By Georgii @Adobe Stock
Fight Bedlam with a Strong Leader
There’s been plenty of ink spilled over the Biden/Trump campaigns. Even more in the aftermath of Donald Trump’s near-fatal shooting. What a relief to read an editorial in the WSJ by Thomas Sowell on the attempted assassination of Donald Trump and Mr. Sowell’s feeling on how it reflects a dangerous set of attitudes and actions that “have been building for years.”
Dealing with a Strong President
In NRO John O’Sullivan notes how assassinations have sometimes altered the course of history. The First World War arose from one. On this latest unsuccessful shooting, however, “it was the failure of assassinations that may have altered history.”
It’s Dr. Sowell’s hope that Former President Trump’s defiant response to the “omnious” attempt on his life perhaps has this redeeming factor: “It may be important to let foreign enemies know that there are still some strong American leaders they may have to deal with.”
America seems to have entered a new region of revenge and counter revenge.
On May 9, 1992, the New York Times published the names of jurors who acquitted the policemen who used force when arresting Rodney King. The story included the communities in which the jurors lived and other identifying information about them, Mr. Sowell sadly reports:
“Whatever we may think about Rodney King, the police or the jurors, we need to think long and hard about what kind of world we are creating if jurors decide cases based on their own personal safety or that of their families.”
Voice Your Anger?
Senator Chuck Schumer, addressing a protesting mob outside the Supreme Court itself, identified two justices by name: “You have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price. You will not know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.”
Another protesting group of critics identified both the church that another justice attended and the school her children attended. They suggested that people “voice your anger” by demonstrating there.
No Justice, No Peace
Too many people, continues Dr. Sowell, have used too many clever words to play down threats and violences. “No justice, no peace” has been a fashionable phrase, yet one person’s justice is another’s grievance.
Thomas Sowell has taught economics at Howard University, Rutgers, Brandis, Cornell, Amherst, until, he admitted, he lost faith in the academic system, citing low academic standards and counter-productive university bureaucracy. Think of Dr. Sowell as a conservative, especially on social issues. On economic issues, he claims to be a libertarian. He does not agree, however, with the general libertarian view on issues of national defense.
An admirer of Milton Friedman, Dr. Sowell cites his reason for not entertaining a political life: “some individuals can contribute more by staying out of politics.”
