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I think Thomas Sowell (the author) is one of the smartest guys out there but he’s wrong here. He’s arguing that we, as a society, can never make things complet
by SamAtt 17y ago
I think Thomas Sowell (the author) is one of the smartest guys out there but he’s wrong here. He’s arguing that we, as a society, can never make things completely fair so liberal’s endless social agenda to make things fair is a waste.
But that’s a straw man because the debate is about where the line is. Even the most rabid liberal would agree there is a point where the playing field becomes as level as we can make it. The questions are “Where is that point?” and “Will [whatever program that’s being discussed] have any meaningful impact?”
Attacking the word fairness doesn’t really answer either of those questions. Meaning his argument only appeals to those who agree with him and think we've already done as much as we can.
- uuilly 17y agoHe is arguing that policies that promote fairness should accept that equality of opportunity will not result in equality of outcome. He often writes about ways we can further equalize opportunity, such as giving parents vouchers that can be redeemed at public or private schools. The essays are about two different definitions of fairness not about whether or not the world is fair enough.
- johngalt 17y agoI read his point to be "More harm is done trying to be fair, instead of acknowledging that life is unfair in ways we cannot change."