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It’s always good when when our friend Dr. Thomas Sowell stops by to impart some of his wisdom and common sense and this visit is no different. We talk economics (read his new book Wealth, Poverty & Politics: An International Perspective), Ben Carson, yes, even a bit about that candidate who shall to be named. Also, those Planned Parenthood videos and Cary Fiorina’s response, and finally, are Rob, Peter, and James members of “the Establishment”? We have our doubts, but let us know in the comments.
Music from this week’s episode:
Soul Man by Sam and Dave
The opening sequence for the Ricochet Podcast was composed and produced by James Lileks.
Vivé EJHill.
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Finally!!!! The Dr Sowell podcast is up.
I wasn’t meaning to all you three members of the Establishment. I was wanting to explain to you why folks like me are completely fed up with the DC GOP (Establishment, Leadership, whatever in the world it is).
As always, I look forward to this week’s Podcast. Oh and it is much better when the three of you are together. I like the fill-ins but Real Coke is much better than New Coke.
Its not that deal-making is wrong; its that the time for deal-making is past.
This siege warfare.
Its going to suck but we have to starve them out.
The wold is a different place 6 months into a shutdown than 2 weeks into a shutdown.
I used to teach a course called “Economics of Justice.” I assigned Dr. Sowell’s book, “Economic Facts and Fallacies” which, by the way, the students loved, and I highly recommend it to all of you.
Two of many questions on the final exam I asked them were these:
1. Thomas Sowell is
2. Thomas Sowell is
A significant number of them would answer “c” for both questions.
Edit:
They would have known the correct answers if they had visited Dr. Sowell’s website, as they were assigned to do. His picture is there.
So what’s the connection between Otis Redding and Soul Man? Other than Stax Records. Was he like in the coffee room at Stax when Sam and Dave recorded the song? (Wow, looking up covers, I see Paul Revere and the Raiders did one. That’s got to be … interesting.)
It’s not Otis Redding, it’s Sam and Dave. I must have had a complete brain freeze when I typed that. Thanks for catch.
Thomas Sowell mentioned a quote from Charles Murray about half of all children being below the median. I always liked the way George Carlin put it: think how stupid the average person can be, and then remember that half the people are dumber than that.
You guys did a great job discussing my piece and my concerns. Now my question is, when you have people on like Rick Wilson who want to paint all people who dislike the GOP Leadership with the same brush, why can’t you bring this argument to their attention? It simply is not correct to say that because Cruz hasn’t taken Trump to task that Cruz is a “mini me” or that disliking McBoehner means you are a Trump supporter.
Nonetheless, you guys are great. I love your podcast and thank you for having the website. When I was in my early 20s, just getting into NR and learning about the Conservative Movement, I never thought for a second I would get into an actual back and forth with Rob Long. Thanks gentlemen.
If (God forbid 10,000 times) Trump does win the GOP nomination (which seems where the trend is heading however many times his campaign is said to be losing steam) will the conservative bien pensants who’ve been mocking and trashing him (instead of spending that time doing something useful like, oh say, mocking and trashing Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, et. al) fall in line and support his candidacy?
Fall in line like conservatives will be asked to fall in line for Jeb? Although he may have been an admirably conservative governor, he’s not giving much indication he’d be a conservative president, and he has demonstrated a really strong “forget you” bias toward conservatives since being a governor.
It will take a really strong pinch of the nose for me to vote for Bush if he’s the candidate, but I will. Are the conservative “thought leaders” prepared to do the same for Trump?
Why do I get the feeling that we all know the answer to that question?
It was interesting to hear that history of project housing. Here is another drawback of living in government apartments, courtesy of the Germans.
Moderators, a vote for Rubio is a vote for amnesty and an acceleration to a one-party state.
But it’s your vote.
Two of you seemed disappointed that Prof. Sowell wasn’t all aboard the amnesty train. Me? I still have a copy of the post D.C. McAllister wrote for Ricochet about Rubio’s masterpiece.
http://ricochet.com/archives/la-raza-the-big-winner-in-immigration-reform-bill/
James, one does not have to smuggle laundry detergent in from Europe. One can purchase TSP (trisodium phosphate) and the hardware store. 1/4 cup per load of laundry, 2 teaspoons per load in the dishwasher. And hack the temperature on your water heater.
I thought Rob was being a bit disingenuous when he started saying that the “establishment” doesn’t nominate the candidate, the voters do. That’s certainly true to an extent, but if money doesn’t mean anything to a candidate, why does he spend so much time chasing it? Big money donors don’t elect the nominee, but they sure have an outsized say in who that nominee will be. I’m not saying that that’s necessarily bad, but to pretend that big money donors (the establishment, if you will) don’t have more influence on an election than ordinary voters is just not true.
If you ask people if that assertion is true, most will agree.
If you ask the same people whether they, personally, are influenced by spending in political campaigns they will most likely say they are not.
Sowell’s answer to the immigration question was awesome.
I have a box. ;)
“The Republican Leadership, such as it is,”
“He’s sort of an overgrown spoiled brat.”
“There are no immigrants in general.”
The three best of many excellent thoughts stated by the great Dr. Sowell in this discussion. I have followed this man for 20+ years and he is always impressive. Thanks for bringing him back on the podcast.