Playing With Words (Thomas Sowell)

Creators Syndicate ^ | June 5, 2012 | Thomas Sowell

[jazusamo]

*PING*
Thomas Sowell

Recent columns
Holder’s Chutzpah
’Meaningful Work’
A Book for Republicans

Please FReepmail me if you would like to be added to or removed from the Thomas Sowell ping list…

[Uncle Ike]

” A few people may be taken in by the words of con men, here and there, but the larger tragedy is that millions more are taken in by the words of politicians, “

No self-respecting con man would sink to the level of “Politician”...

There *are* standards, y’know...

[MrB]

I’ve heard that it’s a common tactic shared among welfare moms to encourage their kids to act up in school in order to get them diagnosed with ADD so that the mom can get an additional “crazy check” for their “disabled” child.

[jazusamo]

politicians, the top-of-the-line con men.

I love the above phrase by Dr. Sowell.

Though they're top of the line con men only because they can pass laws to support their thievery.

[rockinqsranch]

Thanks for the ping jaz.

[stephenjohnbanker]

” The growing number of children encompassed by a wider and looser definition of autism has been trumpeted across the land through the media as an “epidemic” of increasing numbers of cases of autism. Before 1990, 1 child out of 2,500 was said to be autistic. This year, it is said to be 1 out of 88. “

Follow the money.

[jazusamo]

Wouldn’t be surprised. With as many people on the dole as there are they have a lot of time to think up such scams.

[allmendream]

I have read that the hardest part of prosecuting a Conman is convincing the victim that they actually were victimized - or in getting them to ADMIT that they were victimized.

They still tend to think that if they just send another $1,000 to Nigeria - their MILLIONS will be ‘in the bank’. The woman who shotgunned her pastor husband in bed was a TWICE victim of this scam - and was mad at her husband for forbidding her to send more money!

Politicians are Conmen - and we need to first set out on the difficult task of convincing the electorate they were conned.

Look at Greece! The math doesn't add up - yet the people are poised to elect a man promising no austerity, national pride, full employment, sunshine and rainbow pooping unicorns for ALL!!!!

[Kaslin]

Thanks for the ping and as usual Dr Sowell hit the nail square on the head

[jazusamo]

we need to first set out on the difficult task of convincing the electorate they were conned.

Amen to that...Sadly there are far too many that are just too ignorant to ever understand that.

[DB]

There’s no legal contract with social security.

Congress can change the law at will.

Congress can simply say all payments stop tomorrow. Social security taxes are just that taxes. Government collects the tax and spends it on whatever they please.

That’s the hard cold reality of it.

[Unrepentant VN Vet]

That’s the hard cold reality of it.

One other "hard cold reality" about that deal.....

The hard cold look in the eyes of all those shotgun-packin', blue-haired grandmas.

(I've drawn SS checks for five years now, I'm still a bit surprised when the money actually shows up and the day that it doesn't will just be yet another Gotcha moment. Does seem to be a bit of an oversupply of that sh** lately, though.)

[smoothsailing]

[Vigilanteman]

Before 1990, 1 child out of 2,500 was said to be autistic. This year, it is said to be 1 out of 88.

My daughter worked in a social service agency whose main mission was to work with autistic kids as a therapeutic support specialist.

She told me that about 1 in 25 of her clients was genuinely autistic. The other 24 basically just had poor parenting and/or home environment.

Every one of these homes (the 24/25th) had televisions going at full blast, often multiple sets. The kids had all the latest in video games, X-boxes and the like. But the parents had no time to help them with their homework, get outside tutoring or even turn off the televisions or video games long enough to actually talk to the kids.

It didn't matter if the family was black or white.

A small number of them would actually take her advice and start spending some time with the kids reading books, playing a board game, tossing baseballs in a local park or anything which didn't involve electronics and funky techno sounds. Every one of these kids improved. As a side benefit, so did their non-autistic siblings and the parents.

But the majority of them just tolerated her visits as a condition to keep their government checks coming.

Damn, I just multiplied 88 x 25 and came up with 2,200. Why is that so close to the 1 in 2500 diagnosed in 1990?

[jazusamo]

A most appropriate graphic for “The Won” and his union thug supporters such as Trumka. It's past time those Socialist, Marxist, Fascist turkeys are wearing those chains.

[jazusamo]

Thanks for relating that. It's really sad and those 24 that aren't autistic are being penalized during the start of their lives, hopefully the majority of them can overcome it later in life.

It is good to see there are some in social services like your daughter that are genuinely trying to help and at least getting some results.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

Why is it called [inappropriate, misleading word]?

FR word for the day logomachy . . . an argument or debate marked by the reckless or incorrect use of words; meaningless battle of words . . . .

Loh gom uh key

I think of what Pothead Barry does as Obamachy.

[MHGinTN]

That would be unicorns pooping rainbows of skittles ... well, it was, until Traytable gave the candies a whole new identity.

[Graybeard58]

When you or I owe money, we are in debt — and face consequences if we don't pay up. But we are not the federal government and cannot write our own accounting laws.

Or print our own money.