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Random Thoughts (Thomas Sowell)
GOPUSA ^ | October 7, 2009 | Thomas Sowell

Posted on 10/06/2009 8:44:59 PM PDT by jazusamo

Random thoughts on the passing scene:

Upon learning that the Constitution requires a president to be a natural born citizen, a college student said: "What makes a natural born citizen any more qualified than one born by C-section?"

Airlines that keep passengers trapped for hours in planes sitting on the runway should be prosecuted for unlawful imprisonment.

When politicians propose some hugely expensive new program and are asked how the government is going to pay for it, a standard ploy over the years has been to claim that they will pay for it by eliminating "waste, fraud and abuse." At a recent town hall meeting, a citizen raised the obvious question: If you can do that, why haven't you done it already?

Marxism is an ism that has become a wasm.

What is called "universal health care" can turn out to be universal "don't care" medical treatment, when Washington bureaucrats can over-rule what you and your doctor want to do.

Whatever happened to Samantha Brown on the Travel Channel? Could she have met with foul play? Where is the FBI when we need them?

The older I get, the more I learn to tolerate human shortcomings-- and the less I tolerate bad attitudes.

After political crusades for "affordable housing" ended up ruining the housing market and much of the economy with it, many of the same politicians are now carrying on a crusade for "affordable health care." But what you can afford has absolutely nothing to do with the cost of producing anything. Refusing to pay those costs means that you are just not going to continue getting the same quantity and quality-- regardless of what any politician says or how well he says it.

Want to win an easy bet? Bet someone that Babe Ruth had a lower lifetime earned run average than Cy Young, Whitey Ford or Sandy Koufax. During his early years with the Red Sox, Ruth pitched nine shutouts in a season, which is still the American League record for a left-handed pitcher. He would have made the baseball hall of fame, even if he had never hit a home run.

Congressman Joe Wilson got into more trouble for telling the truth than President Barack Obama got into by telling a demonstrable lie about adding millions of people to the insurance rolls without adding a dime to the deficit. As regards providing medical insurance for illegal immigrants, I doubt that the president will do that. More likely, he will legalize them first and then give them medical insurance.

The way Hollywood elites have sprung to the defense of Roman Polanski to keep him from being extradited to the United States, despite the heinous crime he is accused of, suggests that-- like other egalitarians-- they consider those who are "one of us" to be more equal than others.

When I contemplate the direction in which this government and this society are moving, my biggest consolation is that economists' predictions are often wrong. I can only hope that my expectations are wrong by miles.

What is most frightening about the political left is that they seem to have no sense of the tragedy of the human condition. All problems seem to them to be due to other people not being as wise or as noble as they are.

Oliver Wendell Holmes said, "Think things, not words." In words, many see a need for "social justice" to override "the dictates of the market." In reality, what is called "the market" consists of human beings making their own choices at their own cost. What is called "social justice" is government imposition of the notions of third parties, who pay no price for being wrong.

Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, Muammar Qaddafi and Vladimir Putin have all praised Barack Obama. When enemies of freedom and democracy praise your president, what are you to think? When you add to this Barack Obama's many previous years of associations and alliances with people who hate America-- Jeremiah Wright, Bill Ayers, Father Pfleger, etc.-- at what point do you stop denying the obvious and start to connect the dots?


TOPICS: Editorial; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: randomthoughts; sowell; thomassowell
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To: jazusamo

I love this:

“Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, Muammar Qaddafi and Vladimir Putin have all praised Barack Obama. When enemies of freedom and democracy praise your president, what are you to think? When you add to this Barack Obama’s many previous years of associations and alliances with people who hate America— Jeremiah Wright, Bill Ayers, Father Pfleger, etc.— at what point do you stop denying the obvious and start to connect the dots?”


21 posted on 10/06/2009 10:32:11 PM PDT by elizabethgrace (I pray for our military, our Republic, Bibi and Israel.)
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To: jazusamo
Oliver Wendell Holmes said, "Think things, not words." In words, many see a need for "social justice" to override "the dictates of the market." In reality, what is called "the market" consists of human beings making their own choices at their own cost. What is called "social justice" is government imposition of the notions of third parties, who pay no price for being wrong.

A gem of truth from Thomas Sowell.

22 posted on 10/06/2009 10:52:57 PM PDT by Finny ("Raise hell. Vote smart." -- Ted Nugent.)
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To: jazusamo; sig226
RE baseball:

If you're a fan of classic Warner Bros. cartoons, you may remember Foghorn Leghorn and his attempts to get in cozy with the Widder Hen by befriending her nerd bookworm son. He figures the best way to the kid's heart is to play a bit of baseball with him. Turns out the kid hasn't the faintest notion of the game. Foghorn looks at the camera and confides:

"There's somethin' kinda yeeeeeeahhhhheeewww about a boy who don't like baseball."

Wise words, and I find myself thinking of Barack Obama. You KNOW he never liked or played baseball as an American kid, probably because he never was an American kid. Somethin' kinda yeeeeeeeahhhhheeewwww.

23 posted on 10/06/2009 11:04:59 PM PDT by Finny ("Raise hell. Vote smart." -- Ted Nugent.)
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To: Finny

I haven’t thought about Foghorn for years, always called the kid son, he was funny.

You’re probably right about Obama not playing or being interested in baseball.


24 posted on 10/06/2009 11:15:45 PM PDT by jazusamo (But there really is no free lunch, except in the world of political rhetoric,.: Thomas Sowell)
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To: jazusamo

Thanks for the ping to words of wisdom from Dr. Sowell jaz.


25 posted on 10/06/2009 11:20:57 PM PDT by rockinqsranch (Dems, Libs, Socialists...Call 'em What you Will, They ALL have Fairies Living In Their Trees.)
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To: jazusamo

Loved the last one.

The first one scares me.


26 posted on 10/07/2009 12:12:42 AM PDT by Ultra Sonic 007 (To view the FR@Alabama ping list, click on my profile!)
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To: jazusamo
...many see a need for "social justice" to override "the dictates of the market." In reality, what is called "the market" consists of human beings making their own choices at their own cost. What is called "social justice" is government imposition of the notions of third parties, who pay no price for being wrong.

I might add that the government imposition is by force of arms. Don't pay the taxes that fund the politicians's latest scheme, take your money from the bank (where it would be confiscated) and keep it at your house, resist giving it when they come for it, see what happens...

27 posted on 10/07/2009 1:11:09 AM PDT by SupplySider
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To: ntnychik; ROTB

The sad part is that so many here on FR did so before he was even the Dem nominee, let alone Pres__ent, while the media still hasn’t drawn one line.


28 posted on 10/07/2009 2:03:54 AM PDT by FreedomPoster (No Representation without Taxation!)
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To: jazusamo
When enemies of freedom and democracy praise your president, what are you to think?

I think, "Thomas Sowell for Global Dictator!"

29 posted on 10/07/2009 5:41:30 AM PDT by Tax-chick (There is no "I" in "Tejano conjunto." It's all about the mission.)
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To: jazusamo
What is most frightening about the political left is that they seem to have no sense of the tragedy of the human condition. All problems seem to them to be due to other people not being as wise or as noble as they are.
30 posted on 10/07/2009 6:08:34 AM PDT by Calm_Cool_and_Elected (Who is John Thompson?)
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To: jazusamo

bookmark


31 posted on 10/07/2009 6:42:08 AM PDT by skikvt (Green is the new red.)
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To: jazusamo

“After political crusades for “affordable housing” ended up ruining the housing market and much of the economy with it, many of the same politicians are now carrying on a crusade for “affordable health care.” “

Sowell once again sums up in one sentence what the rest of us attempt in 20 pages ;-)


32 posted on 10/07/2009 6:54:20 AM PDT by stephenjohnbanker (Pray for, and support our troops(heroes) !! And vote out the RINO's!!)
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To: jazusamo
"Oliver Wendell Holmes said, "Think things, not words." In words, many see a need for "social justice" to override "the dictates of the market." In reality, what is called "the market" consists of human beings making their own choices at their own cost. What is called "social justice" is government imposition of the notions of third parties, who pay no price for being wrong."

And those who advocate the misnomer of "social justice" overlook the fact that although the individual "human beings" who make up the "market" are imperfect and apt to make bad choices, those "third parties" in their scheme are, themselves, likewise imperfect human beings who, when in positions of power in government, are just as apt to make bad choices, except on a massive scale affecting the lives of millions.

33 posted on 10/07/2009 6:56:23 AM PDT by loveliberty2
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To: jazusamo

“Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, Muammar Qaddafi and Vladimir Putin have all praised Barack Obama. When enemies of freedom and democracy praise your president, what are you to think? When you add to this Barack Obama’s many previous years of associations and alliances with people who hate America— Jeremiah Wright, Bill Ayers, Father Pfleger, etc.— at what point do you stop denying the obvious and start to connect the dots?”

Obama: “ Judge me by the company I keep”


34 posted on 10/07/2009 7:26:37 AM PDT by stephenjohnbanker (Pray for, and support our troops(heroes) !! And vote out the RINO's!!)
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To: jazusamo; Finny

Foghorn : “ I tell ya son, you gotta pay more attention, or ya not gonna learn nuthin...you listenin to me son?, ah seah, son, you got a great memory, but it’s very short, know what ah mean?”


35 posted on 10/07/2009 7:30:22 AM PDT by stephenjohnbanker (Pray for, and support our troops(heroes) !! And vote out the RINO's!!)
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To: jazusamo
Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, Muammar Qaddafi and Vladimir Putin have all praised Barack Obama... at what point do you stop denying the obvious and start to connect the dots?

Precisely.

Most people on this forum have done that. We are waiting for the rest of America to catch up.

36 posted on 10/07/2009 8:17:34 AM PDT by Gritty (Don't fire unless fired upon, but if they want a war let it begin here-Capt John Parker, Lexington)
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To: jazusamo

His random thoughts are better than my organized ones.


37 posted on 10/07/2009 8:22:51 AM PDT by Still Thinking (If ignorance is bliss, liberals must be ecstatic!)
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To: Still Thinking

I’m sure that would include most of us, always am looking forward to his next ones.


38 posted on 10/07/2009 8:36:53 AM PDT by jazusamo (But there really is no free lunch, except in the world of political rhetoric,.: Thomas Sowell)
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To: loveliberty2
And those who advocate the misnomer of "social justice"..., those "third parties" in their scheme are, themselves, likewise imperfect human beings who, when in positions of power in government, are just as apt to make bad choices, except on a massive scale affecting the lives of millions.

What was that phrase that Obama used? "Distributive justice"? This reminds me of Zimbabwe and Mugabe returning the country to it's "rightful owners".

39 posted on 10/07/2009 12:25:11 PM PDT by oldbrowser (The audacity of incompetence)
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To: ntnychik
[“At what point do you stop denying the obvious and start to connect the dots?”]

We all tend to want to avoid unpleasant conclusions until it's no longer possible. Human nature.

40 posted on 10/07/2009 4:11:00 PM PDT by potlatch
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