100% of My Liberal Friends Take Issue With Thomas Sowell

I saw Dr Sowell's quote in his column this weekend:

Anyone who studies the history of ideas should notice how much more often people on the political left, more so than others, denigrate and demonize those who disagree with them -- instead of answering their arguments.

In the past year, I sought to understand the mindset of my more liberal friends.  About a year or so ago, I tried to re-read Von Mises' Socialism.  The one passage that struck me was his analysis that socialists do NOT want to explain what they are trying to achieve.  If people found out, they wouldn't want it.

I sought out my more liberal friends and asked them to explain to me what they stood for. These are generally well educated people, and quite intellectually bright.  The first few engaged in lots of back and forth emails, but inevitably I was basically told to shut up and f*ck off.  Some were nice about about it, some were not.  I argued that I heard more cussing and filth from TV and radio left's than I did from those on the right.

I would tell them I was in favor of the Constitution of the USA, minimal intrusion of government and not in favor of distribution of wealth.  One Princeton PhD told me that I could only be judged by how much I gave to charity and paid in Federal taxes!!!

So this week, I forwarded this quote verbatim to about 100 "friends", of which I estimated that 4 or 5 were quite liberal.  I wondered what response, if any, I would get.  Most said nothing, or said a little ditty.

But the liberals ALL proved Sowell's point:

Here are some quotes:

Besides finding it <the quote> baseless with regard to my actions (what provoked you to send this to me??), the spirit of this quote is insulting, came unprovoked, and under the guise of wishing for a good 2012.  In fact, by sending this to me, I would say that your actions are much more in tune with the essence of the quote than mine are. You denigrate the left...

The PhD from Princeton warned me:

Beware Sowell makes no sense if you read carefully his whole article. He is good at uttering random statements, grammatically correct, yet without solid foundation to back them. I see you are continuing to inhale smoke.

A less strident lib:

However, in the political realm, it's the right on the attack in recent years.

I'd like an example. If you want examples on the left, just watch any evening with Rachel Maddow.

Folks: This is a repeat of the 1930's, with socialism having made quit a bit of headway with their agenda.  As the economy around the world struggles, those on the left will tell it it is the failure of capitalism that has done it.  They won't tell you what they have in store (but just what Obama's actions).  They tell you that all we need is a "little more" spending, a "little more" (or a lot more) regulation, and a a lot more taxation .. and life will improve.

How can the cure be the disease?


Defend your freedoms!

The President Does NOT Believe in Capitalism!

Here is the critical section from Obama's speech in Kansas this week

Now, just as there was in Teddy Roosevelt’s time, there is a certain crowd in Washington who, for the last few decades, have said, let’s respond to this economic challenge with the same old tune. “The market will take care of everything,” they tell us. If we just cut more regulations and cut more taxes -- especially for the wealthy -- our economy will grow stronger. Sure, they say, there will be winners and losers. But if the winners do really well, then jobs and prosperity will eventually trickle down to everybody else. And, they argue, even if prosperity doesn’t trickle down, well, that’s the price of liberty.

Now, it’s a simple theory. And we have to admit, it’s one that speaks to our rugged individualism and our healthy skepticism of too much government. That’s in America’s DNA. And that theory fits well on a bumper sticker. (Laughter.) But here’s the problem: It doesn’t work. It has never worked.

An excellent follow-up in the American Spectator.