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72 Thomas Sowell Quotes on Government & Economics (TRUTH)

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Top 12 Most Famous Thomas Sowell Quotes (BEST)

“People who pride themselves on their ‘complexity’ and deride others for being ‘simplistic’ should realize that the truth is often not very complicated. What gets complex is evading the truth.”

Thomas Sowell
It is a way to take people’s wealth from them without having to openly raise taxes. Inflation is the most universal tax of all.
It is a way to take people’s wealth from them without having to openly raise taxes. Inflation is the most universal tax of all.
It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance.
It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance.
I have never understood why it is 'greed' to want to keep the money you have earned but not greed to want to take somebody else's money.
I have never understood why it is ‘greed‘ to want to keep the money you have earned but not greed to want to take somebody else’s money.
It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong.
It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong.
People who enjoy meetings should not be in charge of anything.
People who enjoy meetings should not be in charge of anything.
Sometimes it seems as if there are more solutions than problems. On closer scrutiny, it turns out that many of today's problems are a result of yesterday's solutions.
Sometimes it seems as if there are more solutions than problems. On closer scrutiny, it turns out that many of today’s problems are a result of yesterday’s solutions.
The first lesson of economics is scarcity there is never enough of anything to fully satisfy all those who want it. The first lesson of politics is to disregard the first lesson of economics.
The first lesson of economics is scarcity: there is never enough of anything to fully satisfy all those who want it. The first lesson of politics is to disregard the first lesson of economics.
It’s amazing how much panic one honest man can spread among a multitude of hypocrites.
It’s amazing how much panic one honest man can spread among a multitude of hypocrites.
When people get used to preferential treatment, equal treatment seems like discrimination.
When people get used to preferential treatment, equal treatment seems like discrimination.
Too much of what is called 'education' is little more than an expensive isolation from reality.
Too much of what is called ‘education‘ is little more than an expensive isolation from reality.
Bailing out people who made ill-advised mortgages makes no more sense that bailing out people who lost their life savings in Las Vegas casinos.
Bailing out people who made ill-advised mortgages makes no more sense that bailing out people who lost their life savings in Las Vegas casinos.

5 Thomas Sowell Quotes on the Truth

“The fact that so many successful politicians are such shameless liars is not only a reflection on them, it is also a reflection on us. When the people want the impossible, only liars can satisfy.”

Thomas Sowell
When you want to help people, you tell them the truth. When you want to help yourself, you tell them what they want to hear.
When you want to help people, you tell them the truth. When you want to help yourself, you tell them what they want to hear.
There are only two ways of telling the complete truth - anonymously and posthumously.
There are only two ways of telling the complete truth – anonymously and posthumously.
Facts do not speak for themselves. They speak for or against competing theories. Facts divorced from theories or visions are mere isolated curiosities.
Facts do not speak for themselves. They speak for or against competing theories. Facts divorced from theories or visions are mere isolated curiosities.
Rhetoric is no substitute for reality.
Rhetoric is no substitute for reality.

3 Thomas Sowell Quotes on Racism

“If you have always believed that everyone should play by the same rules and be judged by the same standards, that would have gotten you labeled a radical 60 years ago, a liberal 30 years ago and a racist today.”

Thomas Sowell
The word 'racism' is like ketchup. It can be put on practically anything - and demanding evidence makes you a 'racist.'
The word ‘racism’ is like ketchup. It can be put on practically anything – and demanding evidence makes you a ‘racist.’
Racism does not have a good track record. It's been tried out for a long time and you'd think by now we'd want to put an end to it instead of putting it under new management.
Racism does not have a good track record. It’s been tried out for a long time and you’d think by now we’d want to put an end to it instead of putting it under new management.

11 Thomas Sowell Quotes on Economics & Finances

“It is amazing that people who think we cannot afford to pay for doctors, hospitals, and medication somehow think that we can afford to pay for doctors, hospitals, medication and a government bureaucracy to administer it.”

Thomas Sowell
Capitalism knows only one color that color is green; all else is necessarily subservient to it, hence, race, gender and ethnicity cannot be considered within it.
Capitalism knows only one color: that color is green; all else is necessarily subservient to it, hence, race, gender and ethnicity cannot be considered within it.
Any politician who can be elected only by turning Americans against other Americans is too dangerous to be elected.
Any politician who can be elected only by turning Americans against other Americans is too dangerous to be elected.

“Prices are important not because money is considered paramount but because prices are a fast and effective conveyor of information through a vast society in which fragmented knowledge must be coordinated.”

Thomas Sowell
Despite a voluminous and often fervent literature on 'income distribution,' the cold fact is that most income is not distributed: It is earned.
Despite a voluminous and often fervent literature on ‘income distribution,’ the cold fact is that most income is not distributed: It is earned.

“People who identify themselves as conservatives donate money to charity more often than people who identify themselves as liberals. They donate more money and a higher percentage of their incomes.”

Thomas Sowell
The biggest and most deadly 'tax' rate on the poor comes from a loss of various welfare state benefits - food stamps, housing subsidies and the like - if their income goes up.
The biggest and most deadly ‘tax’ rate on the poor comes from a loss of various welfare state benefits – food stamps, housing subsidies and the like – if their income goes up.

“Would you bet your paycheck on a weather forecast for tomorrow? If not, then why should this country bet billions on global warming predictions that have even less foundation?”

Thomas Sowell
The real minimum wage is zero.
The real minimum wage is zero.

“Unfortunately, the real minimum wage is always zero, regardless of the laws, and that is the wage that many workers receive in the wake of the creation or escalation of a government-mandated minimum wage, because they lose their jobs or fail to find jobs when they enter the labor force. Making it illegal to pay less than a given amount does not make a worker’s productivity worth that amount—and, if it is not, that worker is unlikely to be employed.”

Thomas Sowell
The fact that the market is not doing what we wish it would do is no reason to automatically assume that the government would do better.
The fact that the market is not doing what we wish it would do is no reason to automatically assume that the government would do better.

7 Wise Thomas Sowell Quotes (WISDOM)

The problem isn't that Johnny can't read. The problem isn't even that Johnny can't think. The problem is that Johnny doesn't know what thinking is; he confuses it with feeling.
The problem isn’t that Johnny can’t read. The problem isn’t even that Johnny can’t think. The problem is that Johnny doesn’t know what thinking is; he confuses it with feeling.
The least productive people are usually the ones who are most in favor of holding meetings.
The least productive people are usually the ones who are most in favor of holding meetings.
The march of science and technology does not imply growing intellectual complexity in the lives of most people. It often means the opposite.
The march of science and technology does not imply growing intellectual complexity in the lives of most people. It often means the opposite.
People who have time on their hands will inevitably waste the time of people who have work to do.
People who have time on their hands will inevitably waste the time of people who have work to do.
Education is not merely neglected in many of our schools today, but is replaced to a great extent by ideological indoctrination.
Education is not merely neglected in many of our schools today, but is replaced to a great extent by ideological indoctrination.
Intellect is not wisdom.
Intellect is not wisdom.
The big divide in this country is not between Democrats and Republicans, or women and men, but between talkers and doers.
The big divide in this country is not between Democrats and Republicans, or women and men, but between talkers and doers.

10 Thomas Sowell Quotes on Politics & Government Policy

“The old adage about giving a man a fish versus teaching him how to fish has been updated by a reader: Give a man a fish and he will ask for tartar sauce and French fries! Moreover, some politician who wants his vote will declare all these things to be among his ‘basic rights.'”

Thomas Sowell
The welfare state is not really about the welfare of the masses. It is about the egos of the elites.
The welfare state is not really about the welfare of the masses. It is about the egos of the elites.
The next time some academics tell you how important diversity is, ask how many Republicans there are in their sociology department.
The next time some academics tell you how important diversity is, ask how many Republicans there are in their sociology department.
You will never understand bureaucracies until you understand that for bureaucrats procedure is everything and outcomes are nothing.
You will never understand bureaucracies until you understand that for bureaucrats procedure is everything and outcomes are nothing.

“Even if the government spends itself into bankruptcy and the economy still does not recover, Keynesians can always say that it would have worked if only the government had spent more.”

Thomas Sowell
The more people who are dependent on government handouts, the more votes the left can depend on for an ever-expanding welfare state.
The more people who are dependent on government handouts, the more votes the left can depend on for an ever-expanding welfare state.
What 'multiculturalism' boils down to is that you can praise any culture in the world except Western culture - and you cannot blame any culture in the world except Western culture.
What ‘multiculturalism’ boils down to is that you can praise any culture in the world except Western culture – and you cannot blame any culture in the world except Western culture.
In liberal logic, if life is unfair then the answer is to turn more tax money over to politicians, to spend in ways that will increase their chances of getting reelected.
In liberal logic, if life is unfair then the answer is to turn more tax money over to politicians, to spend in ways that will increase their chances of getting reelected.
Competition does a much more effective job than government at protecting consumers.
Competition does a much more effective job than government at protecting consumers.
If politicians stopped meddling with things they don't understand, there would be a more drastic reduction in the size of government than anyone in either party advocates.
If politicians stopped meddling with things they don’t understand, there would be a more drastic reduction in the size of government than anyone in either party advocates.

3 Thomas Sowell Quotes on Freedom

“What is ominous is the ease with which some people go from saying that they don’t like something to saying that the government should forbid it. When you go down that road, don’t expect freedom to survive very long.”

Thomas Sowell
Freedom has cost too much blood and agony to be relinquished at the cheap price of rhetoric.
Freedom has cost too much blood and agony to be relinquished at the cheap price of rhetoric.
Without a moral framework, there is nothing left but immediate self-indulgence by some and the path of least resistance by others. Neither can sustain a free society.
Without a moral framework, there is nothing left but immediate self-indulgence by some and the path of least resistance by others. Neither can sustain a free society.

3 Thomas Sowell Quotes on Socialism

“Socialism is a wonderful idea. It is only as a reality that it has been disastrous. Among people of every race, color, and creed, all around the world, socialism has led to hunger in countries that used to have surplus food to export… Nevertheless, for many of those who deal primarily in ideas, socialism remains an attractive idea — in fact, seductive. Its every failure is explained away as due to the inadequacies of particular leaders.”

Thomas Sowell
Socialism in general has a record of failure so blatant that only an intellectual could ignore or evade it.
Socialism in general has a record of failure so blatant that only an intellectual could ignore or evade it.
Since this is an era when many people are concerned about 'fairness' and 'social justice,' what is your 'fair share' of what someone else has worked for
Since this is an era when many people are concerned about ‘fairness’ and ‘social justice,’ what is your ‘fair share’ of what someone else has worked for?

4 Thomas Sowell Quotes About Life

“The people made worse off by slavery were those who were enslaved. Their descendants would have been worse off today if born in Africa instead of America. Put differently, the terrible fate of their ancestors benefitted them.”

Thomas Sowell
Each new generation born is in effect an invasion of civilization by little barbarians, who must be civilized before it is too late.
Each new generation born is in effect an invasion of civilization by little barbarians, who must be civilized before it is too late.

“Life in general has never been even close to fair, so the pretense that the government can make it fair is a valuable and inexhaustible asset to politicians who want to expand government.”

Thomas Sowell
Much of the social history of the Western world over the past three decades has involved replacing what worked with what sounded good.
Much of the social history of the Western world over the past three decades has involved replacing what worked with what sounded good.

2 Thomas Sowell Quotes on Civilization

If you are not prepared to use force to defend civilization, then be prepared to accept barbarism.
If you are not prepared to use force to defend civilization, then be prepared to accept barbarism.
If the battle for civilization comes down to the wimps versus the barbarians, the barbarians are going to win.
If the battle for civilization comes down to the wimps versus the barbarians, the barbarians are going to win.

2 Thomas Sowell Quotes on Gun Control

Do countries with strong gun control laws have lower murder rates Only if you cherry-pick the data.
Do countries with strong gun control laws have lower murder rates? Only if you cherry-pick the data.
As for gun control advocates, I have no hope whatever that any facts whatever will make the slightest dent in their thinking - or lack of thinking.
As for gun control advocates, I have no hope whatever that any facts whatever will make the slightest dent in their thinking – or lack of thinking.

7 Thomas Sowell Quotes that Will Make You Think

“One of the common failings among honorable people is a failure to appreciate how thoroughly dishonorable some other people can be, and how dangerous it is to trust them.”

Thomas Sowell
Talkers are usually more articulate than doers, since talk is their specialty.
Talkers are usually more articulate than doers, since talk is their specialty.
The most basic question is not what is best, but who shall decide what is best.
The most basic question is not what is best, but who shall decide what is best.

“Virtually no idea is too ridiculous to be accepted, even by very intelligent and highly educated people, if it provides a way for them to feel special and important. Some confuse that feeling with idealism.”

Thomas Sowell
Some of the biggest cases of mistaken identity are among intellectuals who have trouble remembering that they are not God.
Some of the biggest cases of mistaken identity are among intellectuals who have trouble remembering that they are not God.
There are few things more dishonorable than misleading the young.
There are few things more dishonorable than misleading the young.
There are no solutions. There are only trade-offs.
There are no solutions. There are only trade-offs.

3 Thomas Sowell Quotes on Immigration

If you don't control the borders, it doesn't matter what immigration laws you have.
If you don’t control the borders, it doesn’t matter what immigration laws you have.
Stopping illegal immigration would mean that wages would have to rise to a level where Americans would want the jobs currently taken by illegal aliens.
Stopping illegal immigration would mean that wages would have to rise to a level where Americans would want the jobs currently taken by illegal aliens.
Immigration laws are the only laws that are discussed in terms of how to help people who break them.
Immigration laws are the only laws that are discussed in terms of how to help people who break them.

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Thomas Sowell Quotes on Government & Economics (TRUTH) - Gracious Quotes