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The Old Doctor And the Young Whippersnapper

sowell2.jpgMatthew Yglesias seems to have his knickers in twist over this quote from Dr. Thomas Sowell [1]:

When I see the worsening degeneracy in our politicians, our media, our educators, and our intelligentsia, I can’t help wondering if the day may yet come when the only thing that can save this country is a military coup.

Yglesias whines, writes [2]

I could feign outrage, but I’ve got to admit that, I, too, have had this thought from time to time especially during moments (see, e.g., 2005) when my political preferences weren’t faring well (I never said “decadence,” though, it seems to me that only real extremists worry about decadence). That said, even though I write a ton of words every day, I’ve always had the good sense to not actually write it because even bloggers know that you shouldn’t publish every random crazy thought that pops into your head. What was Sowell thinking? More to the point, how is it that nobody at Creator’s Syndicate or National Review Online stopped this from going to press?

As to Yglesias, Dr. Sowell is a high school drop out in his seventiies who written numerous best sellers.  The man is a national treasure.   I doubt that Dr. Sowell will be losing any sleep over some young whipper snapper who would presume to censor him.

As to Dr. Sowell’s quote, which so upset Yglesias, I offer an analogy.  I hike just a wee bit   Now as a male, I will never admit having to ever having been lost.  Aferall, I have always found my way back on my own.   No comment on dread and panic.

I have noticed  that every time I was powerfully confused as where I was, I had made the assumption that I could not get powerfully confused.   So when start falling into that comfort zone that I can’t get powerfully confused,  I try to remind myself that thinking I couldn’t get powerfully confused always preceding getting powerfully confused as to where I was.

Likewise, Dr. Sowell seems to suggesting that believing that degeneracy  can not lead to the collapse of our civilization, is a precondition to that collapse.?