The American Spectator

Reader Mail

No Sowell

5.6.08 @ 12:01AM

TEACH YOUR MARXIST CHILDREN WELL
Re: William Tucker's What Conservatives Want:

What a fantastic analysis; it ought to be required reading for all, along with the writings of Thomas Sowell AND Walter Williams. Thank you!
-- Steven Dennis
Raleigh, North Carolina

William Tucker's lamentations on his son's politics and the never-ending class warfare battles of Paul Krugman, et al., reminded me of a recent news item. The story summed up a report by an economic think tank, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, that once again attempted to quantify the rich-get-richer-and-the-poor-get-poorer theory, with the claim that in some areas, the economic/income gap between the top and the bottom of the scale has grown since the 1980s.

Mr. Tucker referenced Thomas Sowell, a man who I also believe is our greatest living philosopher. Ironically, at the same time I read the story and report mentioned above, I was working my way through a used copy of Sowell's 1995 masterpiece The Vision of the Anointed. The timing couldn't have been better. The tragic economic analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities served as a perfect example of Sowell's theories on how the "anointed" (translation: the American Left) bend and twist statistics and assumptions to create problem for which the only solutions are, as expected, taking more from America's achievers or increasing "entitlements" like unemployment or the minimum wage. Of course, we all know how well such programs improve the overall economy and help close that income gap.

Sowell discusses this exact scenario, along with many other similar ones in The Vision of the Anointed, proving that his theories on liberalism, documented 15 years ago, still hold true today, perhaps with even greater intensity. The authors of the report don't seem to account for Sowell's obvious conclusion that people frequently don't remain in the same economic situation over a long period of time. In 1980, I worked in retail and made about $15,000 a year. My wife was a teacher and made even less. Twenty-eight years later, through hard work and persistence, we make a solid six-figure combined income. When I retire in about 20 years, I will, in all likelihood, be in a different economic bracket than I am today. That is, if taxes don't eat away all my retirement investments, at which point I will rejoin the bottom of that economic scale.

As anecdotal as my story might be, I'd bet that it's similar to that of millions of other people over that period of time. There will always be rich and poor and varying degrees of wealth in between. The idea is to move as high as possible. Paul Krugman may believe that "Americans, understandably, have lost confidence in the prospects for a return to real prosperity," but I'm not buying it.

Mr. Tucker, fear not for your son's wandering into Marxism. When he begins working and experiences, first hand, the wonders of the payroll tax withholding system or opens the property tax statement on that new house, he'll come back to the fold.
-- Joe Dougherty
Orange Park, Florida

Voltaire may have inadvertently summed up liberalism most succinctly: "The perfect is the enemy of the good." In other words, if you don't believe in liberals' vision of a perfect world and how to implement it, you're the enemy -- period.
-- Arnold Ahlert
Boca Raton, Florida

I enjoyed reading Tucker's essay about his Marxist son and it reminded me of a statement attributed to Churchill that a friend, professor, and mentor shared with me: "If a man is not a socialist in his youth, he has no heart. If he is one as an adult, he has no brain." I've seen numerous variations of this attributed to different sources but none of that matters. The essential truth does.
-- Mark Long

CRIST THE SAVIOR
Re: Larry Thornberry's McCain Losing in Florida:

Mr. Thornberry has written my Monday morning smile...he is rising to the level of Mark Steyn and that is a great level to be on, believe me.

His moderate/liberal views aside, Charlie Crist reminds me of George Hamilton, the very tanned Hollywood personality. Mr. Crist's tan is way too dark and his gravitas is way too light. But that is exactly who John McCain wants, right? Either him or Joe Lieberman! Get ready Conservatives, the Maverick is about to rub your noses in it again!
-- Judy Beumler
Louisville, Kentucky

I thought all the illegals in Florida were supposed to vote for McCain. I guess there is no honor amount thieves, or illegals!
-- Burton Hollabaugh
Marion, Indiana

It's no wonder McCain is behind in the geriatric capital of America. There is absolutely no vigor or fire in his campaign. Every time I hear this "life long conservative" speak I get the urge to take a nap. What McCain needs more than anything is a dose of salts, some really strong coffee, or perhaps some Geritol.

Wake me when it's over.
-- Tim
Indiana

Letter to the Editor

topics:
Taxes, Education, John McCain, Nancy Pelosi, Business, Entitlements, Hollywood, Law, Africa