Stopping illegal immigration would mean that wages would have to rise to a level where Americans would want the jobs currently taken by illegal aliens.
Thomas SowellRead
If politicians stopped meddling with things they don't understand, there would be a more drastic reduction in the size of government than anyone in either party advocates.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that political interference in complex matters often leads to inefficient governance and larger government.
Thomas Sowell argues that the incompetence and lack of understanding shown by politicians in affairs outside their expertise contribute significantly to the expansion of government. If politicians were to cease their interference in such areas, it could lead to a notable decrease in the overreach and scope of government operations, reflecting the idea that less is often more when it comes to political involvement in certain matters.
Themes
PoliticsGovernmentOverreachUnderstandingInterference
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote in a political debate about government size and efficiency.
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One of the reasons for conspiracy theories is an assumption that people in high places always know what they are doing. When they do something that makes no sense, devious reasons are imagined by conspiracy theorists, when in fact it may be due to plain old ignorance and incompetence.
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You will never understand bureaucracies until you understand that for bureaucrats procedure is everything and outcomes are nothing.
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The real problem, both in discussions of mass shootings and in discussions of gun control, is that too many people are too committed to a vision to allow mere facts to interfere with their beliefs, and the sense of superiority that those beliefs give them.
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Why is history important? Without history, many people have no idea how many of today's half-baked ideas have been tried, again and again - and have repeatedly led to disaster. Most of these ideas are not new. They are just being recycled with re-treaded rhetoric.
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