Thomas Sowell is an economist who has written extensively. This is the second book of his that I have read. This book was relatively short but it took me longer than I thought it would to finish it.
Sowell writes “The difference between seeing economic disparities as due to differences in the production of wealth and seeing those disparities as due to the transfer of wealth from some people to other people is fundamental. History shows that either cause of economic disparities can prevail at particular times and places.”
Sowell covers many topics that address economics. When discussing poverty he writes “Isolation is a recurring factor in poverty and backwardness around the world.”
This book discusses geography and culture and the role those play in economic development. Corruption, government inefficiency, and minimum wage laws are additional topics. Sowell writes “More than simple mistakes are involved in promoting a culture of dependency among those whom government statisticians have chosen to define as living in poverty. A dependent voting constituency is very valuable to politicians”
Sowell also spend time discussing equality. He notes “Whatever the merits of any particular definition of equality of outcomes what must be faced are the consequences of perpetually promoting a fervent crusade perpetually frustrated by its own internal contradictions but whose frustration is instead blamed on some human enemies of a sacred cause.”
There is a lot of information in this book. It presents several theories about economics and can be used for thought provoking discussion. However I had a hard time getting through it and was ready for it to be over by the time I got to the end.
Overall I rate it 3 out of 5 stars.
Thomas Aquinas is credited as one of the greatest proponents of natural law. During his time in Cologne he was taught by Albertus Magnus. Magnus used the teachings of Aristotle in his mentorship of Thomas Aquinas.
Samuel Adams believed in American Independence from Great Britain. He is one of the most well know Son's of Liberty. On August 1, 1776 he gave a speech to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia.
Hefei, China Thursday 6:00AM
The rising sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon. The darkness of night was about to give way to the light of day. The sleeping city would soon be bustling with activity completely unaware of what had occurred while it slept.
Zhao Kai stood outside a small warehouse looking building. For all of the modernization that had been occurring in China this building had been skipped. At least on the outside. It appeared old and nearly abandoned but the inside told a different story. Before Kai entered the building he glanced at the rising sun. This was his favorite moment of the day. The blinding light of the sun was a weapon that he used literally.
On numerous occasions he would take a prisoner to a spot where there was an unobstructed view of the rising sun. Then he would bind them in such a way that they had to stare directly into the sun. If he did his job right they would not be able to close their eyes and would return to their prison cells blinded for life. If he didn’t just kill them. That punishment would not be on the table today but perhaps tomorrow. He liked ...
