One of the Clearest Thinking Humans in America...

Thomas Sowell has to be in the top ten. His current column "A Post-Racial President?" continues his record of clear thinking.

Who is Thomas Sowell? He crossed my radar only in the past 6 months or so. Here is his website.

He is an economist, a prolific writer, a professor at Stanford University, and an accomplished photographer. He is also a conservative American who happens to be Black. He is a man worthy of learning from.

Here are some of his accomplishments. This list does little to extol the character of the man. Reading some of his writings will.

CURRICULUM VITA

ADDRESS: The Hoover Institution
Stanford University
Stanford, California 94305
(650) 723-3303

PERSONAL: U.S. Citizen, born June 30, 1930

EDUCATION:
Ph.D. in Economics, University of Chicago, 1968
A.M. in Economics, Columbia University, 1959
A.B. in Economics, magna cum laude, Harvard College, 1958

EXPERIENCE:
Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University, September 1980 - present
Professor of Economics, U.C.L.A., July 1974 - June 1980
Visiting Professor of Economics, Amherst College, September- December 1977
Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University, April- August 1977
Fellow, Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, July 1976 - March 1977
Project Director, The Urban Institute, August 1972 - July 1974
Associate Professor of Economics, U.C.L.A., September 1970 - June 1972
Associate Professor of Economics, Brandeis University, September 1969 - June 1970
Assistant Professor of Economics, Cornell University, September 1965 - June 1969
Economic Analyst, American Telephone & TelegraphCo., June 1964 - August 1965
Lecturer in Economics, Howard University, September 1963 - June 1964
Instructor in Economics, Douglass College, Rutgers University, September 1962 - June 1963
Labor Economist, U.S. Department of Labor, June 1961 - August 1962

PRINCIPAL PUBLICATIONS:
On Classical Economics (Yale University Press, 2006)
Black Rednecks and White Liberals (Encounter Books, 2005)
The Quest for Cosmic Justice (Free Press,1999)
Conquests and Cultures (Basic Books, 1998)
Migrations and Cultures (Basic Books, 1996)
The Vision of the Anointed (Basic Books, 1995)
Race and Culture: A World View ( Basic Books,1994 )
A Conflict of Visions (William Morrow, 1987)
Ethnic America (Basic Books, 1981)
Knowledge and Decisions (Basic Books, 1980)
Say's Law: An Historical Analysis (Princeton University Press, 1972)

Racism vs. Cultural Diversity

Here's some "politically incorrect" soul searching.

Early in our lives we've been taught the evils of racism. More recently we've been taught the beauty of "cultural diversity". "Racism" and "cultural diversity" are flip sides of the same coin: They define degrees of acceptance of differences between human beings. Racism invokes the idea of "superiority and inferiority" while "cultural diversity" invokes the idea of equal value and respect of various cultures.

I have never considered myself a racist. But I do have difficulty with the concept of cultural diversity. Why? Because the concepts of "strength in unity" and "birds of a feather" make more sense. Different cultures are different by definition. Differences breed differences by nature. Total acceptance and respect of other's values minimize my own values. Their values may be "good information" from an academic standpoint, but if they were that good, I would assimilate them. And I don't. So I remain who I am - different. Differences remain.

Here are a couple of honest and contrarian opinions on the topics of "racism" and "cultural diversity" I found on another website in response to the "racism" charge against Obama and Gates. While politically incorrect, I found these comments stimulating food for thought:

Posted by: TRW Jul 25, 12:11 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"There's only one race: 'the human race'" and other such silly nonsense.

"Like Obama, I'm a racist too. The difference is that I make no bones about it like so many cowards do . Being the prez, Obama is coward number one, and also he's a freakin' socialist puppet dirt bag.

"I'm white and I'm proud of being white. I make no apologies for that. I don't hate blacks or chinese or what have you (they are good people too), but I prefer living with my own kind. I don't want to become a multi-racial mud person. If anyone wants to integrate with another race then they are very free to do so. But, I prefer my own kind, it's just very deep in my blood. It's very natural to "flock together" and modern lefty globalist politics can't change the fact that I feel that societies are much stonger when they are united. Multi-racial societies are NOT united, they are doomed to constant conflicts. That is just a fact that we see every single day. There is no cure for the race problem other than to segregate. Deep down everyone knows that!

"And you thought that Obama would make things better? duhhh! you stupido!

Go to an all white small town (if you can find one) and you can leave your front door unlocked. I like that ....very much so!

Go to Iceland and check out the crime rate...it's practically non-existant. Diversity ? Oh yeah, and for what? To live in constant conflict? For me, wide diversity is good in the world, not in my country. If I want to experience another culture (and I do), I will travel.

Nope, not for me. I'm a true rebel and I am not afraid to think outside the idiot box. Yup, I am a racist. So what? Everyone is, it's natural and it's essential for building a cohesive, functional and strong country....

Diversity is our strength, and I've got a bridge for sale. Stupido!


<Posted by: Mathew Martin Jul 25, 12:54 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"[According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a racist is someone who believes "all members of each racial group possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially to distinguish it as being either superior or inferior to another racial group or racial groups."]

"I'm a racist.

"I think that blacks are superior at basketball and other specific areas of some sports.
I think that blacks are inferior at swimming , because they kinda' sink. They have a less buoyant skeletons (bones).
I think that whites significantly outscore blacks on standardized tests.
I think that chinese slightly outscore whites on standardized tests.
I think that there are more whites at the highest levels of the intelligence bell curve and that they are [more] inventive than the chinese.
I think that blacks have a higher tesosterone level than whites and therefore they are much more prone to violent crime, whereas chinese have a slightly lower testosterone level and therfore lower agression levels.
I think that the Williams sisters are completely pumped up on testosterone and that is very unfair. (just a womens tennis side note)
I think that I am so interested in facts and the truth and that I value the truth, and that is why I am definitely a racist.
[My note: I don't know how much of the above is "fact" vs. "uninformed myth." But his point that every race has its' relative strengths and weaknesses is well-taken.]

"I think that blacks are equal in that they are human, but, I know that there are differences that are the makings for un-ending conflict in a white society under the forced equal outcome mandate....as we see and have seen and we will continue to see.

"...there is a family in my town that tend to be very very smart people and that it's in their genes (race) and that does not hurt me. In some very real ways I could say they are superior to me. But, good for them, they have been very productive for our town. I don't...hate them for their superiority. I respect them for it."

There should be nothing wrong with saying "I am Black and proud to be Black." "I am Latino and proud to be Latino." "I am White and proud to be White." Trouble is, if whites say it, it's racist - if others say it, it's "cultural diversity." To ignore race and erase our differences is sticking our head in the sand. We are not all the same. But I, too, am more comforable around people with whom I have most in common. To say otherwise would make me a liar.

President Acts Stupidly During Nat'l Press Conf.

...and owes the police officer an apology.

Could it be that our President is a reactionary racist? It certainly appears so, given is knee jerk racist comment on national TV. While Hussein Obama admits he "didn't know all the details" he was quick to defend his buddy who was acting in a stupid race-bating manner. This blunder by the President is BIG.

One thing is certain: The President's remarks are polarizing, and will cause this nation to become much worse off than it was before he uttered those ill-conceived comments. But once again, his blunder reveals what he thinks, and is a consequence of his years under the influence of other radical racists.

Here is the President's friends' arrest report. The only mistake the Cambridge police made was dropping the charges. Now why did they do a stupid thing like that?

I love the Black professor's "you don't know who you are messin' with" part, indicating that he has connections and the cops need to back off - no matter how much of a belligerant, reactionary racist jerk he is. No surprise there!

Who is this good friend of Obama's, Henry Louis Gates? Gates currently serves as the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor at Harvard University, where he is Director of the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research. And who was W. E. B. DuBois? He was, among other things, a Communist who separated from the NAACP because he felt they were going too far with their fight against segregration. In other words, he was resentful of attempts to merge with whitey - the same attitude that permeates Gates hostile, racist attitude.

And now, the invite of both Gates and the Sgt. Crowley to have a beer with the racist President looms large. Crowley needs some preconditions for that meeting. Who should attend with him? Maybe his attorney; maybe the Chief; maybe a couple of additional guys from his unit. Otherwise its the word of two powerful racist black buds against one white cop. Not a fair fight.

I'll suggest this much. The black racists continue to stick their foot in their mouths by claiming moral equivalency of actions of the officer and the prof. The prof was way off base with his hate-induced temper. The officer was doing his job.

Oh, and I am far from alone in seeing this duo as racist. One example is this excellent American Thinker article.

Whatever Happened to No Discrimination...

...Based on Race, Gender, or National Origin?

Barack Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor because of her race, gender, and national origin - and because her legal opinions will be based on the "unique sensitivities" such background brings to the court that no white male could bring. Wow!

For the past 4 decades it has been illegal to choose anyone for anything on that basis - not employees, not college students, not contractors, not tenants - no one.

Newt Gingrich correctly observed: “A white man racist nominee would be forced to withdraw. A Latina woman racist should also withdraw.” Ironically, Janet Murguía, president of the National Council of La Raza ("La Raza" meaning "The Race", more specifically the race of people indigenous to Mexico) warned against judging Sotomayor "unfairly." Well, well, Ms. "non-racist" racist La Raza President, I'm pretty sure what your opinion of "unfair" will be. Pretty much the same as your Puerto Rican, non-gender neutral, non-race-neutral female hispanic pal, Sonya.

(Note to critics of my sexist, racist verbiage: I only mention these gender and racial qualities because they are central in importance to our President Obama and to his Supreme Court nominee - not because I'm racist or sexist as I would be called if not for the fact that it has apparently become popular and accepted to be so.)

As the Wall Street Journal pointed out: "In the President's now-famous word, judging should be shaped by "empathy" as much or more than by reason. In this sense, Judge Sotomayor would be a thoroughly modern Justice, one for whom the law is a voyage of personal identity."

In the interest of "change", Obama has nominated a self-declared racist to be on our Supreme Court. But what else could we expect from Obama, with his background steeped in racist rhetoric - 20 years of listening to "Not God Bless America; God damn America." And the company he keeps - yes - is there any doubt this is his natural course?

Will she be confirmed? A quick "Google" of "will Sotomayor be confirmed" indicated a solid consensus she will. I would hope for a resounding "ya gotta be kiddin'" rebuke of Obama from Congress. But in reality, the most likely "best case" is a long (and essential) confirmation debate.

In Sotomayor's Own Words
by Human Events

05/27/2009

President Obama on Tuesday nominated Judge Sonia Sotomayor to be on the Supreme Court. Here are some provocative statements she has made in the past.

“I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experience would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.”

"I simply do not know exactly what the difference will be in my judging. But I accept there will be some based on my gender and my Latina heritage.”

“I willingly accept that we who judge must not deny the differences resulting from experience and heritage but attempt, as the Supreme Court suggests, continuously to judge when those opinions, sympathies, and prejudices are appropriate.”

“America has a deeply confused image of itself that is in perpetual tension. We are nation that takes pride in our ethnic diversity, recognizing its importance in shaping our society and in adding richness to its existence.Yet, we simultaneously insist that we can and must function and live in a race and color-blind way that ignore these very differences that in other contexts we laud… Many of us struggle with this tension and attempt to maintain and promote our cultural and ethnic identities in a society that is often ambivalent about how to deal with differences.”

“I wonder whether by ignoring our differences as women or men of color we do a disservice both to the law and society.”

“I further accept that our experiences as women and people of color affect our decisions. The aspiration to impartiality is just that -- it’s an aspiration because it denies the fact that we are by our experiences making different choices than others.”

“All of the Legal Defense Funds out there -- they're looking for people with Court of Appeals experience. Because it is -- Court of Appeals is where policy is made. And I know, and I know, that this is on tape, and I should never say that. Because we don't ‘make law.’ ”

“Whether born from experience or inherent physiological or cultural differences, a possibility I abhor less or discount less than my colleague Judge Cedarbaum, our gender and national origins may and will make a difference in our judging.”

All About Race

How on earth can can anyone claim with a straight face that support for a black presidential candidate who has indoctrinated himself in Black Liberation Theology, is buddies with radicals, and endorsed as "the Messiah" by the leader of The Nation of Islam (which has declared the white man is the devil) that their support is not "all about race." The Obama campaign is all about the pot maliciously and erroneously calling the kettle white. Charles Krauthammer has it nailed here.

And the polls? 93% of blacks support Obama while 43% of whites support Obama (Quinnipiac University Poll - September 2008). I was unaware that such a super-majority of blacks were super-liberal. What other reason might there be for such a lopsided 93 to 2 (remainder not responding) poll among blacks? Could it possibly mean that blacks are more racist than whites? If so, will folks now start arguing that racism isn't such a bad thing - in defense of their racist preferences? That would certainly fit the mold of Obama's Black Liberation indoctrination he received throughout most of his life.

Colin Powell's disclaimer that his Obama endorsement is not about race is as phony as Obama's claim he was never a Muslim. While it may be true he is not now a Muslim, two things are certain: 1} He was a Muslim and he is likely a sympathizer with that violent, deceitful anti-American religion today, and 2) He is a racist and is supported by racists. Can you imagine the appointments he is likely to make? Consider his past associations and where his support is coming from: Middle east funding, black liberation racists, Muslims and their sympathizers, socialists and anti-Americans. Some federal government we are likely to have. That's all this county needs - a new dive into the abyss of public racism.

You think the ratings of the Bush presidency are low today? I cannot fathom the depth of discontent and dysfunction an Obama presidency will bring to this nation.

Geraldo Rivera In Fantasy Land

Geraldo Rivera displayed a fantasy understanding when he proclaimed the cause of the defeat of the Amnesty Legislation to be racial fear and prejudice. His claim exudes a gross ingorance of the real reasons for the justifiable concern and outrage of the American people toward the the defeated legislation. Geraldo is out of touch, just as the President and many legislators are.

Speaking for myself, and I believe millions share these views, my reasons for opposition include:

• Anger with the federal government for ignoring enforcement of our existing laws. This entire problem brings to light how little the feds care about the laws that are created to protect the economy, character, and stability of this nation.
• The feds pretending to take meaningful enforcment measures which end up being token gestures
• Righteous indignation that my grandparents had to obey the laws of the land to gain citizenship and the 12 to 18 million who are here ILLEGALLY don't - and many of our elected officials vehmently argued to reward them for their purposeful lawbreaking!
• Lack of desire on the part of many or most illegals to assimilate.
• Granting billions of dollars in government services to illegal, law-breaking non-citizens when many Americans are stuggling with taxes, health care, education.
• We don't buy the "no Americans will do the work" red herring. The clear motive of business is to reduce labor costs at the expense of American citizens.
• Increasing crime rates generated by the illegals out of proportion to that of the native population.
• A second language being forced upon virtually every business and institution in the nation.
• The lack of concern about national security at our borders.

A legitimate concern which is dwarfed by the concerns described above is the overrrunning of our population by one race and one language group which has never before occurred in this nation's history, and which will create disruption and change in the social fabric of this nation much more quickly than most people can tolerate without a sense of being invaded. But to suggest this is the major issue is ludicrous and demonstrates Geraldo's ignorance of all the other issues.

The capper was his statement on Brian and the Judge radio show on June 29 when he named Michelle Malkin among the racist Americans who want to keep the nation from getting darker. What kind of dumb remark was THAT! She's already darker than average!

Why is a double standard applied to Obama's church's brand of racism?

Obama's church...very interesting what double standards we endure. The following is from Obama's Trinity Church of Christ Website, the "About Us" link:

"Trinity United Church of Christ adopted the Black Value System written by the Manford Byrd Recognition Committee chaired by Vallmer Jordan in 1981. We believe in the following 12 precepts and covenantal statements. These Black Ethics must be taught and exemplified in homes, churches, nurseries and schools, wherever Blacks are gathered. They must reflect on the following concepts:

Commitment to God
Commitment to the Black Community
Commitment to the Black Family
Dedication to the Pursuit of Education
Dedication to the Pursuit of Excellence
Adherence to the Black Work Ethic
Commitment to Self-Discipline and Self-Respect
Disavowal of the Pursuit of "Middleclassness"
Pledge to make the fruits of all developing and acquired skills available to the Black Community
Pledge to Allocate Regularly, a Portion of Personal Resources for Strengthening and Supporting Black Institutions
Pledge allegiance to all Black leadership who espouse and embrace the Black Value System
Personal commitment to embracement of the Black Value System."

Now, imagine, for a moment that this church had a "white" agenda, as follows:

Commitment to the white community
Commitement to the white family
Adherence to the white work ethic
Disavowel of the pursuit of "Middleclassness" (this one deserves separate comment)
Pledge to make the fruits of all developing and acquired skills available to the White Community
Pledge to Allocate Regularly, a Portion of Personal Resources for Strengthening and Supporting White Institutions
Pledge allegience to all White leadership who espouse and embrace the White Value System
Personal commitment to embracement of the White Value System.

If there were such a church that embraced the "white" values above, this church would be called what? Come on, now, the word begins with an "R"... rrrr aaaa cist. Very good. You've got it. Racist.

Now, let's suppose a white presidential candidate belonged to this church that happened to espouse "white" values as above, what would this white presidential candidate be labelled, especially by the national media, and perhaps rightfully so? Right again. Racist.

So, someone needs to explain to me why Mr. Obama gets a pass on this.

The following concept deserves special consideration:

"Disavowal of the pursuit of "Middleclassness."

What do you suppose might be meant by this statement? Most of America is comprised of the middle class. Are they avowing pursuit of the "lowerclassness?" I doubt it. How about pursuit of "upperclassness?" Doesn't sound right. How about the pursuit of "classlessness." I think we're on to something now. Yes, that's it. The pursuit of a classless society, sort of like, err "socialism", or perhaps (bites lip) "communism". That's certainly classless. Lest you suggest they are simply trying to teach the traditional Christian teaching of refraining from chasing after riches, why wouldn't they just say that...unless they have a radical or revolutionary socio-political agenda. Just food for thought.