Do Emotions Trump Facts?

Town hall.com ^ | Thomas Sowell

[Oklahoma]

Bipartisan deals -- so beloved by media pundits -- have produced some of the great disasters in American history.

Contrary to the widespread view that the Great Depression of the 1930s was caused by the stock market crash of 1929, unemployment never reached double digits in any of the 12 months that followed the stock market crash in October, 1929.

Unemployment was 6.3 percent in June 1930 when a Democratic Congress and a Republican president made a bipartisan deal that produced the Smoot-Hawley tariffs. Within 6 months, unemployment hit double digits -- and stayed in double digits throughout the entire decade of the 1930s.

You want deals? There was never a more politically successful deal than that which Neville Chamberlain made in Munich in 1938. He was hailed as a hero, not only by his own party but even by opposition parties, when he returned with a deal that Chamberlain said meant "peace for our time." But, just one year later, the biggest, bloodiest and most ghastly war in history began.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

5. Is Cruz’ spin on the Goldman Sachs scandal going to get any better? Or does he indeed have a glass jaw?

[Tax-chick]

Is there a fact which you believe to be incorrect in Dr. Sowell’s column?

[inpajamas]

Trump is leading a fanatical mass movement. Think 1930s or 2008 in a different costume. I can tell you now, Trumpaholics will not be persuaded until the crash and burn. That is what happens to fanatical mass movements which ignore reality and embrace an illusion. These people are The True Believer which Eric Hoffer wrote about. They really have no clue where this is taking them but they want rebellion, and for a very good reason, but they are dragging America over a cliff by running blindly after their pied piper. The solution they have chosen will prove to be no less lethal than the problems they seek to address.

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

Sad but true.

[Kaslin]

Very important Ping

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

I found this comment on the site:

Tin Man in Texas 1 hour ago

Trump knows how to make a deal that is favorable to his position. His skill is being able to sell you on the idea that you DID get a good deal, when in fact, you took it up the yin yang.

Has Tin Man considered that he may be geting a "good deal" from Trump?

[Axeslinger]

1. I agree w the premise of the question, but none of us know. I personally don’t think it’s an issue.

2. I think Cruz has demonstrated this capacity even more than Trump has.

3. Point conceded.

4. I think he smacked ol’ Tribe upside the head pretty good at the debate. Other than trumps supporters here on FR and Trump himself, nobody else has been talking about Tribe since then. Something that should be concerning....

[libertylover]

I have never seen the levels to which a group of people will go, at FR or anywhere else for that matter, to not only disown people with whom they disagree, but to publicly trash those people. Impugning character, motives, beliefs, and sanity of the very people that less than a year ago they would have whole heartedly embraced as blood brothers in the fight.

Me either.

[SueRae]

Agreed. And I find it mighty disturbing that the a publication such as National review would coordinate such a campaign..in the PRIMARIES no less. They never fought this hard for a single candidate that most on FR backed at this point in the game in the last two elections. None.

I do like Cruz..but I’m also a Ben Carson fan...but he doesn’t have the National Security strengths that are most important to me. Cruz likely does..but Trump is out there calling out every lousy decision on its face. But he’s also ripped the cover off the ‘debate’ on our side...and it is one nasty eye-opener. When I hear some of those elected R’s saying they’d vote against a Trump presidency rather than serve under a Trump Presidency, that tells me all I need to know. I just hope that when the election is over, that there are enough left to fill a Cabinet and really lead. As for Ben Carson, I could see him as HHS Secretary or more.

[Leto]

“Sowell is George Will in Black face; to has beens trying to understand what happened to their comfortable world.”

Nice to know you are an assclown who likes cults of personality.

[SueRae]

Me either. And I find it incredibly sad.

[McGruff]

What deals has Thomas Sowell ever negotiated? Did Reagan not negotiate with Tip O’Neil. Show me some politician who has negotiated anywhere near the deals Trump has.

[MamaTexan]

LOL! The rowdy coalition. I like it.

[glennaro]

Think about it: If Trump doesn't win, which GOP candidate do you think will pick up enough additional electoral votes -- will swing enough states -- to overcome the results of the last election where, despite his exceptionally poor performance, his clear hatred of most Americans and his clear antipathy toward the Constitution, a sympathizer of America's enemies was re-elected?

As much as I wish it was otherwise (that is, as a conservative, as much as I would like to see Ted Cruz holding Donald Trump's position of strength), I just don't see any way Cruz -- or any other non-Democrat/Socialist candidate -- can pick up sufficient crossover, blue-collar Democrats, independents and, admittedly, enough low-information celebrity star-struck people who will gladly vote for Trump to win this national election.

America cannot take another four years (much less eight years) of anti-Constitutional, European-socialist rule without causing irreparable damage to our Republic.

[zzwhale]

No one knows what TRUMP will do..... nor did anyone know what any of the Bushs or Clinton would.... “read my lips... no new taxes???” Clinton refroming welfare and “the age of big government is over..???” Bush invading iraq to settle score on behalf oof his father... and why did Bush sr. stop the attack on the highway of death.... this is war at its finest .... break things and kill people... til they lose the will to fight and surrender... that is the jihadi tactic...

SO ALL THE FORTUNE TELLING POLITICAL PUNDITS SHOULD WAKE THE F UP...
AMERICANS WANT A SECURE BORDER, NO UNVETTED MUSLIMS, AND GET RID OF PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRY ILLEGALLY...

we dont need a history lesson with the sole objective of bashing trump....
wash dc is a cesspool and people are fed up with anyone that has the aroma/stench of dc....

Americans have been sold out and will take the country back....ONE WAY OR ANOTHER....

[Nickname]

Classy.

[MamaTexan]

This is not about defending “conservatism.” It’s about defending our nation and our way of life.

Conservatism is like a cat on a rapidly sinking ship.

You don't really want to lose sight of the cat, but you also realize it's not going to matter much if you can't manage to plug that hole.

[don-o]

They are good guys, but they're missing the point. This is not about defending "conservatism." It's about defending our nation and our way of life.

"Conservatism" in " " sends me a message, whether intended or not. It tells me that it's not all that important, after all. It's OK, even vital, to lay principles aside (discard them) and support a man, based solely on the sound bites he produces.

And when those words and promises are shown to be counter to words he has spoken in the past, I hear,

"It doesn't matter. The present emergency is so dire, we cannot afford to hold our principles. "

This argument is made often here. I emphatically reject it.

Folks here ask Cruz supporters if they will vote for Trump if he obtains the nomination. My answer is that Trump can win mine with a clear declaration of his rock solid support of a return to a government that operates within the constraints of the enumerated powers.

You remember - that proposition that used to be a pretty big deal around here.

[don-o]

Nice to know you are an assclown

That is a blatant personal attack which violates the posting rule AND Jim's recent request . Times that try men's souls vs living in interesting times

[P-Marlowe]

Scary.