You're watching...
“Intellectuals & Society” author Dr. Thomas Sowell on how intellectuals impact society with their policies and ideas.
Also in this playlist...
Auto-advance: ON
Auto-advance
This transcript is automatically generated
Modern policy wonk -- they think up all kinds of new ideas but does anybody ever checked to see if they're big ideas are good or bad.
Do they improve life for mankind or are they Dodd's.
-- man who has studied and written about these thinkers is an economist.
And author of intellectuals and society doctor Thomas soul so you've got the new book out there that everybody's been in large version of intellectuals and society.
That you really take off these intellectuals -- basically.
I think a lot of people get confused with the term intellectuals at think electoral are Smart people.
But you're saying not necessarily.
Not necessarily so in fact many times they're wrong.
Well there there there there -- -- but there this one a particular way.
There in product on ideas there's some very Smart people who are in technology are aware and -- chess grand masters.
Mathematicians and whatnot who have.
In products that have some subjected to some kind of test.
What what what what what defined in the election rules -- -- -- -- people who have ideas that don't face -- the test other than -- consensus.
-- in the problem is.
If she described in the book is that you've got these intellectuals in the come up with these ideas.
And nobody ever -- their feet to the fire for whether or not their ideas were right or wrong and you bring up a number of cases where they've been wrong -- there has been.
No ramifications -- it through the -- -- slowly I think one or more painful examples would be the pacifism has flip through all the real western democracies -- -- 1930s.
Which made it virtually impossible politically.
But these countries to on themselves to -- to deter Hitler.
And Japan.
-- when the war came on we had all kinds of obsolete -- equipment.
And Americans and Britons especially.
Pay a high price in blood.
For example in battle of midway and eighty some Americans went out there on these obsolete planes and only thirteen came back alive.
Because the Japanese had the latest kinds of planes.
We still have stuff that was that was way outdated because the intellectuals -- politically impossible.
To look keep up militarily.
-- -- years say that there's a lot of intellectuals that even when faced with empirical evidence that they are wrong.
They still stick with that it's I am right and my -- my thoughts -- the right thoughts regardless of the evidence.
-- oh absolutely I mean though the people out there talking look talking against quote tax cuts for the rich unquote.
After it absolutely zero attention to what has happened in four different administrations.
When high tax rates were -- And in which the revenues actually went up.
The first time we've done in the twenties you know it is that the tax rate was cut from 73%.
To 24%.
And the government -- collected more revenue at 24% and added 73.
He could play -- moreover from the rich.
So.
So -- -- the case -- it happens.
Over and over and over again.
What is it about the intellectuals that -- are still saying that we need to.
Ignore that and follow policy that hasn't proven right in the past are they are they doing it.
Because -- they have another agenda or do they really believe.
That the empirical evidence is.
Going to be proven wrong someday.
Most -- have not even looked at the empirical evidence.
It's not a question about empirical evidence when Barack Obama was confronted with a factor in the -- to 2008.
Elections.
He said well even if it doesn't bring in more revenue the tax -- should be raised on the -- -- for the for the for the for the sake of fairness.
I don't know what that means that you have on -- -- high tax rates.
And the rich -- doing it because they put their money intact so.
You -- fairness plays well a lot of bumper sticker.
If they've put all this plays well in the political agenda doctors soul so you you understand that but at the same time.
We're into this discussion class warfare discussion.
The president talked about fairness a lot he's talked about her all the way from Joe The Plumber on up through some of the debates and -- get back the last presidential election.
And yet he's not willing to change off this idea of fairness because it plays well politically so how do you.
How do you get them the the up the information out of that that's not what.
This has proven to be -- this economic growth.
You have to get the information out of the candidates who are running against them have to get the information -- which means they have to have it themselves.
-- -- and ads and see the significance.
Of what I -- amazes -- when he talks about spreading the wealth around I raises if there's no history of countries that set out the spread the wealth around.
And at what they ended up doing -- concentrating political power.
-- have -- more poverty and indeed in cases so -- union more equality than before.
So why is it that the intellectuals.
On the left are pretty successful about getting their message out.
And for getting it implemented in -- policy and policy makers' decision discussions.
-- those of you intellectuals would you are one by your own definition your book.
Are on the right.
-- -- it seems like you're not a successful in getting these messages out as the people on the left why.
Well well one where it -- book grossly outnumbered 41 but he.
-- though.
That though the message to the left is because -- much is -- -- to understand I mean everybody to be for social justice they can be pretty equality.
-- they -- be -- helping the poor saving the planet I mean now that doesn't require any thought at all.
But it really does require -- making -- all -- as to why we should have judicial restraint.
Why should we -- we should have -- economic free markets that you've got to go into a lot more to a to a debate that's not immediately obvious on on the surface.
-- -- the title of your book intellectuals and society and again new expanded.
Updated edition.
-- Are you making the argument that society.
Will win.
Over the intellectuals.
No.
I'm making the -- -- with the society has to become aware of the enormous damage.
Done by intellectuals not only on military matters and law and racial issues that we run across the whole spectrum.
And understand that you cannot just be swept along by rhetoric you have to give give some -- and what they're saying.
A because they pay no price for being wrong doctor Thomas -- always good to talk you thank you so much.
Thank you.
