's education credentials on a similar level.
Why do that? Again, it's not something that makes we feel like you're firing on all cylinders in this discussion (no insult intended) - it must makes me wonder what point you're trying to make.
OKay, your talking about how no historian worth his salt would not make that comparison. As an avid historian, I can see the connection.
As for a comparison of their educations, that gets to be more of pissing contest, which can only take one so far. Sure, Obama is a well educated man, so? What has he done with that education? Is he a prolific writer, do pundits, economists, leaders and educators hang on his words?
Nope. They do with Sowell. Not JUST because he is an outstanding economist, but he also educates himself on background and minutae that others, with all their education, ignore.
I have never been impressed with that piece of paper. I had a friend tell me, 'what use is it to know the square root of a doorknob if you don't have the sense to turn it to get out of the house?'
There is no denying Obama is a well educated man. But he has used that education poorly, IMHO, and instead, chose the Chicago way, the way of Al Capone to achieve his accomplishments. So all that education, and it is used to subvert the country, and feather his own personal nest.
Being an independant sort, I don't give credence to over-educated, irresponcible conservative nitwits who bandy about the toob.
To me, the point is perspective and purpose. For all his eductaion, Obama is a thug. We have seen them inhabit the White House and Congress. Educated thugs. A savvy historian could see another ideological thug in Woodrow Wilson, whom Teddy referred to derisivley as 'that professor', mostly because Wilson seemd, and was, cold and detached from the world at large, and would do what he could to push his ideology on others, even the world itself.
Maybe I am hitting on too many cylinders at once, because a topic like this is far larger than one little blog can hold. Over a beer or two, I could talk to you about this particular subject for HOURS, getting into the historical details over why Sowell is right on.
Maybe, someday, but to that point of Chamberlain, and to a larger extent, Europe, I happily suggest a book titles, "1939" by Michael Carley. VERY interesting read on the economic, social and political turmoil, and how those consequences affect us now.
I take no insult. I know you want to be informative, and like I said, I think these are things In could clarify over beer and a few hours of history. Considering what Obama's Harvard education displayed recently, I know I have a far better reading of history than he. But then, I know that Oabama and I have a different perspective and purpose in out learning.
5 comments:
Sowell hits it on all counts. Obama is so steeped in the vision, that he ignores all the history that disproves all of what his vision.
We now have seen the humiliating American apology tour, his boot-licking and scraping to the middle east thugs, and how the Russian leadership laughed under ttheir breathe at the boy blunder.
Sowell is right, as Obama drives full tilt to go beyond the tipping point, our country is going to be like a death row inmate going to the gallows.
OK, I just watched this because it's been so recommended. I'm not, surprisingly, impressed, and on a couple of points. Point one? Sowell is an economist - what logical reason would I have for taking his expertise in economics as a credible background for making comments on racism, affirmative action, Munich and Hitler? He makes some very disconnected analogies between Chamberlain and Obama. He's also a member of the conservative Hoover Institute and a columnist at Townhall.com. You may agree with what he says, but you can't say it has any more validity in terms of politics than your own expertise as a voter. that's a logical fallacy, and if you don't realize that, you aren't worthy of entering the argument. What Sowell has to say about the economy and what he has to say about Marxism (he is a former Marxist - kind of like a former smoker ranting about the dangers of smoking - we believe them, but they do tend to go way overboard from time to time) I'll listen to and regard as the thoughts and opinions of an expert. In this item, he doesn't exercise his mind, nor does he display any of his obvious intellect. Just because you're a well-known somebody doesn't qualify you to talk about politics with any more certitude than the average Joe on the street. For that matter, The President has a hell of a lot more experience in making law and governance than this guy - for God's sake, Obama is a constitutional law professor who taught at the very conservative University of Chicago law school. I'd listen to him on this - hell, I'd even listen to Obama's doctor talk about healthcare reform - at least he's an MD and has some expertise in terms of healthcare. What credentials does Sowell have in terms of making political analogies? He's an ECONOMIST, and a well-known crank when it comes to politics. Your dissenting opinion welcome - but c'mon, you've got to do better than this. If this is what the baggers are throwing at us as reasoned discourse, it ain't working. You're not providing us with any facts, and Sowell doesn't say a damned thing about how economics ties into all this. When he does that, I might take what he says to heart - until then, this is a waste of time for all of us.
YOu might want to read his books, then, since you are missing large parts of the puzzle, and ignoring others.
Trying to dismiss Sowell because his expertise is economics is pretty weak. Part of the art and science of economy is conencting the pieces, one dot to another, and one has to be steeped in history. Cosidering the use Obama has made of his education by being less with it than most eight graders, I would be more secure in any and all research and reasoning from Sowell.
The allegation that being a former Marxist, and the zeal against being a qualifier of disqualifier is pretty silly. As you say, a smoker can be pretty obnoxious about smoking, but that comes with the very real realization of the dangers. Such would be the case with a reform marxist. After a while of pushing marixist ideology, and seeing the misery it brings, one would rail against it. Especially someone as steeped in historical detail as Sowell.
Sowell does have his over the top moments, but you always know you will be well informed reading his tomes.
Steven, I don't want to "dismiss" him because of his expertise, but to try and recommend him to me on that basis is illogical. If you agree with his assertions, no problem, but no one should try to tell me I should agree or even consider his opinion worthy because of his economics background.
As for being well-informed, based on this piece of tape, I'm not convinced of that, because most of what I heard I find misleading, including a huge jump comparing anyone today to Chamberlain. No historian worth his or her salt in academia would make such an illogical conclusion - and if they did, they probably wouldn't go on a videotaped program and flog it as well.
If Sowell has opinions on politics, that's fine - as we know here everyone does, but we don't argue from a point of authority on many things or try to call ourselves economists, or for a moment think that anyone at a partisan thinktank has an unbiased opinion that hasn't been reimbursed in some fashion.
Does that mean he's wrong? IMHO, not necessarily, but to consider him an authority on the matter is beyond the pale.
As for the President and his education - he graduated at the top of his class at Harvard, tought some of the most prestigious litigators about the consitution, and has managed to serve at the state and national level as a working lawmaker. Why do you want to deride the man's education? Do you have the education or accomplishment to match that? I don't - nor would I deride a well-known conservative's education credentials on a similar level.
Why do that? Again, it's not something that makes we feel like you're firing on all cylinders in this discussion (no insult intended) - it must makes me wonder what point you're trying to make.
OKay, your talking about how no historian worth his salt would not make that comparison. As an avid historian, I can see the connection.
As for a comparison of their educations, that gets to be more of pissing contest, which can only take one so far. Sure, Obama is a well educated man, so? What has he done with that education? Is he a prolific writer, do pundits, economists, leaders and educators hang on his words?
Nope. They do with Sowell. Not JUST because he is an outstanding economist, but he also educates himself on background and minutae that others, with all their education, ignore.
I have never been impressed with that piece of paper. I had a friend tell me, 'what use is it to know the square root of a doorknob if you don't have the sense to turn it to get out of the house?'
There is no denying Obama is a well educated man. But he has used that education poorly, IMHO, and instead, chose the Chicago way, the way of Al Capone to achieve his accomplishments. So all that education, and it is used to subvert the country, and feather his own personal nest.
Being an independant sort, I don't give credence to over-educated, irresponcible conservative nitwits who bandy about the toob.
To me, the point is perspective and purpose. For all his eductaion, Obama is a thug. We have seen them inhabit the White House and Congress. Educated thugs. A savvy historian could see another ideological thug in Woodrow Wilson, whom Teddy referred to derisivley as 'that professor', mostly because Wilson seemd, and was, cold and detached from the world at large, and would do what he could to push his ideology on others, even the world itself.
Maybe I am hitting on too many cylinders at once, because a topic like this is far larger than one little blog can hold. Over a beer or two, I could talk to you about this particular subject for HOURS, getting into the historical details over why Sowell is right on.
Maybe, someday, but to that point of Chamberlain, and to a larger extent, Europe, I happily suggest a book titles, "1939" by Michael Carley. VERY interesting read on the economic, social and political turmoil, and how those consequences affect us now.
I take no insult. I know you want to be informative, and like I said, I think these are things In could clarify over beer and a few hours of history. Considering what Obama's Harvard education displayed recently, I know I have a far better reading of history than he. But then, I know that Oabama and I have a different perspective and purpose in out learning.
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