I recommend everyone read Dr. Sowell's first book, Knowledge and Decisions. It blew me away in the early 1980's, when I was in college. He's enlightened me a thousand times over. Each of his books will change your mind about what you think you know.
This fucking dummie has rimmed the white man's asshole since the ivy league; his entire Uncle Tom dogma suggests the system is unbiased but people are biased and irrational. He is just trying to discredit civil rights and movements for postive change.
Such a perfect little, white, corporate fascist he is.
I stumbled upon Sowell during a cross country drive when I was looking for a good youtube video explaining elementary economics. He was so clear. I did not know then that my economist friend Larry had been Sowell's TA in econ grad school at UCLA. Since then, I listened to many of Sowell's videos, and learned that he also happened to be black.
One thing that especially impressed me was Sowell's description of how he had begun as a sympathizer to socialism, how plausible it seemed. He described how he sought out data, expecting his inclinations to be confirmed. When the data strongly contradicted his expectations, he changed his views. Very Feynman-ian.
Sowell's genius is demonstrated by his clarity. It is those who do not understand well, who obfuscate with vocabulary and jargon.
Thanks for sharing this delightful video. I have pre-ordered his book.
Funny thing is, it wasn’t data that disillusioned him with communism, it was direct experience(isn’t that true for all of us?). He worked as an intern for the government one summer. It was some department that handled minimum wage and all. He worked out that raising the minimum wage would increase unemployment, and proudly presented his detailed work to workers there, and they shut him down because, well, their own jobs depended on it. That department would close down if tax payers interest and society’s well being mattered. But it didn’t, government cared about itself more than others. That experience made Sowell realize government doesn’t work for the people, it works for itself first and foremost, and therefore not the answer. He still maintains that communism is a very intellectually attractive idea, and the only problem is that it just doesn’t work in practice.
Thank you for elaborating on my more terse description. People often dismiss direct experience as being anecdotal. Nonetheless, experience itself has not only the virtue of being known to be true. It can lead, as you describe, to insight.
I learned a similar lesson, while in college. I worked as a reporter. I learned that the purpose of media is to sell media. There is no "truth" objective or requirement. What is sold is the appearance of truth, with careful semantics including attribution, allegation and deliberate omission. That was logical, tempering any emotion associated with my disillusionment.
My spouse is a successful scientist and the same phenomenon you describe is very much currently at play in scientific funding, especially in the climate sciences where I once worked.
I agree that communism is attractive, almost invariably envisioned as delivering to oneself more than taking from oneself (the Wobegon most-children-are-above-normal effect). Economic planning especially appeals to those bright enough to dream of implementing their own pet social management theories.
Most ideologies do have truthful components as well as aspects appealing to self-interest, which is why they come to be adopted. What is rare is to look at data and experience with insight, as does the clear-eyed and articulate Thomas Sowell.
I support passionate and energetic Chris Brunet for similar reasons.
I see Sowell. I watch. I share.
Let's keep each other accountable to be as sharp and influential as he is at 90. Look forward to dropping your podcast debut on Thursday!
It's insane how eloquent he is at 93.
I recommend everyone read Dr. Sowell's first book, Knowledge and Decisions. It blew me away in the early 1980's, when I was in college. He's enlightened me a thousand times over. Each of his books will change your mind about what you think you know.
I love ❤️ him.
The man is a National treasure
Absolute legend.
This fucking dummie has rimmed the white man's asshole since the ivy league; his entire Uncle Tom dogma suggests the system is unbiased but people are biased and irrational. He is just trying to discredit civil rights and movements for postive change.
Such a perfect little, white, corporate fascist he is.
I stumbled upon Sowell during a cross country drive when I was looking for a good youtube video explaining elementary economics. He was so clear. I did not know then that my economist friend Larry had been Sowell's TA in econ grad school at UCLA. Since then, I listened to many of Sowell's videos, and learned that he also happened to be black.
One thing that especially impressed me was Sowell's description of how he had begun as a sympathizer to socialism, how plausible it seemed. He described how he sought out data, expecting his inclinations to be confirmed. When the data strongly contradicted his expectations, he changed his views. Very Feynman-ian.
Sowell's genius is demonstrated by his clarity. It is those who do not understand well, who obfuscate with vocabulary and jargon.
Thanks for sharing this delightful video. I have pre-ordered his book.
Funny thing is, it wasn’t data that disillusioned him with communism, it was direct experience(isn’t that true for all of us?). He worked as an intern for the government one summer. It was some department that handled minimum wage and all. He worked out that raising the minimum wage would increase unemployment, and proudly presented his detailed work to workers there, and they shut him down because, well, their own jobs depended on it. That department would close down if tax payers interest and society’s well being mattered. But it didn’t, government cared about itself more than others. That experience made Sowell realize government doesn’t work for the people, it works for itself first and foremost, and therefore not the answer. He still maintains that communism is a very intellectually attractive idea, and the only problem is that it just doesn’t work in practice.
Thank you for elaborating on my more terse description. People often dismiss direct experience as being anecdotal. Nonetheless, experience itself has not only the virtue of being known to be true. It can lead, as you describe, to insight.
I learned a similar lesson, while in college. I worked as a reporter. I learned that the purpose of media is to sell media. There is no "truth" objective or requirement. What is sold is the appearance of truth, with careful semantics including attribution, allegation and deliberate omission. That was logical, tempering any emotion associated with my disillusionment.
My spouse is a successful scientist and the same phenomenon you describe is very much currently at play in scientific funding, especially in the climate sciences where I once worked.
I agree that communism is attractive, almost invariably envisioned as delivering to oneself more than taking from oneself (the Wobegon most-children-are-above-normal effect). Economic planning especially appeals to those bright enough to dream of implementing their own pet social management theories.
Most ideologies do have truthful components as well as aspects appealing to self-interest, which is why they come to be adopted. What is rare is to look at data and experience with insight, as does the clear-eyed and articulate Thomas Sowell.
I support passionate and energetic Chris Brunet for similar reasons.