Thomas Sowell is a 94-year-old, renowned
African-American economist, social theorist, and author. Born in 1930 in
Gastonia, North Carolina, he has lived through some of the worst and best early
and current race-relevant experiences, So, he has reasons for both
criticizing and praising America.
After her husband died, his mother - who already had four
children - was unable to support another child. She resolved the problem by
entrusting Thomas to her sister who eventually adopted him. When Tom was 8, the blended family moved to Harlem, New York. After dropping out of
high school, Thomas Sowell was drafted into the Marine Corps in 1951 during the
Korean War, and honorably discharged in 1953. Sowell then pursued higher
education, earning degrees from Harvard (B.A.), Columbia (M.A.), and the University
of Chicago (Ph.D. in economics). Throughout his career, he held academic
positions at institutions, such as Cornell and UCLA, and has been a
senior fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution since 1980. To date,
Sowell has authored over 30 books on topics that include economics, race,
education, and social policy. I am not recounting Sowell's bio to imply that it
- or any part of it - is sufficient for you to accept his ideas, but only to
say that he has the longitudinal, real-life "street," and academic
credibility that deserves a fair hearing. For my part, I use bold print to
emphasize where I unequivocally, enthusiastically accept his statements.
My focus is on parts of Dr. Sowell's recent video entitled
"Sowell Warns About the Year 2030 - America's Total Collapse."
Although I am not as pessimistic as he, Sowell expresses concern over potential
societal decline by 2030. He attributes this to factors like economic
mismanagement, cultural shifts, and policy decisions that, in his view,
undermine traditional American values and institutions. Sowell
emphasizes the importance of empirical evidence and cautions against
ideological thinking that disregards historical lessons. He
warns that without a return to foundational principles and critical
evaluation of current trends, the U.S. could face existential challenges in
the coming years.
Sowell warns that certain economic policies, particularly
those involving increased government intervention, pose significant risks to
the nation's financial stability. For instance, he critiques proposals to tax
unrealized capital gains, arguing that such measures could deter investment and
innovation, ultimately leading to job losses and economic stagnation. Sowell
contends that penalizing investors for potential, rather than actual, gains dampens
the incentives that drive economic growth and job creation. But let's dig into
his pronouncements about culture, policy, identity, and education.
Sowell expresses concern over cultural transformations that,
in his view, erode the foundational principles of American
society. He criticizes the educational system for prioritizing
self-expression and subjective experiences over rigorous academic standards,
particularly in subjects like mathematics and science. This shift, he argues,
leads to a generation ill-equipped to engage with complex societal
issues.
Moreover, Sowell discusses the impact of identity politics,
cautioning that an overemphasis on group identity can distract from
individual responsibility and merit. He warns that this focus may
foster division and resentment, eroding the social cohesion necessary
for a stable society.
Sowell critiques various policy decisions that he believes
have detrimental effects on traditional American values and
institutions. He asserts that welfare programs, while
well-intentioned, have inadvertently fostered dependency and weakened
family structures, particularly within the African American community.
By providing financial incentives that discourage work and
marriage, these policies, according to Sowell, have contributed to social
disintegration.
In the realm of education, Sowell points to the influence
of teachers' unions and bureaucratic inefficiencies as
obstacles to meaningful reform. He contends that these entities often prioritize
their interests over student outcomes, resisting changes that could enhance
educational quality and accountability.
Sowell's analysis presents a sobering perspective on the
trajectory of American society, emphasizing the need for a return to principles
of personal responsibility, limited government, and cultural cohesion to
avert potential decline by 2030.
Dr. Thomas Sowell’s essay strikes me as particularly
important at this point in the trajectory of America. Virtually. all of our
country’s leaders—and I mean virtually all—regardless of their political
affiliation, view the rise of China as an existential threat. Using that frame
of reference, think about the dangers facing us from China, Russia, Iran,
and North Korea.
Being a baby boomer. I was born into the United States
at a time when it had arisen to the pinnacle of international power and
prestige.. Our economic. scientific, and military capabilities were nonpareil.
Those days are long gone. America needs all of us to be united and
determined to preserve our way of life, and Western ideals.
Our adversaries enjoy watching us battle among
ourselves. We waste time, attention, and resources arguing about
politicians, especially Biden and Trump. We allow partisan divisions to
paralyze us from solving problems, as is true regarding the national budget and
program funding. We allowed millions of undocumented, unvetted people to pour
into our country. All the while, China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea
relentlessly proceed with totalitarian, militaristic objectives. Their
dictators intimidate the populous into silence; they rigidly and brutally
restrict ingress and egress into the countries; and they implement war-oriented
economies.
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