Why Isn't Thomas Sowell a Mainstream Intellectual? (legal, drugs, solutions)

[knowledgeiskey]

As a liberal, I'm very enlightened by what this guy says. He knows what he's talking about.

Why isn't he revered along the same basis as Noam Chomsky?

[whogo]

Originally Posted by knowledgeiskey

As a liberal, I'm very enlightened by what this guy says. He knows what he's talking about.

Why isn't he revered along the same basis as Noam Chomsky?

Because he is not a liberal. Sowell is an intellectual giant. Makes Chomsky look like a fooll.

[djacques]

I'm also a liberal on many issues but an admirer of Sowell's. I like his mode of thought, if not all of his conclusions.

[totsuka]

It is too bad he does not get invited on PBS/NPR to comment on the economy, but he is a Conservative so that will never happen.

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by knowledgeiskey

As a liberal, I'm very enlightened by what this guy says. He knows what he's talking about.

Why isn't he revered along the same basis as Noam Chomsky?

Who reveres Chomsky? No one in my circles.

Best Sowell book: Intellectuals and Society.

It's not about the intellectuals who speak in their field. Sowell says they're fine. It's about the ones who are no more credible than your garbage man on the topics they speak up on, and get attention for, to the detriment of society.

[sskink]

Originally Posted by totsuka

It is too bad he does not get invited on PBS/NPR to comment on the economy, but he is a Conservative so that will never happen.

Conservatives want to call Sowell a Conservative when it meets their agenda. Sowell's own preference is to be called Libertarian, as evidenced by stances on social issues that clearly go against the Conservative Agenda (e.g. legalization of drugs, abortion) and would be much closer to Paul/Perot positions.

[bluesjuke]

Originally Posted by knowledgeiskey

As a liberal, I'm very enlightened by what this guy says. He knows what he's talking about.

Why isn't he revered along the same basis as Noam Chomsky?

He's chided as an "Uncle Tom" by liberals.

[thriftylefty]

His ideas may not be mainstream. He is a life long academic who IMO writes in order to stay tenured and not particularly to solve social problems. He would be much more credible if he had left academia years ago and tried out his theories of economics in a city like Detroit or DC, as a city manager.

[Edmund_Burke]

Who's going to give him that power? His solutions are pretty obvious.

I don't care for his fp stance. His best work is on cultures.

[Frank_Carbonni]

Originally Posted by knowledgeiskey

As a liberal, I'm very enlightened by what this guy says. He knows what he's talking about.

Why isn't he revered along the same basis as Noam Chomsky?

Noam is definitely loved by college kids and the members of the hard Left, but I wouldn't exactly call him mainstream. Well known, but not exactly mainstream. Even a lot of liberals who like a lot of his books on foreign policy tend to cringe when he talks about other subjects. After all, Noam is not a liberal, he is a socialist. I know he states that he is anarchist, but for someone who doesn't believe in an organized government, he sure had a lot of sympathy for socialist dictatorships and policies. But I digress...

Originally Posted by sskink

Conservatives want to call Sowell a Conservative when it meets their agenda. Sowell's own preference is to be called Libertarian, as evidenced by stances on social issues that clearly go against the Conservative Agenda (e.g. legalization of drugs, abortion) and would be much closer to Paul/Perot positions.

I find it kind of funny that you mention Paul and Perot in reference to Sowell's social stances and brought up abortion and drugs. Funny because Perot was pro-choice and wanted to expand the War on Drugs and Paul is pro-life and open to the legalization of drugs.

I don't mean that as a jab against you. I just found the politicians and specific stances to be funny.

Another good example of a conservative intellectual (although one who was also very libertarian leaning) was William F. Buckley.