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A Truly Great Phony
May 20, 2014 22:00:35   #
Gitzo Loc: Indiana
 
A Truly Great Phony

Aug 27, 2013 / Article by; Thomas Sowell

Many years ago, I was a member of a committee that was recommending to whom grant money should be awarded. Since I knew one of the applicants, I asked if this meant that I should recuse myself from voting on his application.

"No," the chairman said. "I know him too -- and he is one of the truly great phonies of our time."

The man was indeed a very talented phony. He could convince almost anybody of almost anything -- provided that they were not already knowledgeable about the subject.

He had once spoken to me very authoritatively about Marxian economics, apparently unaware that I was one of the few people who had read all three volumes of Marx's "Capital," and had published articles on Marxian economics in scholarly journals.

What our glib talker was saying might have seemed impressive to someone who had never read "Capital," as most people have not. But it was complete nonsense to me.

Incidentally, he did not get the grant he applied for.

This episode came back to me recently, as I read an incisive column by Charles Krauthammer, citing some of the many gaffes in public statements by the President of the United States.

One presidential gaffe in particular gives the flavor, and suggests the reason, for many others. It involved the Falkland Islands.

Argentina has recently been demanding that Britain return the Falkland Islands, which have been occupied by Britons for nearly two centuries. In 1982, Argentina seized these islands by force, only to have British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher take the islands back by force.

With Argentina today beset by domestic problems, demanding the return of the Falklands is once again a way for Argentina's government to distract the Argentine public's attention from the country's economic and other woes.

Because the Argentines call these islands "the Malvinas," rather than "the Falklands," Barack Obama decided to use the Argentine term. But he referred to them as "the Maldives."

It so happens that the Maldives are thousands of miles away from the Malvinas. The former are in the Indian Ocean, while the latter are in the South Atlantic.

Nor is this the only gross misstatement that President Obama has gotten away with, thanks to the mainstream media, which sees no evil, hears no evil and speaks no evil when it comes to Obama.

The presidential gaffe that struck me when I heard it was Barack Obama's reference to a military corps as a military "corpse." He is obviously a man who is used to sounding off about things he has paid little or no attention to in the past. His mispronunciation of a common military term was especially revealing to someone who was once in the Marine Corps, not Marine "corpse."

Like other truly talented phonies, Barack Obama concentrates his skills on the effect of his words on other people -- most of whom do not have the time to become knowledgeable about the things he is talking about. Whether what he says bears any relationship to the facts is politically irrelevant.

A talented con man, or a slick politician, does not waste his time trying to convince knowledgeable skeptics. His job is to keep the true believers believing. He is not going to convince the others anyway.

Back during Barack Obama's first year in office, he kept repeating, with great apparent earnestness, that there were "shovel-ready" projects that would quickly provide many much-needed jobs, if only his spending plans were approved by Congress.

He seemed very convincing -- if you didn't know how long it can take for any construction project to get started, after going through a bureaucratic maze of environmental impact studies, zoning commission rulings and other procedures that can delay even the smallest and simplest project for years.

Only about a year or so after his big spending programs were approved by Congress, Barack Obama himself laughed at how slowly everything was going on his supposedly "shovel-ready" projects.

One wonders how he will laugh when all his golden promises about ObamaCare turn out to be false and a medical disaster. Or when his foreign policy fiascoes in the Middle East are climaxed by a nuclear Iran.
End of article


Comments;
If you want "proof" that being black doesn't necessarily make you "disadvantaged" or "ignorant", you have just read the proof. It sure as hell didn't hinder Thomas Sowell any!

I don't know of anyone whose opinions of Obama are as "in synch" with my own as closely as those of Dr. Sowell.

This article reminded me of a post on one of my threads a day or two ago by a card-carrying, California libtard; he was attempting to convince anyone dumb enough to listen, that California's "economy" was "doing terrific", that the state had a huge "surplus", and I'm sure he must think that people are waiting in huge lines extending all of the way back to Kansas to "emigrate" to the "Golden State"! It was a classic example of how liberals all think; (backwards ) In reality, businesses are moving OUT of Ca. in record numbers, as are ordinary "working people"; (it's pretty tough being a "working person" when there's NO work. ) The ignorant libs on the forum think it's terrible when an emigrant from Viet Nam comes to this country, starts a business, (which provides JOBS to hundreds of Californians, ) then has the "audacity" to complain about all of the red-tape and business-killing, meaningless regulations that cause business owners to pull up stakes and head to "greener pastures"! My question to that liberal imbecile is, "how many jobs have YOU "created" Mr. Dumbass ?"

Reply
May 21, 2014 06:29:52   #
cheineck Loc: Hobe Sound, FL
 
!!!!! You're correct!

Reply
May 21, 2014 07:36:48   #
moabarch Loc: Moab, UT
 
Gitzo wrote:
A Truly Great Phony

Aug 27, 2013 / Article by; Thomas Sowell

Many years ago, I was a member of a committee that was recommending to whom grant money should be awarded. Since I knew one of the applicants, I asked if this meant that I should recuse myself from voting on his application.

"No," the chairman said. "I know him too -- and he is one of the truly great phonies of our time."

The man was indeed a very talented phony. He could convince almost anybody of almost anything -- provided that they were not already knowledgeable about the subject.

He had once spoken to me very authoritatively about Marxian economics, apparently unaware that I was one of the few people who had read all three volumes of Marx's "Capital," and had published articles on Marxian economics in scholarly journals.

What our glib talker was saying might have seemed impressive to someone who had never read "Capital," as most people have not. But it was complete nonsense to me.

Incidentally, he did not get the grant he applied for.

This episode came back to me recently, as I read an incisive column by Charles Krauthammer, citing some of the many gaffes in public statements by the President of the United States.

One presidential gaffe in particular gives the flavor, and suggests the reason, for many others. It involved the Falkland Islands.

Argentina has recently been demanding that Britain return the Falkland Islands, which have been occupied by Britons for nearly two centuries. In 1982, Argentina seized these islands by force, only to have British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher take the islands back by force.

With Argentina today beset by domestic problems, demanding the return of the Falklands is once again a way for Argentina's government to distract the Argentine public's attention from the country's economic and other woes.

Because the Argentines call these islands "the Malvinas," rather than "the Falklands," Barack Obama decided to use the Argentine term. But he referred to them as "the Maldives."

It so happens that the Maldives are thousands of miles away from the Malvinas. The former are in the Indian Ocean, while the latter are in the South Atlantic.

Nor is this the only gross misstatement that President Obama has gotten away with, thanks to the mainstream media, which sees no evil, hears no evil and speaks no evil when it comes to Obama.

The presidential gaffe that struck me when I heard it was Barack Obama's reference to a military corps as a military "corpse." He is obviously a man who is used to sounding off about things he has paid little or no attention to in the past. His mispronunciation of a common military term was especially revealing to someone who was once in the Marine Corps, not Marine "corpse."

Like other truly talented phonies, Barack Obama concentrates his skills on the effect of his words on other people -- most of whom do not have the time to become knowledgeable about the things he is talking about. Whether what he says bears any relationship to the facts is politically irrelevant.

A talented con man, or a slick politician, does not waste his time trying to convince knowledgeable skeptics. His job is to keep the true believers believing. He is not going to convince the others anyway.

Back during Barack Obama's first year in office, he kept repeating, with great apparent earnestness, that there were "shovel-ready" projects that would quickly provide many much-needed jobs, if only his spending plans were approved by Congress.

He seemed very convincing -- if you didn't know how long it can take for any construction project to get started, after going through a bureaucratic maze of environmental impact studies, zoning commission rulings and other procedures that can delay even the smallest and simplest project for years.

Only about a year or so after his big spending programs were approved by Congress, Barack Obama himself laughed at how slowly everything was going on his supposedly "shovel-ready" projects.

One wonders how he will laugh when all his golden promises about ObamaCare turn out to be false and a medical disaster. Or when his foreign policy fiascoes in the Middle East are climaxed by a nuclear Iran.
End of article


Comments;
If you want "proof" that being black doesn't necessarily make you "disadvantaged" or "ignorant", you have just read the proof. It sure as hell didn't hinder Thomas Sowell any!

I don't know of anyone whose opinions of Obama are as "in synch" with my own as closely as those of Dr. Sowell.

This article reminded me of a post on one of my threads a day or two ago by a card-carrying, California libtard; he was attempting to convince anyone dumb enough to listen, that California's "economy" was "doing terrific", that the state had a huge "surplus", and I'm sure he must think that people are waiting in huge lines extending all of the way back to Kansas to "emigrate" to the "Golden State"! It was a classic example of how liberals all think; (backwards ) In reality, businesses are moving OUT of Ca. in record numbers, as are ordinary "working people"; (it's pretty tough being a "working person" when there's NO work. ) The ignorant libs on the forum think it's terrible when an emigrant from Viet Nam comes to this country, starts a business, (which provides JOBS to hundreds of Californians, ) then has the "audacity" to complain about all of the red-tape and business-killing, meaningless regulations that cause business owners to pull up stakes and head to "greener pastures"! My question to that liberal imbecile is, "how many jobs have YOU "created" Mr. Dumbass ?"
A Truly Great Phony br br Aug 27, 2013 / Article ... (show quote)


THIS "liberal imbecile" has created 17 jobs in a small town and created a very successful business while somehow dealing with government red tape which is NOT all to be blamed on either the right or the left. They BOTH share plenty of blame. To blame one side or the other for all meaningless regulation, etc is something that would come out of the mouth of a true imbecile.

Reply
 
 
May 21, 2014 21:04:30   #
rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA
 
You know, for those way back in Indiana, it may seem so, particularly if you get your news from Fox, Breitbart, and the Tea Party, but California is doing just fine financially.

Democratic Governor Brown has managed the states finances to the point where we do have a considerable surplus of $4.7 billion (projected by June 30). This includes 1.6 billion in a "rainy-day" fund.

Sorry, wrong again. You can go ahead an counter my points with invective and name calling.

Reply
May 21, 2014 22:02:42   #
SBW
 
rgrenaderphoto wrote:
You know, for those way back in Indiana, it may seem so, particularly if you get your news from Fox, Breitbart, and the Tea Party, but California is doing just fine financially.

Democratic Governor Brown has managed the states finances to the point where we do have a considerable surplus of $4.7 billion (projected by June 30). This includes 1.6 billion in a "rainy-day" fund.

Sorry, wrong again. You can go ahead an counter my points with invective and name calling.


Continue to whistle by the graveyard.

Reply
May 21, 2014 22:04:23   #
Hal81 Loc: Bucks County, Pa.
 
:thumbup: :thumbup:

Reply
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