Thomas Sowell on the Media’s Moral Outrage

 

Let the media discover that any of the sins that have plagued the human race for thousands of years still exist in the United States, and it becomes a special condemnation of American society. The morally anointed are constantly outraged that we have not obliterated racism, poverty, or disease. It would be fascinating to know who has – and how. But a look around the world shows that our problems in these areas are like a sprained ankle compared to cancer.

Thomas Sowell, “Tom Brokaw’s ‘Patriotism’, (March 22nd, 1985)
as this column is reprinted in Compassion Versus Guilt, a 1987 collection of some of Sowell’s essays

Thanks, and a hat tip for this quote to Don Boudreaux, “Quotation of the Day” (Cafe Hayek, May 9, 2023)

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  1. Mark Camp Member
    Mark Camp
    @MarkCamp

    S,

    Your time on that Like (I received the Notification in 38 seconds) is the new World Record.

    Thank you for your promptness.

    • #1
  2. EODmom Coolidge
    EODmom
    @EODmom

    1985. And such succinct elegance with language. Morally anointed. Sprained ankle compared to cancer. 
    Who could miss the point without turning away to refuse to listen?

    • #2
  3. Columbo Inactive
    Columbo
    @Columbo

    EODmom (View Comment):

    1985. And such succinct elegance with language. Morally anointed. Sprained ankle compared to cancer.
    Who could miss the point without turning away to refuse to listen?

    • #3
  4. Randy Weivoda Moderator
    Randy Weivoda
    @RandyWeivoda

    Great quote.  I think Andrew Klavan summed it up very much like this, “America’s sins are nearly universal.  America’s virtues are almost unique.”

    I think it is part of the American character to look for ways to improve things, and that is good.  I don’t want to live in a stagnant society that is content to do everything the way it has been done for endless centuries, if there is a better way.  But we do need to look at the big picture and appreciate how far we have come.  Californians are apparently feeling so guilty over slavery that they want to pay $1.2 million in reparations to every Californian who can prove they are the descendant of a slave, while apparently oblivious to the fact that slavery is still being practiced in various African countries today.

    • #4
  5. Mark Camp Member
    Mark Camp
    @MarkCamp

    Randy Weivoda (View Comment):
    Great quote.  I think Andrew Klavan summed it up very much like this, “America’s sins are nearly universal.  America’s virtues are almost unique.”

    That is just beautiful, thanks.

    But the rest of your note was profound and rightfully sympathetic to those who follow the thought-leaders of the movement for collectivist totalitarianism.

    • #5
  6. DaveSchmidt Coolidge
    DaveSchmidt
    @DaveSchmidt

    Randy Weivoda (View Comment):
    Californians are apparently feeling so guilty over slavery that they want to pay $1.2 million in reparations to every Californian who can prove they are the descendant of a slave, while apparently oblivious to the fact that slavery is still being practiced in various African countries today.

    If you have any skill as a genealogist, now is the time to send out your resume to ambulance chasing attorneys.  The revenue stream will be huge.  

    • #6
  7. Randy Weivoda Moderator
    Randy Weivoda
    @RandyWeivoda

    DaveSchmidt (View Comment):

    Randy Weivoda (View Comment):
    Californians are apparently feeling so guilty over slavery that they want to pay $1.2 million in reparations to every Californian who can prove they are the descendant of a slave, while apparently oblivious to the fact that slavery is still being practiced in various African countries today.

    If you have any skill as a genealogist, now is the time to send out your resume to ambulance chasing attorneys. The revenue stream will be huge.

    If you had ancestors who were slaves in Mississippi or Georgia and California is paying reparations for that, why not Congo or Sudan?  They could be paying people who aren’t just the descendants of slaves, but people who themselves have recently been enslaved.

    • #7
  8. DaveSchmidt Coolidge
    DaveSchmidt
    @DaveSchmidt

    Randy Weivoda (View Comment):

    DaveSchmidt (View Comment):

    Randy Weivoda (View Comment):
    Californians are apparently feeling so guilty over slavery that they want to pay $1.2 million in reparations to every Californian who can prove they are the descendant of a slave, while apparently oblivious to the fact that slavery is still being practiced in various African countries today.

    If you have any skill as a genealogist, now is the time to send out your resume to ambulance chasing attorneys. The revenue stream will be huge.

    If you had ancestors who were slaves in Mississippi or Georgia and California is paying reparations for that, why not Congo or Sudan? They could be paying people who aren’t just the descendants of slaves, but people who themselves have recently been enslaved.

    It’s not the facts, just the payout.  Get your genealogy credentials recognized by the courts and the cash will flow like fire hose. 

    • #8
  9. Jim George Member
    Jim George
    @JimGeorge

    Randy Weivoda (View Comment):
      Californians are apparently feeling so guilty over slavery that they want to pay $1.2 million in reparations to every Californian who can prove they are the descendant of a slave, while apparently oblivious to the fact that slavery is still being practiced in various African countries today.

    And totally oblivious, in true California fashion, to the fact that the projected cost of this insanity will be in the range of three times the budget of the entire State of California, and that’s really saying something. Maybe it’s attributable to our age, but our first reaction to this bizarre news was: Where in the world do they think that kind of money is going to come from? Remember that great old song, The Big Rock Candy Mountain?

    One evening, as the sun went down
    And the jungle fire was burning
    Down the track came a hobo hiking
    And he said, “Boys, I’m not turning
    I’m headed for a land that’s far away
    Beside’s the crystal fountains
    So come with me, we’ll go and see
    The Big Rock Candy Mountains”In the Big Rock Candy Mountains
    There’s a land that’s fair and bright
    Where the handouts grow on bushes
    And you sleep out every night
    Where the boxcars all are empty
    And the sun shines every dayOn the birds and the bees and the cigarette trees
    The lemonade springs, where the bluebird singsIn the Big Rock Candy MountainsIn the Big Rock Candy Mountains
    All the cops have wooden legs
    And the bulldogs all have rubber teeth
    And the hens lay soft-boiled eggs
    The farmers’ trees are full of fruit
    And the barns are full of hayOh, I’m bound to go where there ain’t no snow
    Where the rain don’t fall, the wind don’t blowIn the Big Rock Candy MountainsIn the Big Rock Candy Mountains
    You never change your socks
    And the little streams of alcohol
    Come a-trickling down the rocks
    The brakemen have to tip their hats
    And the railway bulls are blindThere’s a lake of stew, and of whiskey too
    You can paddle all around ’em in a big canoeIn the Big Rock Candy MountainsIn the Big Rock Candy Mountains
    The jails are made of tin
    And you can walk right out again
    As soon as you are in
    There ain’t no short-handled shovels
    No axes, saws nor picksI’m a-goin’ to stay where you sleep all day
    Where they hung the jerk that invented workIn the Big Rock Candy MountainsI’ll see you all this comin’ fall
    In the Big Rock Candy Mountains

    Have you ever seen a better description of the Blue State mentality? 

    • #9
  10. Henry Castaigne Member
    Henry Castaigne
    @HenryCastaigne

    Jim George (View Comment):

    Randy Weivoda (View Comment):
    Californians are apparently feeling so guilty over slavery that they want to pay $1.2 million in reparations to every Californian who can prove they are the descendant of a slave, while apparently oblivious to the fact that slavery is still being practiced in various African countries today.

    And totally oblivious, in true California fashion, to the fact that the projected cost of this insanity will be in the range of three times the budget of the entire State of California, and that’s really saying something. Maybe it’s attributable to our age, but our first reaction to this bizarre news was: Where in the world do they think that kind of money is going to come from? Remember that great old song, The Big Rock Candy Mountain?

    One evening, as the sun went down
    And the jungle fire was burning
    Down the track came a hobo hiking
    And he said, “Boys, I’m not turning
    I’m headed for a land that’s far away
    Beside’s the crystal fountains
    So come with me, we’ll go and see
    The Big Rock Candy Mountains”In the Big Rock Candy Mountains
    There’s a land that’s fair and bright
    Where the handouts grow on bushes
    And you sleep out every night
    Where the boxcars all are empty
    And the sun shines every dayOn the birds and the bees and the cigarette trees
    The lemonade springs, where the bluebird singsIn the Big Rock Candy MountainsIn the Big Rock Candy Mountains
    All the cops have wooden legs
    And the bulldogs all have rubber teeth
    And the hens lay soft-boiled eggs
    The farmers’ trees are full of fruit
    And the barns are full of hayOh, I’m bound to go where there ain’t no snow
    Where the rain don’t fall, the wind don’t blowIn the Big Rock Candy MountainsIn the Big Rock Candy Mountains
    You never change your socks
    And the little streams of alcohol
    Come a-trickling down the rocks
    The brakemen have to tip their hats
    And the railway bulls are blindThere’s a lake of stew, and of whiskey too
    You can paddle all around ’em in a big canoeIn the Big Rock Candy MountainsIn the Big Rock Candy Mountains
    The jails are made of tin
    And you can walk right out again
    As soon as you are in
    There ain’t no short-handled shovels
    No axes, saws nor picksI’m a-goin’ to stay where you sleep all day
    Where they hung the jerk that invented workIn the Big Rock Candy MountainsI’ll see you all this comin’ fall
    In the Big Rock Candy Mountains

    Have you ever seen a better description of the Blue State mentality?

    This is actually a song about laziness and alcoholism. I never realized this before and now I cannot ever unsee it.

    • #10
  11. Lilly B Coolidge
    Lilly B
    @LillyB

    I always love a Thomas Sowell quote for Sowell’s ability to clearly state important truths.

    *****

    This post could have been a Quote of the Day! Maybe some readers will appreciate knowing how to signup here for May!

     

     

    • #11
  12. Mark Camp Member
    Mark Camp
    @MarkCamp

    Lilly B (View Comment):

    I always love a Thomas Sowell quote for Sowell’s ability to clearly state important truths.

    *****

    This post could have been a Quote of the Day! Maybe some readers will appreciate knowing how to signup here for May!

    Lilly,

    I am grateful to you, and impressed by your willingness to sacrifice your time, efforts, and considerable skill in making that valuable standard feature, Quote of the Day, available to us Customers! Same for those who support the Program with their Quotes.

    Every time I have a quote that I feel the need to post, I painfully regret not having the patience and long-term memory for detailed procedures to go through the process of posting one properly through Quote of the Day, as others do.

    And I regret even more the fact that the functionality has not, so far, been implemented in software, so that you could re-direct your valuable time and talents to doing the part of the Program Management that only a human can do: education, promotion, liaison to management and tech support, etc. I would be a big contributor if it happened!  If the problem should ever become one of those who could automate it needing help with Requirements and UI Design, I would volunteer to provide these services at no charge.

    • #12
  13. Randy Weivoda Moderator
    Randy Weivoda
    @RandyWeivoda

    Mark Camp (View Comment):
    Every time I have a quote that I feel the need to post, I painfully regret not having the patience and long-term memory for detailed procedures to go through the process of posting one properly through Quote of the Day, as others do.

    Too bad we don’t have a feature where you could write a post and program it to be published on a different date.  Maybe after Ricochet 5.0 is up we can ask if such a thing would be possible.

    • #13
  14. Lilly B Coolidge
    Lilly B
    @LillyB

    Mark Camp (View Comment):

    Lilly B (View Comment):

    I always love a Thomas Sowell quote for Sowell’s ability to clearly state important truths.

    *****

    This post could have been a Quote of the Day! Maybe some readers will appreciate knowing how to signup here for May!

    Lilly,

    I am grateful to you, and impressed by your willingness to sacrifice your time, efforts, and considerable skill in making that valuable standard feature, Quote of the Day, available to us Customers! Same for those who support the Program with their Quotes.

    Every time I have a quote that I feel the need to post, I painfully regret not having the patience and long-term memory for detailed procedures to go through the process of posting one properly through Quote of the Day, as others do.

    And I regret even more the fact that the functionality has not, so far, been implemented in software, so that you could re-direct your valuable time and talents to doing the part of the Program Management that only a human can do: education, promotion, liaison to management and tech support, etc. I would be a big contributor if it happened! If the problem should ever become one of those who could automate it needing help with Requirements and UI Design, I would volunteer to provide these services at no charge.

    Hmmm, maybe these are issues for @Jon or whoever else is running things behind the scenes. I have no idea! I only have the power to declare your post an honorary contribution to the QOTD, but would not do so without your approval. I wouldn’t mind if signups were automated somehow (but isn’t there something a bit charming that even on a website dedicated to a para-social cyber community, it depends on the minds and efforts of actual people to make it work?).  

    I volunteered just to take the burden off of @she. 

    • #14
  15. Mark Camp Member
    Mark Camp
    @MarkCamp

    Randy Weivoda (View Comment):

    Mark Camp (View Comment):
    Every time I have a quote that I feel the need to post, I painfully regret not having the patience and long-term memory for detailed procedures to go through the process of posting one properly through Quote of the Day, as others do.

    Too bad we don’t have a feature where you could write a post and program it to be published on a different date. Maybe after Ricochet 5.0 is up we can ask if such a thing would be possible.

    That is related to one of the obvious (“natural”) user requirements for a Quote of the Day function.

    If you look at the problem from the user’s point of view (rather than a programmer’s) here is a typical “use case”.

    I see a great quote, and decide I would like to propose it for a QotD.  I have no requirement for any specific “Day”, at least for now. I have no idea necessarily of what text I will want to add.   The only data I have at the moment is the quote and the necessary citation data, in another web tab or app.

    There should be a “Quote of the Day” control immediately available to me (or at most one or two clicks away) at least from the Home page (if not the Member Feed and Main Feed page, or even every page) that open an Edit page on a new QotD Draft object. It would let me paste in the material.

    At my leisure, I could select this Draft later and add needed objects and properties to it, such as a Requested Date, and additional text. In the case of Requested Date, it would work this way.  I would have a control immediately available, “Show Current QotD Calendar”. I would view the calendar, click on a date and say “Submit”.  Lilly would get the submission and process it as she does now.  It would remain in a Pending state until I clicked a control that said, Submit the QotD.

    In another use case, the first data I know is the Date I want.  The workflow would allow me to do the same thing, except that there would be no candidate object.  Or, it would be empty.

    Note that QotD is only one of this kind of value-added Feature of Ricochet, that require only volunteers to administer.  (not paid staff or management!)  For example, Movie Fight and Book Fight.  Innovation (if it were supported by the software) would allow others.  The Buttons to launch them could all be grouped under a User Programs Button on the Home Page. Some of the Groups would actually be more conveniently implemented as User Programs.

    • #15
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