Quote of the Day: On Modest Talents

 

“There are few modest talents so richly rewarded — especially in politics and the media — as the ability to portray parasites as victims, and portray demands for preferential treatment as struggles for equal rights.” – Thomas Sowell

More Sowell food for the brain. This quote seems appropriate today. We can expect four years (or more appropriately four more years) of Democrat operatives (in both politics and media) portraying parasites as victims, and demands for preferential treatment as struggles for equal rights. We saw it all last year with BLM critical race theory and Antifa. Over the next four years we shall see this trend no longer constrained at any level by the Federal government, but rather with the Federal government cheerleading those attempts.

Good luck, everyone.

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  1. Bishop Wash Member
    Bishop Wash
    @BishopWash

    Similar to his quote of it being odd that it’s greed to want to keep your own money and not greed to want other people’s money. The opposition benefits by successfully corrupting the language.

    • #1
  2. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    One can never go wrong with Thomas Sowell.


    This is the Quote of the Day, an ongoing project to help get more voices on the site. It can be the easiest way to start a conversation on Ricochet. (Some people do put in a lot more effort, of course.) Our sign-up sheet for December is here and waiting for you. We welcome new participants and new members to Ricochet to share their favorite quotations.

    Another ongoing project to encourage new voices is our Group Writing Project. December’s theme is ‘Tis the Season. If you’re looking to share your own thoughts rather than those of others and have some ideas about the holiday(s) season we are entering, why not sign up there?

    • #2
  3. Seawriter Contributor
    Seawriter
    @Seawriter

    Arahant (View Comment):

    One can never go wrong with Thomas Sowell.

    Not hardly. But it is an easy out, so I ration my Sowellecisms, even though it is never an error.

    • #3
  4. WillowSpring Member
    WillowSpring
    @WillowSpring

    I should have a general disclaimer that when I “like” a post, it isn’t necessarily that I “like” the content, but think it is important and well written.

    • #4
  5. RushBabe49 Thatcher
    RushBabe49
    @RushBabe49

    Many more cities are slated to look like this:

    • #5
  6. KentForrester Coolidge
    KentForrester
    @KentForrester

    My error.

    • #6
  7. Sisyphus Member
    Sisyphus
    @Sisyphus

    Seawriter: We saw it all last year with BLM critical race theory and Antifa. Over the next four years we shall see this trend no longer constrained at any level by the Federal government, but rather with the Federal government cheerleading those attempts.

    The Civil Rights Division of the DOJ will rain hellfire and brimstone over any jurisdiction protecting a citizen from a rioter. Elections have consequences. If you work at the Hatfield Federal Courthouse in Portland, time to find work in the private sector, preferably east of the Rockies.

    • #7
  8. Jim McConnell Member
    Jim McConnell
    @JimMcConnell

    Sisyphus (View Comment):

    Seawriter: We saw it all last year with BLM critical race theory and Antifa. Over the next four years we shall see this trend no longer constrained at any level by the Federal government, but rather with the Federal government cheerleading those attempts.

    The Civil Rights Division of the DOJ will rain hellfire and brimstone over any jurisdiction protecting a citizen from a rioter. Elections have consequences. If you work at the Hatfield Federal Courthouse in Portland, time to find work in the private sector, preferably east of the Rockies.

    Well, Idaho is still livable I hear.

    • #8
  9. She Member
    She
    @She

    KentForrester (View Comment):

    Mrs. She, while I’m here — and I apologize for being off the track — do you know of the name of one of the editors who decides who is promoted to the Main Feed? My post has disappeared from the Main Feed (my fault) and I’d like to contact an editor to see if he can put it back on.

    @kentforrester, if you’re still in extremis, please PM, and I will try to help.

    • #9
  10. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    She (View Comment):

    KentForrester (View Comment):

    Mrs. She, while I’m here — and I apologize for being off the track — do you know of the name of one of the editors who decides who is promoted to the Main Feed? My post has disappeared from the Main Feed (my fault) and I’d like to contact an editor to see if he can put it back on.

    @kentforrester, if you’re still in extremis, please PM, and I will try to help.

    @dougwatt commented to my post about this, that @kentforrester himself (according to Doug) reverted to post to Draft and had not yet re-posted it.  Doug said that he could re-publish it, but declined to do so since (he said) it was the author who “reverted” it which could mean it’s being edited or something.

    If @kentforrester is using a phone to do all of this, rather than a real computer, that could explain some of the difficulties.

    • #10
  11. Painter Jean Moderator
    Painter Jean
    @PainterJean

    RushBabe49 (View Comment):

    Many more cities are slated to look like this:

    The problem is, RushBabe, that there is a loud and not-insignificant group of people who find that photo to be inspiring – they want American cities to look like this!

    • #11
  12. Jim McConnell Member
    Jim McConnell
    @JimMcConnell

    Painter Jean (View Comment):

    RushBabe49 (View Comment):

    Many more cities are slated to look like this:

    The problem is, RushBabe, that there is a loud and not-insignificant group of people who find that photo to be inspiring – they want American cities to look like this!

    Yes. If you can’t build, you tear down; if you can’t inspire, you desecrate. That seems to be the new standard, doesn’t it?

    • #12
  13. Henry Castaigne Member
    Henry Castaigne
    @HenryCastaigne

    Jim McConnell (View Comment):

    Sisyphus (View Comment):

    Seawriter: We saw it all last year with BLM critical race theory and Antifa. Over the next four years we shall see this trend no longer constrained at any level by the Federal government, but rather with the Federal government cheerleading those attempts.

    The Civil Rights Division of the DOJ will rain hellfire and brimstone over any jurisdiction protecting a citizen from a rioter. Elections have consequences. If you work at the Hatfield Federal Courthouse in Portland, time to find work in the private sector, preferably east of the Rockies.

    Well, Idaho is still livable I hear.

    It is indeed.

    • #13
  14. MiMac Thatcher
    MiMac
    @MiMac

    Nothing beats the news from the left coast- in California an estimated $2BILLION in fraud in coronavirus stimulus funds-$140 million went to prisoners. Now, the Seattle DA wants to no longer prosecute theft if the perp is poor. After the inevitable chaos descends upon those places, everyone else’s problem is that many will leave those areas BUT bring their lunatic voting preferences with them-totally clueless that they voted in the policies that lead to ruin in their last locale.

    • #14
  15. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    MiMac (View Comment):

    Nothing beats the news from the left coast- in California an estimated $2BILLION in fraud in coronavirus stimulus funds-$140 million went to prisoners. Now, the Seattle DA wants to no longer prosecute theft if the perp is poor. After the inevitable chaos descends upon those places, everyone else’s problem is that many will leave those areas BUT bring their lunatic voting preferences with them-totally clueless that they voted in the policies that lead to ruin in their last locale.

    If states are allowed to set their own election rules, then I don’t see how there could be a legal issue with not allowing new arrivals to vote – at least on state issues – for a certain length of time.

    • #15
  16. GrannyDude Member
    GrannyDude
    @GrannyDude

    Irony Alert: From a NYT story on the difficulty  Biden is having, making his White House “look like America” as it appears in the perfervid imaginings of the Wokeratti:

    “The pressure on the Democratic president-elect is intense, even as his efforts to ensure ethnic and gender diversity already go far beyond those of President Trump, who did not make diversity a priority and often chose his top officials because they looked the part. And it is coming from all sides.”

     

    • #16
  17. MISTER BITCOIN Inactive
    MISTER BITCOIN
    @MISTERBITCOIN

    Did you see Kamala’s video on equity?

    She advocated for communism probably by accident (sub par talent).

     

    • #17
  18. MISTER BITCOIN Inactive
    MISTER BITCOIN
    @MISTERBITCOIN

    Diversity/equity is a recipe for mediocrity

     

    • #18
  19. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    MISTER BITCOIN (View Comment):

    Did you see Kamala’s video on equity?

    She advocated for communism probably by accident (sub par talent).

     

    It makes sense. The only people who can come out ahead under communism are the below-average.

    Unfortunately, this makes “below-average” a position of advantage, thus everybody starts aiming for that level, which in turn reduces the average.

    This leads to “we pretend to work and they pretend to pay us.” That economic circle remains to be squared.

    • #19
  20. MISTER BITCOIN Inactive
    MISTER BITCOIN
    @MISTERBITCOIN

    Percival (View Comment):

    MISTER BITCOIN (View Comment):

    Did you see Kamala’s video on equity?

    She advocated for communism probably by accident (sub par talent).

     

    It makes sense. The only people who can come out ahead under communism are the below-average.

    Unfortunately, this makes “below-average” a position of advantage, thus everybody starts aiming for that level, which in turn reduces the average.

    This leads to “we pretend to work and they pretend to pay us.” That economic circle remains to be squared.

    Lake Wobegone where everyone is average

     

    • #20
  21. KentForrester Coolidge
    KentForrester
    @KentForrester

    kedavis (View Comment):

    She (View Comment):

    KentForrester (View Comment):

    Mrs. She, while I’m here — and I apologize for being off the track — do you know of the name of one of the editors who decides who is promoted to the Main Feed? My post has disappeared from the Main Feed (my fault) and I’d like to contact an editor to see if he can put it back on.

    @kentforrester, if you’re still in extremis, please PM, and I will try to help.

    @dougwatt commented to my post about this, that @kentforrester himself (according to Doug) reverted to post to Draft and had not yet re-posted it. Doug said that he could re-publish it, but declined to do so since (he said) it was the author who “reverted” it which could mean it’s being edited or something.

    If @kentforrester is using a phone to do all of this, rather than a real computer, that could explain some of the difficulties.

    I got ahold of Rob and he fixed it.  Sorry for troubling you. 

    • #21
  22. Sisyphus Member
    Sisyphus
    @Sisyphus

    GrannyDude (View Comment):

    Irony Alert: From a NYT story on the difficulty Biden is having, making his White House “look like America” as it appears in the perfervid imaginings of the Wokeratti:

    “The pressure on the Democratic president-elect is intense, even as his efforts to ensure ethnic and gender diversity already go far beyond those of President Trump, who did not make diversity a priority and often chose his top officials because they looked the part. And it is coming from all sides.”

     

    Self awareness is stone cold dead at the NYT.

    • #22
  23. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Sisyphus (View Comment):

    GrannyDude (View Comment):

    Irony Alert: From a NYT story on the difficulty Biden is having, making his White House “look like America” as it appears in the perfervid imaginings of the Wokeratti:

    “The pressure on the Democratic president-elect is intense, even as his efforts to ensure ethnic and gender diversity already go far beyond those of President Trump, who did not make diversity a priority and often chose his top officials because they looked the part. And it is coming from all sides.”

     

    Self awareness is stone cold dead at the NYT.

    If they’re so intent on “diversity” etc rather than actual competence, all of the people who run their printing presses etc should quit.  Then we would mercifully never hear from them again.

    • #23
  24. RandR (RdnaR) Member
    RandR (RdnaR)
    @RandR

    MiMac (V 

    many will leave those areas BUT bring their lunatic voting preferences with them-totally clueless that they voted in the policies that lead to ruin in their last locale.

    These are the Typhoid Mary’s of our day. They are unaware of the disease they are carrying with them.

     

    • #24
  25. Henry Castaigne Member
    Henry Castaigne
    @HenryCastaigne

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Sisyphus (View Comment):

    GrannyDude (View Comment):

    Irony Alert: From a NYT story on the difficulty Biden is having, making his White House “look like America” as it appears in the perfervid imaginings of the Wokeratti:

    “The pressure on the Democratic president-elect is intense, even as his efforts to ensure ethnic and gender diversity already go far beyond those of President Trump, who did not make diversity a priority and often chose his top officials because they looked the part. And it is coming from all sides.”

     

    Self awareness is stone cold dead at the NYT.

    If they’re so intent on “diversity” etc rather than actual competence, all of the people who run their printing presses etc should quit. Then we would mercifully never hear from them again.

    It is quite possible that the random fairly intelligent people of color could be better journalists than your average credentialed white journalism major. 

    • #25
  26. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Sisyphus (View Comment):

    GrannyDude (View Comment):

    Irony Alert: From a NYT story on the difficulty Biden is having, making his White House “look like America” as it appears in the perfervid imaginings of the Wokeratti:

    “The pressure on the Democratic president-elect is intense, even as his efforts to ensure ethnic and gender diversity already go far beyond those of President Trump, who did not make diversity a priority and often chose his top officials because they looked the part. And it is coming from all sides.”

     

    Self awareness is stone cold dead at the NYT.

    If they’re so intent on “diversity” etc rather than actual competence, all of the people who run their printing presses etc should quit. Then we would mercifully never hear from them again.

    It is quite possible that the random fairly intelligent people of color could be better journalists than your average credentialed white journalism major.

    Mark Steyn covers that pretty well too, in this favorite interview from 2006:

    https://www.adrive.com/public/DS9Nut/NARN%2012-02-06%20NARN%201%20Hour%202%20Mark%20Steyn.mp3

    • #26
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