At some juncture, Americans must stop apologizing for who we are. I am not espousing jingoism, or redneck rudeness. We act like the new kid on the block eager to please others and make friends while holding ourselves to higher standards to prove our worth which the self-righteous will/can not do as the rest of the world “shames” us into doing their bidding. We fund every humanitarian effort as though all burdens are ours and catch flak from pop star “evangelists” for not doing more for those who will not help themselves. We send our men and women into battles to secure freedoms which others claim they want – or we are bullied into thinking they need - only to have our efforts decried as imperialistic or harboring other ulterior...

Were anyone to argue that racism does not exist in America today (or, for that matter, in most of the globe), they would be either ridiculed or vilified. When a group exhibits racist tendencies or espouses racist doctrines, they pose a serious threat to the stability of a country which believes in freedom.

In America, over centuries, we have struggled to move in the direction of becoming more civilized and free. And, in the course of that time, we have put in protections against those actions which prevent us from moving further in that direction - racism is one of those impediment to becoming more civilized. Because of the safeguards we have instituted and the progress we have made, it is easier now than at the birth of our...

Thanks Robert for your interesting take on the wisdom of the Nobel committee and the choice of Ostrom.

But, for my part, I am feeling down-right vindicated. Finally, my leather-bound, gold-leaf, signed collection of first printings of the writings of Elinor Ostrom is in demand!

What's your bid?

The discussion of whether the Bible says its OK to have guns really puts individuals who would otherwise be described as lovers of liberty into an extreme position which feeds the mindless fear-baiting that modern-day liberals relish. The Constitution is a list of rights upon which we expect the government not to trample.

The need for government is the recognition that the natural interactions of members of society do not always work smoothly. Thus, we forego some income in order to permit a government to exist, as distasteful as that is. The Constitution was laid down to elucidate (some of) the limits of government. The mandate is to protect us from threats to our freedom by disarming those members of society who pose those...

It is a sad statement on the deterioration of the American fabric when the rights to bear arms and practice a faith of our choosing are matters of debate. The discussion underlies the failure of our government to govern AND our willingness to cede more of our rights to that government. The end result will be either complete socialism or revolution. It seems that we are sliding head-long to the first outcome.

It is ironic that Chuck Norris needs to think of having a thug face the barrel of his gun (as opposed to his martial arts skills) as a reason to own one . Evidently, he doesn't feel that we are protected - where DOES all of our tax money go. We agree that their are people who are hell-bent on committing crimes. Hence, we need...

Thanks, Dr Sowell, for a concise exposition of the economic distortions which politicians wreak on the people they serve - and we pay them for this?

It is also quite ironic that the "economists" you quoted probably had a hand in the muddle-headed system that virtually bankrupted the USSR and finally broke the iron hand of communism in a way that politics (sabre rattling included) could not. This is an illustration of that interconnectedness on a much broader scale.

One quibble I do have is that the bubble could not have been complete without the complicity of the Fed. During the Greenspan tenure, the policy was one of trying to manage the economy. Just follow the rise and fall of the FF target rate as the Fed attempted to...

The irrational policital correctness of Barama is all the more amazing given that he has already appeased the oafs in Oslo. [Sorry, I think that was supposed to be Olafs.) Can one be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize twice? Or, is Barama hoping to justify the award by applying some convoluted rationale for employing really bad policy.

In the spirit of policial (in)correctness -

Now that Barama has tarred and feathered the banks, is he planning to ride them out on a rail with his $120 Bn tax or simply lynch them! Doesn't seem to have a problem offending anyone working in the financial services sector - you can't "blame" the CEO's without tainting your local teller.

The stuff of which demagogues are made.

We are in the eye of a perfect storm.

The mind-set of the people who support Barama is that of a socialist/welfare society. They truly believe that we are ENTITLED to better health care, for example. They cannot grasp why anyone might argue against it nor can they allow any debate about the unfounded assertions which Barama and his henchmen articulate. And, so they say, "so long as someone else is paying for it, ..., why not" - even though, as a nation, we have resisted 40 years of Ted Kennedy bullying and horse-trading in Congress about health care.

Now, however, the entitlements legislators ARE the majority and a catastrophic storm is brewing.

While the welfare wardens have a lot invested in Barama, it appears to...

True lovers of liberty have a strong sense of faith and are non-violent. Violence and aggression inhibit progress toward freedom and civilization by disrupting the free flow of trade and ideas. The free flow of trade requires that we interact with one another (both nationally and internationally) and from that interaction we learn and exchange the great qualities we have.

The people to whom Barama appeals believe in a truth all their own - they would say they love liberty while they restrict freedom of certain groups in order to benefit other groups who they deem are "disenfranchised". They also claim to be pacifists but willingly set up barriers and divisions which necessarily lead to antagonism like hiking taxes on the "rich"....

"The 'will of the people' is a phrase used by schemers and tyrants of all ages." Tocqueville

Barama often speaks of his programs as representing the wants of the people based on his election. Barama has cobbled together support from groups that are hoping for special favors - that is a standard ploy of demagogues. By pitting various groups against one another, the tyrant divides and conquers. Obviously, not everyone can get a piece of the pie, hence, the possibility for blame and antagonism of violent proportions should not be discounted.

Unfortunately, I do not believe we can stop the train quickly enough to avoid irreparable damage to the spirit and world-leadership position of America. The lessons of the UK, for...