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41 " 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. "
― Thomas Sowell
42 " Many have blamed the gasoline shortages and long lines at filling stations in 1973 on the Arab Oil embargo of that year. However, the shortages and long lines began months before the Arab oil embargo, right after price controls were imposed. "
― Thomas Sowell , Basic Economics: A Citizen's Guide to the Economy
43 " 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. "
44 " Socialism in general has a record of failure so blatant that only an intellectual could ignore or evade it. "
― Thomas Sowell , The Thomas Sowell Reader
45 " One of the most pervasive political visions of our time is the vision of liberals as compassionate and conservatives as less caring. "
46 " The most basic question is not what is best, but who shall decide what is best. "
47 " I have never known much good done by those who affected to trade for the public good. "
― Thomas Sowell , A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political Struggles
48 " 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 , Knowledge And Decisions
49 " It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance. "
50 " People who enjoy meetings should not be in charge of anything. "
― Thomas Sowell , Ever Wonder Why? and Other Controversial Essays
51 " 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. "
52 " Too much of what is called 'education' is little more than an expensive isolation from reality. "
53 " Education is not merely neglected in many of our schools today, but is replaced to a great extent by ideological indoctrination. "
54 " 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. "
― Thomas Sowell , Barbarians inside the Gates and Other Controversial Essays
55 " 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. "
56 " The first lesson of economics is scarcity: There is never enough of anything to satisfy all those who want it. The first lesson of politics is to disregard the first lesson of economics. "
― Thomas Sowell , Is Reality Optional?: And Other Essays
57 " Competition does a much more effective job than government at protecting consumers. "
― Thomas Sowell ,
58 " There are no solutions. There are only trade-offs. "
59 " Don't you get tired of seeing so many "non-conformists" with the same non-conformist look? "
60 " One of the sad signs of our times is that we have demonized those who produce, subsidized those who refuse to produce, and canonized those who complain. "
― Thomas Sowell , The Vision of the Anointed: Self-Congratulation as a Basis for Social Policy