There’s another quote by Sowell that’s as brilliant as it is simple. A caller protests the way tests are shaped towards those academically-minded and he replies, “There are requirements in the world”, and then illustrates that idea with regards to doctors and bridge-builders being sufficiently trained
@@zianaris2150 It's really starting to show in countries like the USA and the UK (my country) too where we have hundreds of thousands of state funded university graduates who have zero marketable skills. Many of these diversity, inclusion, equity, etc roles have been artificially manufactured by these people, because what they are being taught to do is effectively intimidate, threaten, and coerce institutions, which do not satisfy their puritanical ideological orthodoxies, via political pressure.
Random Thomas Sowell quote: "Memory is what makes us who we are. If we lost all our memory whenever we fell asleep at night, it would be the same as if we died and a new person woke up in our body the next morning. History is the memory of a nation -- and that memory is being erased by historians enthralled by the vision of the anointed. Open disdain for mere facts has been accompanied by adventurous reinterpretations known as 'revisionist' history, which reads contemporary ideological preoccupations back into the past. This erasing of the national memory, and the recording of a preferred vision over it, is yet another expression of the notion that reality is optional." -- Thomas Sowell, _The Vision of the Anointed_
My favorite Sowell quote is "The next time some academics tell you how important diversity is, ask how many Republicans there are in their sociology department."
The only reason why we have what we have is because we stand on the shoulders of giants of the creations of the greatest minds of each generation. If I sent to the woods with a hatchet. How long would it take you to send me an email?
GOD BLESS YOU, MR. SOWELL. YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A SOURCE OF TRUTH, FACT AND FAIRNESS. EVERYONE EVERYWHERE NEEDS TO LISTEN TO YOUR BRILLIANT WORDS AND READ ALL OF YOUR BOOKS . . .
This is so annoyingly true. Nigerian🇳🇬 🙋🏾♂️ here (I kinda feel like that's relevant in this case😅), and what Sowell says here is true, ON ALL COUNTS. The reality of it is quite annoying at times, particularly the entitlement of many "educated" folks thinking they DESERVE to be more wealthy than they are simply because they're educated, nevermind what they ACTUALLY PRODUCE, and then they alternate between blaming "the government" (like it's run by mysterious aliens 👽 and not by Nigerians ourselves) and the former colonial masters (who left before my mother was born, and I'm in my mid-twenties) for "taking our wealth".
such a beast. obviously hes 87 now but when he was on TV in the 70s and 80s he was a machine. he will always make you think and learn something new every single time
The first 1:09 of this video is perhaps the most wisdom packed 1:09 anywhere on the internet. If anyone knows which of Thomas Sowell's books preceded this interview, please let me know. I want to read that one next. The idea that we need to stop looking for what causes poverty and start looking for how to generalize wealth creation is just so sensible that it almost hurts my brain.
I felt that Sowell's comments on economics are more intelligent than the ones of Chomsky. Sowell is an economist, Chomsky is a linguist. He is out of his depth. (This is a comment on another video that does not allow comments). As far as I can see Chomsky is a non-entity in the area of political economy.
Sowell is nearly impossible to debate, because he is a data machine, and he always connects the data to his points and then the points to each other. Chomsky and other "liberal elites" avoid that sort of argument, because a supportive overarching position doesn't exist. They rely on subjective moral rhetoric, misleading claims (like wealth disparity growth), straw men, or flatly wrong statements (like capitalism is what creates monopolies).
@@jlushefski Once you guys are done stroking each other you should perhaps read more of NC and of TS as well. Neither really denies the other. . In fact, TS does not free colonialism from terror. He merely points out statistic relationships of colonialism and civilizations through wealth creation. NC points out statistics of colonialism and culture & value decimation. To deny either is ridiculous. We can't pretend like we're not fucking up Afghanistan, Iraq and the DRC for capitalist gains. That is what NC talks about. But to use TS as an excuse to do it because these places have a high chance of gaining from colonialism is ridiculous. We live right now, not 1000 years from now.
@@iLiveOnFijiTime Noam Chomsky has all the same views as Hollywood celebrities, with fancier doublespeak, misrepresentation of history, and logical fallacies. Even much of his linguistics research is unfalsifiable, unscientific nonsense...great insult though! I'm not into conversing with the lowest common denominator.
@@iLiveOnFijiTime please separate geopolitics from capitalism. Also, separate grievances from capitalism as well. Capitalism is not some greedy monopoly guy stealing from the poor. It is a system where society is viewed and organized from the level of the individual and not from a collective level. What this means is that each individual is incentivized to innovate, solve problems, reap the rewards of his own efforts and to pursue his happiness. The paradox of this kind of liberty is that evil men also benefit from this arrangement and also pursue evil. So far, we rely on the rule of law to protect us from evil men in pursuit of evil in a free society of individuals. These evil ones seek to enrich and empower themselves at the expense of others, while producing nothing themselves but talk and empty lofty ideas. The alternative to a free capitalist society is socialism, where allocative power is concentrated in the hands of elite social planners and their friends. Who decides who gets what, when, where, and how. This socialist arrangement only produces poverty and terror.... and happens when the evil ones among us takes over.
Everyone is born poor and ignorant. Deep! Look for the cause of wealth instead of the cause of poverty. Thomas Sowell is simply great. A classic thinker and a brilliant mind. Thanks for posting this. Amazing!
@6:50 why can't black people understand this man. what he is saying; the black experience is woven into the fabric of the flag. the experience for blk americans in 1,000 years should be part of the development of this nation and our culture. Until we are proud to be Americans we will always be outsiders within our country. the black community needs to come in from our of the cold. please let's use our strength and power to assist fellow Americans.
Rosalyn Manning you are correct. and the separation of the Black community has done what was intended so why are other groups allowing themselves to be separated from America? more and more people are now seeing this. I believe the massive acceleration has made it almost impossible not to. but a large segment of society is going along with it. it's gotten to the point where you can't have a march on National Women's Day without the individual groups of women fighting with each other. I personally feel society is spinning out of control. we must get control of it fairly quickly.
I'm only speculating but I believe there is some quirk of the human mind that predisposes people to be receptive to ideas of some furtive agency that is responsible for one thing or another. Some branches of SJW racial philosophy hold the view that white people are responsible for much of the world's problems, and the very act of disagreeing or being upset with such notions of collective guilt is called "white fragility." This is defined roughly as a white person being uncomfortable when confronted with truth about their privilege.
We have a good example of the difference in results between groups that existed during apartheid in South Africa, which effected all the non European ethnic groups. The Chinese, the Indians fared much better than the other groups, in spite that the majority of the Indians were originally sugar cane cutters, that refused to return to India when they were given this opportunity, seeing a better future by remaining.
Idk what it is exactly, but there's something about Sowell and Peter Schiff that just seems more truly conservative than most of the mainstream voices. I can't stand Peterson or most of the DailyWire personalities.
I like that he speaks in Universal Terms, Not like Yvette Carnell who believes in two different types of Gravity. One for White People and another for Black People.
My FRIENDS on Facebook shamed me for sharing a Thomas Sowell video. They tore me down & called him a “Neolib Dipshit”. No Comment. It speaks for itself...
Your "Friends" tore you down? Try to read Sowell's autobiography, "A Personal Odyssey", and how his family tore him down and you will understand better who real friends are.
@s v He was the first person in his family to get past grade 7 and by grade 9 had been admitted into Stuyvesant High School, one of the top schools in the nation. But his own family attacked him so much at home (psychologically) that he could not take it anymore and had to leave home, drop out of school and get a job. When you read the book, you really feel it for him. But the dude would just never give up. He would get up stronger with every fall.
@s v You really need to read the book. It was mainly ignorance on their part. and it took them years to acknowledge it. All throughout this he never lost composure and took the high road. After you read the book, you will definitely be glad that you did.
He skips over so many points, especially regarding the history of colonialism and wealth. As well as govt, incentives denied to non whites that resulted in generational wealth that is STILL being passed down. I agree with a few things he said, but as intelligent as he sounds, I would love to see him challenged on these points.
He has not been for over 40 years. And he is in the den of a liberal institution at Stanford. So what about black America during the reconstruction? How were some common black folk rising in that hostile environment? Can I ask government incentives like what?
The moderator seems to be trying far too hard to get Mr Sowell to address poverty only to blacks and colonialism! He is rather smarmy and condescending. Mr Siwell is far too sharp and intellectual for this moderator!
There are interests behind the decisions of those who inherit the positions of leadership through their ascribed birth and familial social position! So, institutional racism, sexism and ageism is not simple a question of a lack of skills! They are due to the "nondecisions" of those with political and institutional power.
Nepotism is the hiring of the relatives which also negates the process of interviewing and selecting the best qualified in an impartial manner. Nepotism is therefore different from inheriting a position of leadership since the offspring of the leadership (of a firm, occupation or political office) is socialized or learns how to do what the parents has done. In nepotism, the relative does not have the relevant socialization and is hired merely to keep power and resources in the kinship structure, no skills necessary. Institutional racism, sexism and ageism is however a highly skilled endeavor and requires knowledge of strategic techniques, formulas, and procedures. I get your point however that nepotism is a part of the corrupt institutional arrangements.
When was this interview done? Japan was never colonised but is prosperous when compared to countries that were colonised. I wouldn't downplay the influences of colonialism so much. Just look at the poverty that exists to this very day amongst the non-European people of South Africa.
Augustine Junior I can't believe he said that. for such a LEARNED man he has to know that the were never Jew slaves in kemet, shit they were never a real Hebrew people, just like Jesus never existed.
I think he is confusing imperialism and the spread of technology. Innovation and technology are what spur growth. NOT imperialism. There are many examples of how imperialism actively destroyed civilizations irreparably and their legacy is ongoing strife and civil unrest in those former colonies. Growth of the developing world continues today with globalization of multinationals that seek labor from emerging markets, that independent countries willingly partner with. He should know better
If these civilisations did not develop these useful technologies on their own, then that civilisation had a great flaw. Imperialism is a method of spreading technology.
“Freedom” and “communism” do not go in the same sentence. I have no problem with a commune being attempted with those that are willing to live in it, but you cannot force the ideology into others. Nationwide communism would be a failure, and would only divide us.
he seems to have a positive view on colonialism which is naïve the colonialism that African countries have been subjected to by Europe was filled with war crimes , mass rapes , exploitation of the countries resources , restricting education for the natives , constant attacks on the natives culture so on and so forth , the reason why European countries are ahead now is in large parts due to the resources extracted from Africa , then again there can be a form of peaceful colonialism but the most recent one it being the invasion of Africa by Europe was inhuman
@@thehood-nv7xl If you think Colonialism was all bad and an attrocity in human existence then you don't know what has happened in the past in various parts of the world.
@@mauriceschaeffer5070 I didn't say any of that I specifically mentioned the European colonisation of Africa that was very inhumane, colonialism is neither bad nor good it solely depends on the government
Well if the Whites in In 1921, Tulsa, Oklahoma did not burn down Black Wall Street there is no doubt that all Americans would be wealthier today and we would not have the amount of poverty we see in Black communities that tax dollars have to be spent on which could have been used in other areas of the country.
Hahahahahaah you just showed your ignorance. So what about all the other fledgling black towns that weren't burnt down, what about 1920s Harlem, what happened to that too? To think you attribute 1 black town all black prosperity shows how little economics you know.
I am sure he is an incredibly intelligent man but he is completely wrong on about colonialism. India had the biggest economy in the world in the early 1700s, 25% of the worlds industrial output and real wage living standard higher than the British. 200 years of brutal dominance and one became the richest country on earth, and the other became "3rd world". hmmm
That's not because of colonialism but because of the growth caused by the spread of capitalism within Europe and the New World. Before capitalism, population numbers was wealth.
@@lee7956 lol when the East Indian Company literally carried out what would be worth 100s of billions of dollars in todays money, to the extent that the word "loot" actually is an indian word which the british used, I am pretty sure it was due to colonialism.
@@stevenponte6655 Of course colonialism had a negative impact on India but to declare that the current state of the standard of living for countries that were colonized is solely a result of colonialism is asinine.
Does he truly believe everyone is born ignorant and poor? Maybe ignorant (even tho it’s capitalism keeping certain groups ignorant), but certainly not poor. Maybe he would be in favor of a 90% death tax
How does this make sense I don't understand... to imply poverty is simply to "not be wealthy" whereas it means to be deprived of a need with wealth being only one element to it. He then states he believes everyone is born poor and to get out of that one needs to obtain skills, discipline, etc (human capital) which is obvious but what about those that are deprived of the rights to obtain those necessary skills as evident through slave trades, class and gender discrimination. He states he's unsure what made America so wealthy but the US was left relatively unscathed after WWII and had held 50% of the world's wealth distributed over 6% of the global population (albeit unequally which is why poverty exists today with a shrinking middle class). His answers are very binary and somewhat detached, as it has been proven time and time again that socioeconomic conditions of an individual will determine their future more so than moving out of poverty through "sheer hard work and determination". Everyone loves a good rags to riches story but they are outliers and don't happen often because it is in fact very difficult. Currently underemployment is increasing around the world with relatively "unskilled" labour force being replaced by technology or globalisation yet the education standards haven't aligned to account for this replacement of human capital, and this is happening on a large scale not on the scale he states. His claim on imperialism resulting in betterment in other countries is untrue as his understanding of bettering a country is based on a western economic philosophy but at the cost of definite exploitation and extraction of that nation's wealth through war, threat of war and one sided free trade agreements. I didn't like this at all sorry.
I understand your argument, it's one made frequently, but without some factual information to refute Mr Sowell's points I'm not sure he'd take your objections seriously. You make reference to under employment for example, and as a UK citizen I might fire back a statistic: 1 in 4 job vacancies in my country is unfilled. There are twice as many jobs as there are job seekers. Certainly, the data in at least one of the largest economies in the world doesn't remotely fit your description. Automation is reducing the number of manufacturing jobs, for sure, but what does that mean? The job market has changed continually for centuries, there will be jobs in 20 years we can't predict today. Consumer goods become cheaper with automation, and citizens find other means to be productive - that is always the way. You reference wealth inequality in a very brief way - if you have a look at the data from the IRS, you'll find wealth inequality statistics are incredibly misleading. People who are in the top 1% of income usually don't stay there for more than a year or two. You'll also find an enormous amount of social mobility from the lower income brackets into higher ones (exactly the rags-to-riches you write off as a "story"). A "one-sided free trade agreement" is an oxymoron. It can't be "free" if it only works for one of the two negotiators, so that seems to me to be an entirely moot point. Free trade works for both parties involved that's the whole point. I can't speak on behalf of colonised nations, but it has always been interesting to me that Indian, African and far-Eastern migrants in the UK tend to speak far more favourably about the British Empire than Britons do. If one were to look at India and Pakistan, the distinction is clear. Once all the same country, it had a level of success and prosperity. Pakistan breaks off and becomes an independent nation, abandoning all British influence and input, instead promoting a quasi Arab nationalism due to it being an Islamic republic. India, on the other hand, still teaches in English, and retains many practices and policies inherited from the Raj. As Salman Rushdie said, Pakistan is a shit-hole in comparison to India.
Thanks for your comment. The reason why there are twice as many jobs as there are job seekers in the UK is due to the skills shortage. Unskilled workers' human capital is replaced by machines or outsourced through globalisation, and the programs currently in force in the UK are insufficient to upskill these people. I don't have to reference this, a simple google search will show the reason why there are so many job vacancies. It's true that the top 1% are shifted away from that bracket but that's no surprise given it's a much smaller sample size. By that principle the top 0.1% has an even broader range as evidenced here www.equalitytrust.org.uk/how-has-inequality-changed. But i'm talking about people moving in and out of defined poverty into another income bracket, the so called rags to riches common occurrence which comes from hard work and determination. In the UK there is relative and absolute poverty, and the PM's view on them have been double sided for several years. I would define a "rags to riches" story to be met via absolute poverty not relative poverty, and there is evidence showing the poorest people in the UK are getting poorer and that the UK has the lowest paid workers in Europe. If you refer to inequalitybriefing.org and realbritianindex.org this will represent that. You mentioned there is an enormous amount of social mobility however the most recent report from the Social Mobility Commission states there is a very deep social mobility problem. The full report can be read here www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/569410/Social_Mobility_Commission_2016_REPORT_WEB__1__.pdf. Yes the term free trade agreement is somewhat of an oxymoron but it is publicly announced as such and tends to work for one of the two negotiators like you said and an example is with the TPP agreement between China and the US and exploitation via currency manipulation. www.forbes.com/sites/danikenson/2015/01/26/currency-manipulation-and-the-trans-pacific-partnership-what-art-laffer-fred-bergsten-and-other-hawks-get-wrong/#32cb7577f25d From an Indian's perspective the British colonial system was that of an indirect rule and that may be why *some* Indians feel that way but it's because they have no context on what matters of exploitation took place during this period. This article breaks it down very well. www.economicsdiscussion.net/india/colonial-exploitation/colonial-exploitation-in-india-forms-and-consequences/19005. I hope this answers your queries... if you feel i've missed something please let me know.
They weren't queries so much as rebuttals. Not to come across as hostile, that's not my intention either. Automation has always been a benefit to the consumer and I don't see a rebuttal to that in your response. How much do you suppose the Galaxy S8 released today would cost if it were hand-made by Samsung employees? I know one of the reasons there are plenty of job vacancies is that there aren't enough people with the right skills. This is due to insufficient education which is provided by the state. People gain skills through education, and when the education of a country is the responsibility of the government you cannot blame the market and private enterprise for a lack of skills. Another reason, however, is that many Britons refuse to take low-paid jobs, or choose not to work because it is more profitable to stay on welfare. It is literally true that for many people, it is less profitable to work than it is not to, and they are sensible in taking the more profitable option. It's not their fault, it's the government's fault. Furthermore, if there were no minimum wage laws, unskilled people would be able to take menial jobs; and employers would be able to hire someone and give them on-the-job training which they otherwise could not afford while paying the minimum wage rate. Yes you're right the top 0.1% has a massive amount of change - but if the leftist conspiracy theory on wealth were true, they would always be the same people. The big bosses with all their capital that they just hoard. I assume you are granting me this point, then. That the "problem" of the "top 1%" is really a fallacy. When I referenced social mobility, I was talking about America, I don't think the UK's social mobility is as great but it is still good. It is still better the most countries Our market is not as free as others in the world, our taxes are higher. There are lots of contributory factors. Our social mobility is still good, however. Even if it were the case that the bottom 1% never make it to the top 1%, it just doesn't matter. Why should it matter? Firstly, wealth inequality doesn't matter - raising the standard of the poor matters. The only system to have done this with any success is free market capitalism. How do you suggest people in a socialist society would climb the income brackets if their wealth were confiscated as they accumulate it? Every practical example of socialist economic policies has provided less social mobility and a ruling elite who take a healthy slice out of the wealth they re-distribute. If wealth disparity were not allowed, capital would not be accumulated in one place to be invested and everyone would lose. Secondly, why should we berate people for being born lucky in some way? I was not born into riches, but I do not think I therefore have the right to take money away from those luckier than me who have inherited wealth. I have musical talent, I probably inherited it from my great grandfather, but no-one would suggest it okay to tax me on having a circumstance which may benefit my wealthiness. Life is in part the luck of the draw, and leftists are not consistent on the taxation of people born with assets (and it's good that they aren't otherwise the clever would be enslaved to work for the dumb as a re-distribution of intellect). You talk about free trade, then link an agreement which does not represent free trade, by definition. The author is a free marketeer, he also berates government subsidy of industry, which the left praises so highly because it "protects jobs", in the very same article. Bit of a strawman argument on this one. Thomas Sowell and Milton Friedman are/were very opposed to corporatism and the marriage of business and government. I suggest that Indians have a better understanding of the context of the British rule of India than non-Indians. It's simply a fact that former colonies which do not much change the values and norms impressed upon them are more successful than their neighbouring countries that were either not colonised or have expressly rejected the colonists. Hong Kong was ruled by Britain in a laissez-faire fashion with something very close to a true free market, often deemed a "benevolent dictatorship", which was in practice more effective than a democracy because no-one could fuck it up and mess around with the rules. It has/had one of the most successful economies in the world for the entire period, and the standard of living was so superior for those living under the evil capitalist system that their neighbours in China living under the communist utopia were trying to cross the border in their tens of thousands for years. People vote with their feet - no-one is fleeing their country to get to socialist Venezuela.
His opinion suggest that the play field is level - in that situation yes you can reason to "absent of wealth is lack of disciple , Skills" etc. What about the policy that has been implemented by a certain group ( race ) , Take a look at apartheid South Afrika Economic policies ( i.e No African was permitted to buy Land , To study particularly in the field of science )
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
"A sense of entitlement, without a corresponding set of skills". Wow..... Prophetic. Amazing.
There’s another quote by Sowell that’s as brilliant as it is simple. A caller protests the way tests are shaped towards those academically-minded and he replies, “There are requirements in the world”, and then illustrates that idea with regards to doctors and bridge-builders being sufficiently trained
Came here to say exactly this. What he said about India is so accurate.
@@zianaris2150 It's really starting to show in countries like the USA and the UK (my country) too where we have hundreds of thousands of state funded university graduates who have zero marketable skills. Many of these diversity, inclusion, equity, etc roles have been artificially manufactured by these people, because what they are being taught to do is effectively intimidate, threaten, and coerce institutions, which do not satisfy their puritanical ideological orthodoxies, via political pressure.
@@RevoltingPeasant123
Well said, sir 👍
The fact that this man is not more famous is a statement in itself on our current society.
He’s famous in academic world
THE VICTIMHOOD CROWD WANTS NO PART OF THIS MAN. HE IS SIMPLY TO LOGICAL.
💯% right.
when the last time he wrote an actual paper in a journal or did actual research? he just writes pseudo-intellectual books
You, @@ridleyscott5234, sound like a half-wit.
I love listening to Thomas Sowell because it makes me want to grind as hard as I can so that I can have better standing for my family and I.
Couldn't have said it better myself.
I never cease to be amazed by his clarity of thought. What a man!
I love also how he talks with a slight smile on his face as if he’s explaining these apparently simple things to children
He was brilliant before I was born. Thanks for posting this
Joseph Henry No problem at all
Nothing better than clicking on a Thomas Sowell video and then turning on autoplay
Unsub to all other channels and sub only to Thomas Sowell channels ;D
@@jackbotman.
SUBSCRIBE TO PEWDIEPIE.
Fip Dibwibbler WHAT A WASTE OF TIME THAT WAS!...
The great Dr. Sowell! Always with the facts. We need more like him.
I think you confused Sowell with Chomsky. But you are right, Chomsky is a "laughable distinction between intelligence and relevance".
@@carlosfdz7807 SOWELL has 70 years of scholarship in socioeconomics. Chomsky has Marxism and a degree in linguistics. No comparison
Random Thomas Sowell quote:
"Memory is what makes us who we are. If we lost all our memory whenever we fell asleep at night, it would be the same as if we died and a new person woke up in our body the next morning. History is the memory of a nation -- and that memory is being erased by historians enthralled by the vision of the anointed. Open disdain for mere facts has been accompanied by adventurous reinterpretations known as 'revisionist' history, which reads contemporary ideological preoccupations back into the past. This erasing of the national memory, and the recording of a preferred vision over it, is yet another expression of the notion that reality is optional."
-- Thomas Sowell, _The Vision of the Anointed_
My favorite Sowell quote is that the only thing that separates us from cavemen is intellectual capital.
My favorite Sowell quote is "The next time some academics tell you how important diversity is, ask how many Republicans there are in their sociology department."
And he adds that the cavemen should have been richer than us because they had more resources available since we hadn’t used them up yet
this is so true. we are pretty much identical in capability to the homo sapiens of 4million years ago. What we have now is knowledge and technology :D
The only reason why we have what we have is because we stand on the shoulders of giants of the creations of the greatest minds of each generation. If I sent to the woods with a hatchet. How long would it take you to send me an email?
THIS MAN SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING IN EVERY INNER CITY PUBLIC SCHOOL.
Agreed, except if I may, the last five words aren't needed.
This man should simply be required reading.
@@Mark27472 Indeed.
@@Mark27472 It is the inner cities, that would benefit the most.
Mr. Sowell can hold my attention and that is rare and so is he.
This man is made of Gold! I totally love him...
Smartest guy on the planet. We are blessed to hear him.
GOD BLESS YOU, MR. SOWELL. YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A SOURCE OF TRUTH, FACT AND FAIRNESS. EVERYONE EVERYWHERE NEEDS TO LISTEN TO YOUR BRILLIANT WORDS AND READ ALL OF YOUR BOOKS . . .
He can put so many facts into so few words.
One of the greatest minds in the world
This is so annoyingly true. Nigerian🇳🇬 🙋🏾♂️ here (I kinda feel like that's relevant in this case😅), and what Sowell says here is true, ON ALL COUNTS. The reality of it is quite annoying at times, particularly the entitlement of many "educated" folks thinking they DESERVE to be more wealthy than they are simply because they're educated, nevermind what they ACTUALLY PRODUCE, and then they alternate between blaming "the government" (like it's run by mysterious aliens 👽 and not by Nigerians ourselves) and the former colonial masters (who left before my mother was born, and I'm in my mid-twenties) for "taking our wealth".
Always amazed and educated by Dr. Sowell.
such a beast. obviously hes 87 now but when he was on TV in the 70s and 80s he was a machine.
he will always make you think and learn something new every single time
🎩Thomas Sowel is *an American greatest contemporary living philosopher* 🎓Larry Elder
What a legendary man!!
I love this man.
Thanks for posting this
What creates wealth? You. There are problems with the system but it's up to you to make of life what you can with what you got.
A rare gem, Thomas Sowell!
4:25 might be the most powerful statement
Brilliant man
WOW WHAT ARE WORDS IF WISDOM!!! WE SHOULD TEACH THIS IN THE SCHOOLS.
I wish I had time to read all his books over and over until I fully understand them
First time I've heard of Mr sowell.. interesting video.
Knowledge is a tool. A skill is the knowledge of how to use that tool.
The first 1:09 of this video is perhaps the most wisdom packed 1:09 anywhere on the internet. If anyone knows which of Thomas Sowell's books preceded this interview, please let me know. I want to read that one next. The idea that we need to stop looking for what causes poverty and start looking for how to generalize wealth creation is just so sensible that it almost hurts my brain.
I love the biblical reference thrown in. 😁
Makes the God haters seethe as often as desired. 😁
Dr. Sowell amazing as usual. Anyone have the link to the full interview??
I felt that Sowell's comments on economics are more intelligent than the ones of Chomsky. Sowell is an economist, Chomsky is a linguist. He is out of his depth. (This is a comment on another video that does not allow comments). As far as I can see Chomsky is a non-entity in the area of political economy.
Sowell is nearly impossible to debate, because he is a data machine, and he always connects the data to his points and then the points to each other. Chomsky and other "liberal elites" avoid that sort of argument, because a supportive overarching position doesn't exist. They rely on subjective moral rhetoric, misleading claims (like wealth disparity growth), straw men, or flatly wrong statements (like capitalism is what creates monopolies).
@@jlushefski Once you guys are done stroking each other you should perhaps read more of NC and of TS as well. Neither really denies the other. . In fact, TS does not free colonialism from terror. He merely points out statistic relationships of colonialism and civilizations through wealth creation. NC points out statistics of colonialism and culture & value decimation. To deny either is ridiculous. We can't pretend like we're not fucking up Afghanistan, Iraq and the DRC for capitalist gains. That is what NC talks about. But to use TS as an excuse to do it because these places have a high chance of gaining from colonialism is ridiculous. We live right now, not 1000 years from now.
@@iLiveOnFijiTime Noam Chomsky has all the same views as Hollywood celebrities, with fancier doublespeak, misrepresentation of history, and logical fallacies. Even much of his linguistics research is unfalsifiable, unscientific nonsense...great insult though! I'm not into conversing with the lowest common denominator.
@@iLiveOnFijiTime please separate geopolitics from capitalism. Also, separate grievances from capitalism as well.
Capitalism is not some greedy monopoly guy stealing from the poor.
It is a system where society is viewed and organized from the level of the individual and not from a collective level.
What this means is that each individual is incentivized to innovate, solve problems, reap the rewards of his own efforts and to pursue his happiness.
The paradox of this kind of liberty is that evil men also benefit from this arrangement and also pursue evil.
So far, we rely on the rule of law to protect us from evil men in pursuit of evil in a free society of individuals. These evil ones seek to enrich and empower themselves at the expense of others, while producing nothing themselves but talk and empty lofty ideas.
The alternative to a free capitalist society is socialism, where allocative power is concentrated in the hands of elite social planners and their friends. Who decides who gets what, when, where, and how.
This socialist arrangement only produces poverty and terror.... and happens when the evil ones among us takes over.
@@iLiveOnFijiTime and he clearly stated it should not go on today but you ignored that part
My right ear enjoyed this video
Everyone is born poor and ignorant. Deep! Look for the cause of wealth instead of the cause of poverty. Thomas Sowell is simply great. A classic thinker and a brilliant mind.
Thanks for posting this. Amazing!
In the long run, experience is more valuable than a piece of paper with a title on it.
we need more intelligent men like him.
So good, where can I find the ful interview?
Thomas strikes again
This guy is genius.
Do we have a transcript of this? Some killer quotes here.
ruclips.net/video/3EmM3LweKRE/видео.html&feature=emb_logo
@6:50 why can't black people understand this man. what he is saying; the black experience is woven into the fabric of the flag. the experience for blk americans in 1,000 years should be part of the development of this nation and our culture.
Until we are proud to be Americans we will always be outsiders within our country. the black community needs to come in from our of the cold.
please let's use our strength and power to assist fellow Americans.
Rosalyn Manning you are correct. and the separation of the Black community has done what was intended so why are other groups allowing themselves to be separated from America?
more and more people are now seeing this. I believe the massive acceleration has made it almost impossible not to. but a large segment of society is going along with it. it's gotten to the point where you can't have a march on National Women's Day without the individual groups of women fighting with each other.
I personally feel society is spinning out of control. we must get control of it fairly quickly.
James Gray
So you are saying I'm extremely foolish or ignorant.
I'm truly sorry you feel that way.
I'm only speculating but I believe there is some quirk of the human mind that predisposes people to be receptive to ideas of some furtive agency that is responsible for one thing or another.
Some branches of SJW racial philosophy hold the view that white people are responsible for much of the world's problems, and the very act of disagreeing or being upset with such notions of collective guilt is called "white fragility." This is defined roughly as a white person being uncomfortable when confronted with truth about their privilege.
Please don’t speak for black people. I’m black and I know who this man is and understand him very well.
@@smarie2842 how well known is Thomas sowell in the black community.
Please do you have the full video ?
Thomas sowell is a G glad mu opinions on government are influenced by Milton, Thomas and also Ron Paul.
We have a good example of the difference in results between groups that existed during apartheid in South Africa, which effected all the non European ethnic groups. The Chinese, the Indians fared much better than the other groups, in spite that the majority of the Indians were originally sugar cane cutters, that refused to return to India when they were given this opportunity, seeing a better future by remaining.
THE TRUTH HITS DIFFERENT 💯 BUT TO AVOID IT IS FOOLISH
Idk what it is exactly, but there's something about Sowell and Peter Schiff that just seems more truly conservative than most of the mainstream voices. I can't stand Peterson or most of the DailyWire personalities.
I didn't know the term institutional discrimination existed in 1983, I thought it was a term 10 or 15 years old at most.
I think the term reared its ugly head when Critical Race Theory was developed. So 80s would be about right.
Does any body have the link of the entire conversation?
I would very appreciate
Which interview is this? Is there a video of the whole thing? Who is the interviewer?
Fr
Who is the interviewer?
Anyone have a link to the entire interview?
Fr
Where is the rest??????????????
This should be required viewing for all the young socialists.
I like that he speaks in Universal Terms, Not like Yvette Carnell who believes in two different types of Gravity. One for White People and another for Black People.
Pure common sense!
Is that Arabic calligraphy in the background?
Ismael Balkhi Yes
We still have to find a better system obviously
The Romans and the British advanced their colonies. The same can't be said of the Mongols and Portuguese etc..
I still do not understand why Thomas Sowell simply dismisses invasion of territories for "survival of the fittest"
My FRIENDS on Facebook shamed me for sharing a Thomas Sowell video. They tore me down & called him a “Neolib Dipshit”.
No Comment. It speaks for itself...
Your "Friends" tore you down?
Try to read Sowell's autobiography, "A Personal Odyssey", and how his family tore him down and you will understand better who real friends are.
@s v He was the first person in his family to get past grade 7 and by grade 9 had been admitted into Stuyvesant High School, one of the top schools in the nation. But his own family attacked him so much at home (psychologically) that he could not take it anymore and had to leave home, drop out of school and get a job.
When you read the book, you really feel it for him. But the dude would just never give up. He would get up stronger with every fall.
@s v You really need to read the book. It was mainly ignorance on their part. and it took them years to acknowledge it. All throughout this he never lost composure and took the high road.
After you read the book, you will definitely be glad that you did.
What about wealth destruction and wars caused by colonialism and Imperialism. Maybe Professor Sowell would like to address those facts?
2:29
Poverty is the natural state of human beings. How much money did you have when you were born? Probably the same as me - $0.
Savage
BTV, hip hop culture, fast food and fast money culture destroy ambition and intelligence.
Sowell is my adult woobie
He skips over so many points, especially regarding the history of colonialism and wealth. As well as govt, incentives denied to non whites that resulted in generational wealth that is STILL being passed down. I agree with a few things he said, but as intelligent as he sounds, I would love to see him challenged on these points.
Cuban americans when came in us were poor as poor can you be. BECAUSE THEY FLY CUBA. Now they are more rich then cubans left in CUBA
He has not been for over 40 years. And he is in the den of a liberal institution at Stanford.
So what about black America during the reconstruction? How were some common black folk rising in that hostile environment?
Can I ask government incentives like what?
Places can advance through trade alone, colonialism is not needed.
MrAnperm HE NEVER SAID IT WAS NEEDED💯 HE SAID IT ACTED AS A CONDUIT
Can we have him cloned?
Did this man really equate the Egyptians (black) 1000 years ago and the egyptian now who arab.
I think he equated the geographical space. The time is too short to discuss the conquests that happened in the mean time and the population shifts.
Egypt wasnt black. hotep logic needs to be cast aside.
The moderator seems to be trying far too hard to get Mr Sowell to address poverty only to blacks and colonialism! He is rather smarmy and condescending. Mr Siwell is far too sharp and intellectual for this moderator!
There are interests behind the decisions of those who inherit the positions of leadership through their ascribed birth and familial social position! So, institutional racism, sexism and ageism is not simple a question of a lack of skills! They are due to the "nondecisions" of those with political and institutional power.
Change this part of your statement "institutional racism, sexism and ageism" to nepotism and your statement will be more correct.
Nepotism is the hiring of the relatives which also negates the process of interviewing and selecting the best qualified in an impartial manner. Nepotism is therefore different from inheriting a position of leadership since the offspring of the leadership (of a firm, occupation or political office) is socialized or learns how to do what the parents has done. In nepotism, the relative does not have the relevant socialization and is hired merely to keep power and resources in the kinship structure, no skills necessary. Institutional racism, sexism and ageism is however a highly skilled endeavor and requires knowledge of strategic techniques, formulas, and procedures.
I get your point however that nepotism is a part of the corrupt institutional arrangements.
When was this interview done? Japan was never colonised but is prosperous when compared to countries that were colonised. I wouldn't downplay the influences of colonialism so much. Just look at the poverty that exists to this very day amongst the non-European people of South Africa.
How the phuck is wealth created? I'm god damn lost!!
slappy happy Create a product or service that people are willing to pay for.
Lawrence Larson
Wrong
slappy happy OK, so then what is the answer to your question?
the Israelites(indigenous Hebrews ) that were enslaved in Egypt are not the current israelis
Augustine Junior I can't believe he said that. for such a LEARNED man he has to know that the were never Jew slaves in kemet, shit they were never a real Hebrew people, just like Jesus never existed.
You're a moron.
"everyone is born poor"?
The Kardashians and Paris Hilton are shocked!
Come on! This cannot be your intellectual.
I think he is confusing imperialism and the spread of technology. Innovation and technology are what spur growth. NOT imperialism. There are many examples of how imperialism actively destroyed civilizations irreparably and their legacy is ongoing strife and civil unrest in those former colonies. Growth of the developing world continues today with globalization of multinationals that seek labor from emerging markets, that independent countries willingly partner with. He should know better
If these civilisations did not develop these useful technologies on their own, then that civilisation had a great flaw. Imperialism is a method of spreading technology.
Conservative claptrap. You never see Sowell debating, that requires hard data.
Long live freedom and democratic communism
“Freedom” and “communism” do not go in the same sentence. I have no problem with a commune being attempted with those that are willing to live in it, but you cannot force the ideology into others. Nationwide communism would be a failure, and would only divide us.
he seems to have a positive view on colonialism which is naïve the colonialism that African countries have been subjected to by Europe was filled with war crimes , mass rapes , exploitation of the countries resources , restricting education for the natives , constant attacks on the natives culture so on and so forth , the reason why European countries are ahead now is in large parts due to the resources extracted from Africa , then again there can be a form of peaceful colonialism but the most recent one it being the invasion of Africa by Europe was inhuman
If you think that was inhumane then you need to go learn more history.
@@mauriceschaeffer5070 what do you mean by that ?
@@thehood-nv7xl If you think Colonialism was all bad and an attrocity in human existence then you don't know what has happened in the past in various parts of the world.
@@mauriceschaeffer5070 I didn't say any of that I specifically mentioned the European colonisation of Africa that was very inhumane, colonialism is neither bad nor good it solely depends on the government
@@thehood-nv7xl and so was a large part of histroy. That's what I mean.
Well if the Whites in In 1921, Tulsa, Oklahoma did not burn down Black Wall Street there is no doubt that all Americans would be wealthier today and we would not have the amount of poverty we see in Black communities that tax dollars have to be spent on which could have been used in other areas of the country.
Hahahahahaah you just showed your ignorance. So what about all the other fledgling black towns that weren't burnt down, what about 1920s Harlem, what happened to that too? To think you attribute 1 black town all black prosperity shows how little economics you know.
I am sure he is an incredibly intelligent man but he is completely wrong on about colonialism. India had the biggest economy in the world in the early 1700s, 25% of the worlds industrial output and real wage living standard higher than the British. 200 years of brutal dominance and one became the richest country on earth, and the other became "3rd world". hmmm
That's not because of colonialism but because of the growth caused by the spread of capitalism within Europe and the New World. Before capitalism, population numbers was wealth.
@@lee7956 lol when the East Indian Company literally carried out what would be worth 100s of billions of dollars in todays money, to the extent that the word "loot" actually is an indian word which the british used, I am pretty sure it was due to colonialism.
@@stevenponte6655 Of course colonialism had a negative impact on India but to declare that the current state of the standard of living for countries that were colonized is solely a result of colonialism is asinine.
@@stevenponte6655 Yes a big economy and spices and other not so important things. Industry is where it's at.
There was no India before 1947 and i think you are telling indian subcontinent region. India is a very recent concept.
AND THE IQ QUESTION.
Does he truly believe everyone is born ignorant and poor? Maybe ignorant (even tho it’s capitalism keeping certain groups ignorant), but certainly not poor. Maybe he would be in favor of a 90% death tax
He means for the majority of people.
I have a answer, it's called the average IQ of a society's citizens. Low iq poverty, high iq wealth.
David Genereux Not true.
George Bush #2 is filthy rich 🤑 yet dumb as a donut 🍩 So, there goes that argument.
How does this make sense I don't understand... to imply poverty is simply to "not be wealthy" whereas it means to be deprived of a need with wealth being only one element to it. He then states he believes everyone is born poor and to get out of that one needs to obtain skills, discipline, etc (human capital) which is obvious but what about those that are deprived of the rights to obtain those necessary skills as evident through slave trades, class and gender discrimination. He states he's unsure what made America so wealthy but the US was left relatively unscathed after WWII and had held 50% of the world's wealth distributed over 6% of the global population (albeit unequally which is why poverty exists today with a shrinking middle class). His answers are very binary and somewhat detached, as it has been proven time and time again that socioeconomic conditions of an individual will determine their future more so than moving out of poverty through "sheer hard work and determination". Everyone loves a good rags to riches story but they are outliers and don't happen often because it is in fact very difficult. Currently underemployment is increasing around the world with relatively "unskilled" labour force being replaced by technology or globalisation yet the education standards haven't aligned to account for this replacement of human capital, and this is happening on a large scale not on the scale he states. His claim on imperialism resulting in betterment in other countries is untrue as his understanding of bettering a country is based on a western economic philosophy but at the cost of definite exploitation and extraction of that nation's wealth through war, threat of war and one sided free trade agreements. I didn't like this at all sorry.
I understand your argument, it's one made frequently, but without some factual information to refute Mr Sowell's points I'm not sure he'd take your objections seriously. You make reference to under employment for example, and as a UK citizen I might fire back a statistic: 1 in 4 job vacancies in my country is unfilled. There are twice as many jobs as there are job seekers. Certainly, the data in at least one of the largest economies in the world doesn't remotely fit your description. Automation is reducing the number of manufacturing jobs, for sure, but what does that mean? The job market has changed continually for centuries, there will be jobs in 20 years we can't predict today. Consumer goods become cheaper with automation, and citizens find other means to be productive - that is always the way. You reference wealth inequality in a very brief way - if you have a look at the data from the IRS, you'll find wealth inequality statistics are incredibly misleading. People who are in the top 1% of income usually don't stay there for more than a year or two. You'll also find an enormous amount of social mobility from the lower income brackets into higher ones (exactly the rags-to-riches you write off as a "story"). A "one-sided free trade agreement" is an oxymoron. It can't be "free" if it only works for one of the two negotiators, so that seems to me to be an entirely moot point. Free trade works for both parties involved that's the whole point. I can't speak on behalf of colonised nations, but it has always been interesting to me that Indian, African and far-Eastern migrants in the UK tend to speak far more favourably about the British Empire than Britons do. If one were to look at India and Pakistan, the distinction is clear. Once all the same country, it had a level of success and prosperity. Pakistan breaks off and becomes an independent nation, abandoning all British influence and input, instead promoting a quasi Arab nationalism due to it being an Islamic republic. India, on the other hand, still teaches in English, and retains many practices and policies inherited from the Raj. As Salman Rushdie said, Pakistan is a shit-hole in comparison to India.
Thanks for your comment. The reason why there are twice as many jobs as there are job seekers in the UK is due to the skills shortage. Unskilled workers' human capital is replaced by machines or outsourced through globalisation, and the programs currently in force in the UK are insufficient to upskill these people. I don't have to reference this, a simple google search will show the reason why there are so many job vacancies. It's true that the top 1% are shifted away from that bracket but that's no surprise given it's a much smaller sample size. By that principle the top 0.1% has an even broader range as evidenced here www.equalitytrust.org.uk/how-has-inequality-changed.
But i'm talking about people moving in and out of defined poverty into another income bracket, the so called rags to riches common occurrence which comes from hard work and determination. In the UK there is relative and absolute poverty, and the PM's view on them have been double sided for several years. I would define a "rags to riches" story to be met via absolute poverty not relative poverty, and there is evidence showing the poorest people in the UK are getting poorer and that the UK has the lowest paid workers in Europe. If you refer to inequalitybriefing.org and realbritianindex.org this will represent that. You mentioned there is an enormous amount of social mobility however the most recent report from the Social Mobility Commission states there is a very deep social mobility problem. The full report can be read here www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/569410/Social_Mobility_Commission_2016_REPORT_WEB__1__.pdf.
Yes the term free trade agreement is somewhat of an oxymoron but it is publicly announced as such and tends to work for one of the two negotiators like you said and an example is with the TPP agreement between China and the US and exploitation via currency manipulation. www.forbes.com/sites/danikenson/2015/01/26/currency-manipulation-and-the-trans-pacific-partnership-what-art-laffer-fred-bergsten-and-other-hawks-get-wrong/#32cb7577f25d
From an Indian's perspective the British colonial system was that of an indirect rule and that may be why *some* Indians feel that way but it's because they have no context on what matters of exploitation took place during this period. This article breaks it down very well. www.economicsdiscussion.net/india/colonial-exploitation/colonial-exploitation-in-india-forms-and-consequences/19005.
I hope this answers your queries... if you feel i've missed something please let me know.
They weren't queries so much as rebuttals. Not to come across as hostile, that's not my intention either. Automation has always been a benefit to the consumer and I don't see a rebuttal to that in your response. How much do you suppose the Galaxy S8 released today would cost if it were hand-made by Samsung employees? I know one of the reasons there are plenty of job vacancies is that there aren't enough people with the right skills. This is due to insufficient education which is provided by the state. People gain skills through education, and when the education of a country is the responsibility of the government you cannot blame the market and private enterprise for a lack of skills. Another reason, however, is that many Britons refuse to take low-paid jobs, or choose not to work because it is more profitable to stay on welfare. It is literally true that for many people, it is less profitable to work than it is not to, and they are sensible in taking the more profitable option. It's not their fault, it's the government's fault. Furthermore, if there were no minimum wage laws, unskilled people would be able to take menial jobs; and employers would be able to hire someone and give them on-the-job training which they otherwise could not afford while paying the minimum wage rate.
Yes you're right the top 0.1% has a massive amount of change - but if the leftist conspiracy theory on wealth were true, they would always be the same people. The big bosses with all their capital that they just hoard. I assume you are granting me this point, then. That the "problem" of the "top 1%" is really a fallacy.
When I referenced social mobility, I was talking about America, I don't think the UK's social mobility is as great but it is still good. It is still better the most countries Our market is not as free as others in the world, our taxes are higher. There are lots of contributory factors. Our social mobility is still good, however. Even if it were the case that the bottom 1% never make it to the top 1%, it just doesn't matter. Why should it matter? Firstly, wealth inequality doesn't matter - raising the standard of the poor matters. The only system to have done this with any success is free market capitalism. How do you suggest people in a socialist society would climb the income brackets if their wealth were confiscated as they accumulate it? Every practical example of socialist economic policies has provided less social mobility and a ruling elite who take a healthy slice out of the wealth they re-distribute. If wealth disparity were not allowed, capital would not be accumulated in one place to be invested and everyone would lose. Secondly, why should we berate people for being born lucky in some way? I was not born into riches, but I do not think I therefore have the right to take money away from those luckier than me who have inherited wealth. I have musical talent, I probably inherited it from my great grandfather, but no-one would suggest it okay to tax me on having a circumstance which may benefit my wealthiness. Life is in part the luck of the draw, and leftists are not consistent on the taxation of people born with assets (and it's good that they aren't otherwise the clever would be enslaved to work for the dumb as a re-distribution of intellect).
You talk about free trade, then link an agreement which does not represent free trade, by definition. The author is a free marketeer, he also berates government subsidy of industry, which the left praises so highly because it "protects jobs", in the very same article. Bit of a strawman argument on this one. Thomas Sowell and Milton Friedman are/were very opposed to corporatism and the marriage of business and government.
I suggest that Indians have a better understanding of the context of the British rule of India than non-Indians. It's simply a fact that former colonies which do not much change the values and norms impressed upon them are more successful than their neighbouring countries that were either not colonised or have expressly rejected the colonists.
Hong Kong was ruled by Britain in a laissez-faire fashion with something very close to a true free market, often deemed a "benevolent dictatorship", which was in practice more effective than a democracy because no-one could fuck it up and mess around with the rules. It has/had one of the most successful economies in the world for the entire period, and the standard of living was so superior for those living under the evil capitalist system that their neighbours in China living under the communist utopia were trying to cross the border in their tens of thousands for years. People vote with their feet - no-one is fleeing their country to get to socialist Venezuela.
His opinion suggest that the play field is level - in that situation yes you can reason to "absent of wealth is lack of disciple , Skills" etc.
What about the policy that has been implemented by a certain group ( race ) , Take a look at apartheid South Afrika Economic policies ( i.e No African was permitted to buy Land , To study particularly in the field of science )
Hurshy Kalsi America doesn’t have true poverty. Go to a third world country and you will see real poverty.