The Great Society: A New History with Amity Shlaes

Recorded on January 17, 2020
This week on Uncommon Knowledge, a conversation with author and historian Amity Shlaes on her new book, Great Society: A New History. Begun by John F. Kennedy and completed by Lyndon B. Johnson, the Great Society was one of the most sweeping pieces of legislation ever enacted in American history. On its surface, the Great Society was a plan to reduce rural and urban poverty, but at its roots were the socialist and communist movements of the 1930s. Shlaes shares the history of those movements and lays out how they influenced the post-World War II generation of American politicians, including lesser-remembered figures such as Sargent Shriver, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, and Walter Reuther. In addition, the Great Society was a harbinger of many of the policies and ideas that are in vogue today, including Universal Basic Income and Medicare for All. Shlaes also argues that what the Great Society’s marquee policy initiative, the War on Poverty, and the new flood of benefits actually achieved “was the opposite of preventing poverty-they established a new kind of poverty, a permanent sense of downtroddenness.” Shlaes proves that, once again, policies and laws with the best of intentions often have the opposite effect.
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[@garytowne1548]

Indeed Peter is a great interviewer. He takes the time to study and understand his guest's material to sort out truly meaningful questions to illuminate the content and ideas. I think his series of interviews should be required material for all students.

[@jonathancaro3427]

Amity Shlaes should have rock star status. ‘The Forgotten Man’ is the best nonfiction book I’ve ever read, I love this woman.

[@themeadowlarkminutewithpau8184]

She’s truly amazing. I just love her.

[@paraglidingnut26]

What an extremely wise and knowledgeable woman.

[@kirkbowyer3249]

“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.” C. S. Lewis

[@wweishi]

liberal bs

[@D45VR]

Wisdom in them words.

[@pittland44]

Words from the master.

[@kirkbowyer3249]

@kptins AND ALL OTHER COMMUNIST NATIONS

[@kirkbowyer3249]

@@wweishi GO HOME COMMUNIST

[@markbernard8312]

This is how an interview is done, this channel is pushing its way up to my top 5 list

[@marcooneto5985]

I'm simply in love with Amity. I think she deserves to be know here in Italy..it's so refreshing listening to her! I'm going to read this book, as I did with The Forgotten Man and Coolidge. Thank you so much!

[@bostonseeker]

The Forgotten Man is a great book, a powerful alternative to the common history told about the New Deal.

[@AfricanSouthernCross]

“The young people back then were idealistic”......the path to hell is paved by good intentions.....

[@apparently2]

@Ja L The sheer volume of human suffering and misery which has been brought about by powerful people acting on their good intentions is enough to explain why they are distrusted by so many. Of course it is also fair to say that good intentions have led to much that is good and honorable and worth preserving. The take-away: good intentions are not enough by themselves. They cannot always be trusted.

[@peterrabbit1054]

That quote fits particularly those emphasizing more government intrusion! Non-profits, church, family n neighbors r the place for charity.

[@zephead843]

Agreed. Good intentions are the reason we are now $25 trillion dollars in debt. But I'm not worried, since Dick Chaney told us that deficits don't matter.

[@9trogenta13]

Same with Maoists in China who led the Cultural Revolution. Same with today's SJW.

[@seipjere]

The single most harmful and demoralizing of misused and abused folk proverbs - *bar none.* fyi: one of the wisest counterintuitive interpretations of that quote, btw (?) : entirely in **empathy for** the earnest doer of good deeds. The complete antithesis of the cliché, cynical and demoralizing rebuke. (i.e. all proper moral leaders - think Abraham Lincoln, MLK jr. and Jesus of Nazareth ± cousin John the Baptist for starkest extremes - tend to pay handsomely for their greatness: a tongue-in-cheek / personal / social 'hell' generally proportional to the degree of moral goodness they aspire to or achieve. Basically the social cost of moral leadership - *always and everywhere.* ) i.e. - Exactly akin to “no good deed ever going unpunished.” ⚖️ i.e. “The road to hell [ *± greatness* ] is paved with good intentions.”

[@garysweeten5196]

The video up next for me to watch is Thomas Sowell. One of the best Economists ever. Please listen to him.

[@elbedregal]

Done years ago. At 90, Thomas Sowell is likely the greatest living American thinker.

[@marvinespinoza52]

Right. The same guy who said: “Black people made more money during discrimination” Right, but what he conveniently leaves out is: Why did black people suddenly lose jobs when they had to be paid the same wage as white folk? Because if white employers had to pay the equal price for a black laborer, they’d rather got with a white dude. That’s because of discrimination. In other words, Sowell would have loved to have kept people of color as second rate citizens instead of attack and solve the larger issues of discrimination. To be fair, he was very much a Booker T Washington type of dude. I don’t think that’s wrong, but let’s have serious discussion about his intellectual claims, which are still debated and require further inspection. I do think he was a big thinker and deserves intellectual respect. Doesn’t mean he’s to be completely followed.

[@mariojorge9529]

Thank you very much! Amity Shlaes is brilliant and should be read and heard more!

[@darbyheavey406]

One of the best economic writers of our time. Her writing is lucid, well researched, and elegant.

[@frostfox1208]

What a fantastic conversation. What a pleasure for sure.

[@DrGingerHamster]

Oh my goodness. Amity Shlaes! Great book ma'am. The Forgotten Man. Top shelf.

[@philmorrow5322]

Love Amity Shlaes. Have read her books and appreciate her research and understanding of her topics that she writes on.

[@papasteve215]

Another timely and informative interview. Mr. Robinson is an amazing host. Asks good questions and allows time for complete answers. Having grown up in the time of Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon and been in law enforcement in the 80’s and 90’s I was in the midsts or depths of the consequences of it I can say that even the most altruistic of programs go awry when founded on socialist culture. Programs work best from the ground up and not from the top down.

[@margaretgaby2356]

I saw this book at Barnes and Noble and instead bought the Forgotten Man: A new History of the Great Depression. I wanted to read in order. It's very well written and researched. I look forward to reading this book as well.

[@maxrb67]

A beautifully enlightening talk! What a woman!

[@saa82vik]

love Peter and Amity. the truly un forgotten kantor(in) of the Forgotten Man.

[@thomastallerico6340]

A brilliant show and a brilliant author Amity Shlaes.

[@erpollock]

My father worked at Social Security and began at Medicare at its inception. He was idealistic about both programs and felt they were helping the elderly. Later he realized how much fraud nursing homes committed in the Medicare program. My Dad was described to me as diligent, logical, and smart. He was the best of bureaucrats. And he was disillusioned.

[@TylerBunchanumbers]

One of my favorite Hoover Institute vids of all time. I've watch four or five times and learn something every time.

[@pigboykool]

Amity Shlaes is such smart lady full of wisdom, thank you very much, I learn a lot today!

[@kirkbowyer3249]

"The advice nearest my heart and deepest in my conviction is that the Union of the States be cherished and perpetuated. Let the open enemy to it be regarded as a Pandora with her box opened; and the disguised one, as the Serpent creeping with his deadly wiles into Paradise." James Madison (Property; National Gazette, March 29, 1792

[@r4rifle]

GREAT INTERVIEW with a wonderful lady and scholar! Cool beyond words!

[@EarthSurferUSA]

"Shlaes proves that, once again, policies and laws with the best of intentions often have the opposite effect. What makes people think these people had good intentions, and good intentions for who? If policy was based in good intentions, than those good intentions would have fixed the results of those policies a long time ago.

[@mrniceguy7168]

You underestimate the capacity for people to justify their mistakes. It wasn’t real that time because these guys over here did the best to oppose it.

[@jamesb7651]

Amity is insightful and correct, but the problem seems to be that the Demo-Socialists and their attack dog media have no penchant for self analysis or to judge the actual success of their massive "do-good" programs. It is very hard, without humility, they cannot look over their shoulders and come to the sight of their wreckage. Just spend more money on it. Incidentally, she got socialism exactly right. Sell it as a process, thus deflecting criticism of results. Socialism is supposed to lead to Utopian Communism in Bunny/Butterflyland, but during the "process" the pigs party in the Farmer's house.

[@josephalbatross5961]

@Nelson's Rudolph How does anyone have a conversation with you? Your thoughts are sporadic, non-linear, non-sequitur, and undermined by a lack of direction. Basically, I'm saying you should check out Twitter, you'd love it!

[@Individual_Lives_Matter]

@@mrniceguy7168 Yes. It’s always the same thing. “You didn’t mask/lockdown/communism/social justice hard enough and that’s why it didn’t work.”

[@Individual_Lives_Matter]

@@jamesb7651 Unfortunately, it seems the federal bureaucracy/government is on an inexorable slide into socialism whether democrats or republicans are in office.

[@vicpso1]

Wonderful interview. This woman is a historic figure in her attempted remedy for a healthy civil society in this country. Soft spoken and eloquent. GOOD LUCK!

[@randomactivitiesco.5848]

Phenomenal talk!!!! Didn't learn any of this in school.

[@lawrencewolf8453]

I must read this book ✊I have her other two books 🤟

[@caylonz]

Amity has a wonderful enthusiasm for history's underpinnings.

[@jamesbryson575]

Danial Moynihan "the first cancelled person..." Thank you for the backstory on Moynihan's childhood.

[@Marimilitarybrat]

My dad was part of the Air Force One communication squadron at Andrews AFB during the Nixon administration. Dad was a real patriot and had always supported every president because "they were voted into office by the majority", but he despised Nixon saying "That man is an ass".

[@oslang1]

I wish Hoover and Peter could put out one of these every week and I wish every American mature enough to understand the content were forced to watch them all! Just kidding on the last part. Kinda.

[@nickhall1996]

The production on these are getting fantastic! I really hope this channel gains more traction.

[@samuelmatz]

Thomas Sowell 's book " Intellectuals and Society " a must read !

[@clarebaxter777]

Wow! An excellent interview! I lived through most of the topics that you were talking about, socialism does not work! Jobs works! I am going to relisten to the entire video, only caught the last half.

[@jeffmiloanonimity5758]

the most honest and truthful quote of all time. "Po;itics trump intellect."

[@haroldlebo2005]

She makes some good points many of which have been made for decades and yet no administration has ever eliminated many of the programs which are still with us and yet we're not Cuba, Soviet Russia or Venezuela.

[@iFreeThink]

It also helps seeing people teach both SocialStudies and AP subjects in the SAME day.

[@fernandof6684]

I have ready most of her books and can say wow, she really really gets it!

[@frostfox1208]

Just finished the Forgotten Man comic version. Great study. I need to read again because of the volume of characters. It's a great overview. Thank you Amity

[@tedbaxter5234]

I really like the interviews between these two people!

[@jamesdavid7099]

A lot of this is over my head, being of limited education, but I'm still astute enough to see the writing on the wall....and I listen to smart people like these two (and "the geat one", Mark Levin). I'll say this, Christ said the poor will always be with us. I know this comes as a shot to the gut for socialist utopians trying to create a world without it, and expecting governmental power to realize this fantasy.

[@allysondoerfler2435]

A great read for those of us (I include me) of limited education, is Milton Friedman's "Free to Choose". Very readable, for the lay person, he won the Nobel Prize for Economics and influenced Ronald Reagan greatly.

[@apu_apustaja]

*EXCELLENT* conversation.

[@snoopdoggfanclub]

this is amazing!..my first time hearing from amity shales

[@freevids]

fantastic interview. Wish she had the courage to answer the last question.

[@lukemccann]

Really enjoyed this. Thanks

[@lauroandrea3241]

The Forgotten Man is a great book

[@leedufour]

Thanks.

[@NEMO-NEMO]

I’m glad she talked about jobs. That’s really all anyone needs. Doesn’t matter what color, achieved education, sex or religion, every person in this country needs a good paying job. When the Southern blacks left the South and headed up to Detroit, they at some point realized they were “in the game”. Many even went to own their own homes! This was true of steel, glass, leather, copper, all great paying jobs. I am convinced that when the USA, created a strong and growing Middle Class that included all races, the corporations felt that they were giving too much to the employee and maybe just maybe the Middle Class had too much power.

[@iFreeThink]

I love "Akeela and the Bee" too.

[@gbiota1]

I enjoy hearing people who are knowledgeable, and understand why certain ideas will lead to failure. But I have given up on finding the conversation that will save people from their bad ideas. The trust isn't there in a conversation for that to work. People need to see their ideas fail clearly, and with no one else to blame. The conversation I am looking for is how to make that happen in as many ways as possible.

[@kirkbowyer3249]

Limited government; REMOVE ALL THE WARNING LABELS; LET STUPIDITY & IGNORANCE SERVE THEIR TRUE PURPOSE WHICH IS TEACHING THE FOOLISH AND IGNORANT THROUGH PAINFUL EXPERIENCE. "That moral excellence, then is concerned with the pleasant and the painful is clear. But since the character, being as its name something that grows by habit - -consider, then, character to be this, viz. a quality in accordance with governing reason belonging to the irrational part of the soul which is yet able to obey the reason.” Aristotle; Eudemian Ethics; Book II. Section 2

[@hpiccus]

Excellent and accurate illustration of a failed project in American history. Unfortunately the project continues today but at a much higher level. When will we put an end to this madness?

[@Siwashable]

when the United States is bankrupt - not too far away unfortunately.

[@kewlbeone5949]

She is really great. I have all her books.

[@xfhghe]

The critique of the Great Society which is the topic of this talk was pretty fair. What was lacking and not a part of this discussion is the policies of the 40 years since the 1970's. For all the extravagance and mistakes of that period, we were still a creditor nation and had a manufacturing base in 1980. Look at where we are today. We've gone from one bubble to another, our economy has been financialized, our manufacturing base has been exported to Communist China, we've got a systemic trade debt and a national debt we'll never pay off. The cost of many of the basics in life housing, health care, education have gone through the roof. We provide endless tax cuts to corporations and bailouts to Wall Street of unknown trillions. I would say that we've gone from being poorly managed in 1965 to gradually going off the rails since 1980. Oh, by the way, the stock market started to crater a month after this interview.

[@mrniceguy7168]

Nixon also enacted rent control, IIRC. Milton Friedman criticized and praised Nixon for it because he and Nixon knew it would be a disaster but he also admitted that the nation wanted it badly and that Nixon was right in approving it because he is an elected official, not a dictator.

[@bostonseeker]

Mencken said democracy is all about listening to the people and what they want, and giving to them good and hard.

[@istand4truth]

The cycle of dependency had deeper and older roots than I imagined.

[@iFreeThink]

Popularity is temporary. College and courage are exponential.

[@SlamDunkMunk]

Honor

[@rainmaker704]

Great vid!

[@raymondswenson1268]

In 1984, the mortgage interest rate was 14 percent!!!!

[@kirkbowyer3249]

The Four Ages: The Golden Age was cultivated first, which, with no protector, With its own free will, without law, there was cultivation of honesty and propriety. Punishments and fears were absent, threatening words were not read form Fixed bronze plaques, no supplicant crowd was fearing The face of its judge, and they were safe without a lawyer. A pine tree had not yet descended into pure waters, Having been cut in its own mountains so that it could see a foreign world, And mortals had known no shores except their own; Not yet did steep ditches surround the towns; There were no trumpets of straight bronze, no horns of curved bronze, No helmets, and there was no sword. Without using soldiers, People free of cares spent their time on relaxing leisures. Also, the earth herself, free from taxes and untouched by any plowshare, provided everything by herself. And men were contented by food without labor, (Lines 89-103; Metamorphoses; PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO; 2nd year of the Common Era)

[@kirkbowyer3249]

@ No materialist can understand literature; it is not material; it is an imponderable, which, does not exist in a material world. Saint Matthew 6:19-21 Lay not up to yourselves treasures on earth: where the rust and moth consume and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up yo yourselves treasures in heaven: where neither the rust nor moth doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where thy treasure is, there is thy heart also. “When thou shalt be before the radiance sweet Of her whose beauteous eyes all things behold, From her thou’lt know the journey of thy life.” Inferno, Canto XI; The Divine Comedy; Dante Alighieri Wisdom 6:24 Now what wisdom is, and what her origin, I will declare. And I will not hide from you mysteries of God, but will seek her out from the beginning of her birth, and bring the knowledge of her to light, and will not pass over the truth.

[@ELee-zv5ud]

This work is a political commentary. A brief glance at Greek history allows you to know he is not describing a reality but a religious vision of the Elysian Fields (paradise). It is an allegory.

[@kewlbeone5949]

Peter is excellent too.

[@thermionic1234567]

Amity Schläß is a genius!

[@TheSuperMrG13]

peter robinson is a absolute treasure

[@richhill9064]

Amity for President!

[@kirkbowyer3249]

"Let every American, every lover of liberty, every well wisher to his posterity, swear by blood of the Revolution never to violate in the least particular the laws of the country; never to tolerate their violation by others. As the patriots of seventy-six did to support the Declaration of Independence, so to the support of the Constitution and Laws, let every American pledge his life, his property and his scared honor.” PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN (p.67-68; Camelot and the Cultural Revolution; JAMES PIERESON; Encounter Books; New York; 2007)

[@BullittGT40]

Question: You have the scalpel what do you cut out? Me: Never mind that, give me the sawzall.

[@kirkbowyer3249]

THE SUPREME COURT MUST STEP IN TO PROTECT THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF ALL AMERICANS; THE CONSTITUTION GUARANTEES A REPUBLICAN FORM OF GOVERNMENT TO ALL STATES ARTICLE III. SECTION 4. PRESIDENT FDR'S NRA ACT IS CLEARLY THE SAME CASE AND THE COURT STRUCK IT DOWN. The powers granted under the state of emergency do not include circumvention of the SUPREMACY CLAUSE OF THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION.

[@goofygrandlouis6296]

interesting !

[@lieutenantflyboy]

Fun fact: Both Peter Robinson and Amity Shales were interviewed by Ben Shapiro, both around the time this interview went up.

[@iFreeThink]

I'm not even hired by Fort Minor. It just happened to be the sister of a Board-of-Education Politician.

[@bchenley]

lol "for swaaag" (lifts cup for illustration)

[@tobyw9573]

Amity is one of the few that pronounces “Appalachia” right. Where did she learn that?

[@aaronjo23]

Whoot whoot!

[@F.J.Alvarez]

A harsh idea at the end, sadly, while Shlaes compares the capacity of learning due to experience, having two concepts in the same line of factual effect, on the same weight, on our human perspective of what should be done and what not, makes me understand even more that we are so fallible and the left always has a chance to rise due to incongruity of conceptualization. People don't learn from history the same way as from scientific stuff like medicine facts, because diseases are things we experience and a bad decision from a surgeon, i.e. causes immediate suffering and we closely relate to that. Decisions made by politicians and economics are hardly seen before a several years span. We decide for new authorities and then those forget what was being achieved previously. We humans forget too easily, that's why Americans need a reckless Trump who does what he wants, but at least does it without remorse. Because if we get driven by the thoughts of what we think is right or what we feel might happen, it's just subjectivity, it does not pay for the ride. Only hard facts (like the objective truth of how socialist ideas wreak havoc), and cold mind decision making can take us far.

[@robertbrowne4049]

There is no public and private sector the public sector can only survive on the taxes of the private sector otherwise they resort to printing money to infinity which eventually leads to stag inflation and the greatest depression.

[@iFreeThink]

Maybe I got my foot in with my brother's position in society. He had a doctorate.

[@lawrencewolf8453]

I also recommend reading the death 💀 of a nathion🤛

[@chrisc1257]

That was quite the Freudian Slip.

[@milkchaser]

My mother told me about how her grandparents lived off of county welfare programs when she was living with them (late 1920s early 1930s). The county found them housing.

[@bostonseeker]

It was called the dole or "poor relief" in those days. Local and state governments did have such programs, although more limited than what we have today.

[@ArtStoneUS]

Before the advent of food stamps, the federal government handed out "surplus" food at your local town hall. Depending on your income and number of children, you got a number of containers of non-fat milk, peanut butter, cheese, chopped ham, powdered eggs, flour etc. Most of it was pretty awful, but it was "free"! The department of agriculture is about handing out subsidies to farmers, feeding junk to school children, and keeping large supermarkets profitable, not letting the marketplace make the decisions.

[@averagejohnson3985]

Does Peter age?

[@bethprather9241]

I understand some of the backlash or issues that made the poverty or type worse, but I was born in 1967 and taught school 28 years. I was a Title I teacher the last few years. I can't imagine schools not receiving the federal assistance it has. You aren't offering what should he have done? Are you saying the public education with federal funding shouldn't have happened? Civil rights? Surely not. Do you not want your social security now? I just can't zero in on then how should it have been? In 2022 childhood poverty has dropped like 49% since 1993..

[@jefferytokarsky1930]

And how do we measure childhood poverty? If you give someone enough money to get above some minimum income, have you lifted them out of poverty? I remember a column Walter Williams wrote comparing the progress blacks made 50 years before and after Great Society ... and it was obvious we weren’t getting our money’s worth. In general, it’s depressing that we fought a Cold War against Soviet communism for a half century only to adopt greater and greater amounts of Soviet style central planning. I’m 65 and apologize to my kids often for the mess that we’ve made of this country. It’s obvious that when you subsidize irresponsible behavior and tax responsible behavior you end up with more irresponsible behavior and less responsible citizens to tax. How to fix it? The truth could set us free ... but the truth is in short supply. The truth is that we keep expecting government to fix the problems government created. At this point, Americans are so entitled and oblivious... and government is so big and powerful and costly that we are probably beyond the point of no return. Ask not what you can do for you country but what your country can do for you ... until it can’t.

[@ajitkirpekar4251]

If i wanted to destroy my enemy and ensure his future generations of life of eternal misery - get them hooked on government programs. What was done to the native Americans in the early part of the country's history was monstrous. What we've continued to do since then is just a different kind of monstrosity.

[@iFreeThink]

I was inspired by Harvey Milk's politics.

[@Nill757]

“A rising stock market is an American birthright” After WWII, yes. More recently, no, of course not. Punditry everywhere was forecasting an end to a rising Dow. That changed with the election of 2016.

[@bingosantamonica]

This girl is something else

[@Marthastewart209.]

Too bad I can only click the like button once!

[@iFreeThink]

This can't compete with "The Killer Angels."

[@iFreeThink]

"The Killer Whales." :D!

[@davidbergeron78]

So right, so discouraging

[@jeffmiloanonimity5758]

you have to respect women that are over 50 wearing leather pants

[@mayelonrajanathan9631]

Bookmark 9:30

[@johnglass7383]

Nixon partially expanded the Great Society?? With food stamps, etc? Never knew this.

[@danwroy]

It just kills me that her last name isn't "Shales". So close to perfect.

[@rdptll]

Great content...her voice though....

[@gem-mint-cardscom]

solving and curing poverty is only achieved with one mind at a time. it is an impossible construct for the mind of another to achieve

[@mickeytownley1912]

I loved this interview. But the main point both of y’all are missing my friends, is. It TOOK!!!! Europe and Asia almost 40 years to totally rebuild from WW2....in the mean time we had plenty of cash and assets as a country to experiment on new ideas (while the rest of the world was catching up.)... those times have come and gone! We are BANKRUPT!!!!!!!... but you guys were great and it was wholesome thought for my mind. ....

[@bostonseeker]

America didn't rebuild Europe or Asia. Europeans and Asians did that, with some well-timed and well-crafted American help and, most crucially, American military protection.

[@annettewilcox5413]

Rebuilding Europe and Asia was great boom for US economy after WWII. Every country in world needed US products and services.There was no competition from anyone. Very few nations have ever been in this advantageous position. By 60s though the rest of world was starting to bounce back so our economy started to slow down substantially.

[@iFreeThink]

:[ That's a lot of fire departments.

[@vicpso1]

Given the political climate, Burns was simply a pragmatist . The exercise of political power at the top at what would be the expense of the civil society. Why offer carrots when you can offer people wine and canapes? !!

[@kirkbowyer3249]

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT

[@scotttovey]

You know the words, but do you understand them?

How about the Coronavirus? Or maybe a rabid pit-bull?

[@kirkbowyer3249]

@ I fear nothing. Greg. To move is to stir, and to be valiant is to stand. Therefore, if thou art moved, thou runn’st away. Shakespeare; Romeo & Juliet; Act I. Scene 1. Saint Matthew 5:39 But I say to you not to resist evil: but if one strike thee on thy right cheek, turn to him also the other. Proverbs 16:32 The patient man is better than the valiant: and he that ruleth his spirit, than he that taketh cities. kzbin.info/www/bejne/n5_Ji4aBd5p_b6s

[@kirkbowyer3249]

@@scotttovey I fear nothing. Greg. To move is to stir, and to be valiant is to stand. Therefore, if thou art moved, thou runn’st away. Shakespeare; Romeo & Juliet; Act I. Scene 1. Saint Matthew 5:39 But I say to you not to resist evil: but if one strike thee on thy right cheek, turn to him also the other. Proverbs 16:32 The patient man is better than the valiant: and he that ruleth his spirit, than he that taketh cities. kzbin.info/www/bejne/n5_Ji4aBd5p_b6s

[@kirkbowyer3249]

@@scotttovey It is just a choice; between fear & Love. "A belief which has matured to a firm conviction, that in the final analysis love is the greatest force on earth and is far more enduring than hatred;” (p.321, Masters of Deceit; J.Edgar Hoover; Holt; 1958) 1 Saint John 4:20 If any man say: I love God, and hateth his brother; he is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother whom he seeth, how can he love God whom he seeth not? kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJ_ad6CXgc5-opY

[@scottsherman5262]

I don't quite get where Shlaes' thinking ends though...she seems, to me, to be saying that programs like Social Security & Medicare should not be guaranteed or permanent things. This is the precise sentiment that tactful Dems are grabbing onto & successfully using against modern day Republicans...successfully because Americans overwhelming want & need these programs, with a higher rate of republican voters needing these programs no less. I've just never understood the Republican allergy to any social programs...especially as the education gap between left & right continues to grow, while the link between education & salaries continue to strengthen...I mean, at some point, will folks start to vote for, rather than against, their own needs, even when it's social issues that really animate them?