A couple of things (and below I cut and paste from comments in posts 118 and 122):
I do think that as a younger man, Sowell would never have adopted the risk-averse attitude he has now. But there again -- is it because age has made him wiser, or because age has made him more vulnerable? Age does both to us all.
And --
Sowell is in is 80s, I believe, and he is very wise ... but his great age now may be making him more cautious and even timid than he would have been as a younger man. Would he ever have opined thus about someone like Cruz 20 years ago? Just the same, Sowell is much too wise to disregard because of one puzzling opinion.
Risk averse. Yes, I certainly buy that. A fork to the gun fight is the prevaling strategy of the peace at any price crowd running our party.
I do thank you for the reply, though, and the possible reasons for his what ever it was analysis. I can’t quite figure it out, myself, or what point it served.
Thx, Rita