Walter Williams's blog

Constitutional contempt

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:56:20 -0500

At Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Oct. 29 press conference, a CNS News reporter asked, “Madam Speaker, where specifically does the Constitution grant Congress the authority to enact an individual health insurance mandate?”

Economic myths and irrelevancy

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:03:01 -0500

Steve H. Hanke is a professor of Applied Economics at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C., and writes frequently for Globe Asia and Forbes magazine. Professor Hanke starts off his “Hu versus Sarkozy” article (Globe Asia, November 2009) with a warning.

Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:33:24 -0400

According to Alfred Nobel’s will, the Peace Prize should be awarded to the person who: “during the preceding year, shall have done ... the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.”

The American idea

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:04:52 -0400

Americans are harder workers, more philanthropic, individualistic, self-reliant, anti-government than people in most other countries. We’ve turned what was an 18th-century Third World nation into the freest and most prosperous nation in mankind’s entire history. Throughout our history, United States has been a magnet for immigrants around the world. What accounts for what some have called American exceptionalism?

Academic dishonesty

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:10:36 -0400

College education is a costly proposition with tuition, room and board at some colleges topping $50,000 a year. Is it worth it?

Elites and tyrants

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:16:19 -0400

Rep. Diane Watson said, in praising Cuba’s health care system, “You can think whatever you want to about Fidel Castro, but he was one of the brightest leaders I have ever met.”

Is disagreement with Obama racism?

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:49:20 -0400

Former president Jimmy Carter said, “I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man.”

Lying propaganda

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:56:06 -0400

Michael Moore’s new film, “Capitalism: A Love Story” will be released next month. I’ve neither seen nor read reviews of the film, except for a short piece in the London Telegraph (9/6/09) titled “Michael Moore film calls capitalism evil.”

Inflation and deficits

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:51:30 -0400

With the massive increases in federal spending, inflation is one of the risks that awaits us. To protect us from the political demagoguery that will accompany that inflation, let’s now decide what is and what is not inflation.

What will they learn?

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:05:23 -0400

When parents plunk down $20, $30, $40 and maybe $50 thousand this fall for a year’s worth of college room, board and tuition, it might be relevant to ask: What will their children learn in return?

Politics and blacks

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:11:00 -0400

President Barack Obama won an unprecedented 96 percent of the black vote. That’s not much of a news story since blacks typically give their votes to the Democratic candidate.

Who may harm whom?

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:33:25 -0400

“No one has a right to harm another.” Just a little thought, along with a few examples, would demonstrate that blanket statement as pure nonsense.

The racism of diversity

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:40:00 -0400

The U.S. Naval Academy’s PowerPoint display explains diversity by saying, “Diversity is all the different characteristics and attributes of individual sailors and civilians which enhance the mission readiness of the Navy,” adding that: “Diversity is more than equal opportunity, race, gender or religion. Diversity is the understanding of how each of us brings different skills, talents and experiences to the fight — and valuing those differences. Leveraging diversity creates an environment of excellence and continuous improvement to remove artificial achievement barriers and value the contribution of all participants.”

EPA cover-up

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:31:23 -0400

Here’s what I wrote in last year’s column titled “Global Warming Rope-a-Dope” (12/24/2008): “Once laws are written, they are very difficult, if not impossible, to repeal. If a time would ever come when the permafrost returns to northern U.S., as far south as New Jersey as it once did, it’s not inconceivable that Congress, caught in the grip of the global warming zealots, would keep all the laws on the books they wrote in the name of fighting global warming. Personally, I would not put it past them to write more.”

Senate slavery apology

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:16:57 -0400

Last month, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed Senate Resolution 26 “Apologizing for the enslavement and racial segregation of African-Americans.”