Thomas Sowell in 1995

More right back then about today than any editorial penned this weekend.

Mascots of the annointed:

Whoever is condemned by society at large -- criminals, bums, illegal aliens, AIDS-carriers, etc. -- are eligible to become mascots of the anointed, symbols of their superior wisdom and virtue. By lavishing concern on those we condemn, the anointed become morally one-up on the rest of us. Is that important? To some it is paramount. A quarter of a century before the Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln said in a speech in Springfield, Ill., that the greatest danger to the future of the United States would come, not from foreign enemies, but from that class of people that "thirsts and burns for distinction." These people could not find that distinction "in supporting and maintaining an edifice that has been erected by others," according to Lincoln. In other words, there is not nearly as much ego satisfaction in building up this country as in tearing it down. Our schools and colleges are today turning out more and more people who have been taught to want to "make a difference," "save the planet" or "reinvent government" -- in short, to treat policy-making as an ego trip.

UPDATE: A twitter account worth reading.

My favorites:

“Some Americans will never appreciate America, until after they have helped destroy it, and have then begun to suffer the consequences.”

I was cured of this notion by traveling and living in other countries for only a short period of time. You quickly learn how great America is -- and how falsely romantic socialist and communist ideas are. It only took me 3 days in Prague, a week in Cuba, and a bus ride in Venezuela to grasp this idea.

 “There was a time when we honored those who created the prosperity and the freedom that we enjoy. Today we honor the complainers and sue the creators. Perhaps that is inevitable in an era when we no longer count our blessings, but instead count all our unfulfilled wishes.”

And not reading history doesn't help.