I don’t think any living free-market economist even comes close to matching Sowell’s prolific record of writing about economics

The end of an era: Economist Thomas Sowell says ‘farewell’ and retires from writing his weekly syndicated column
by Mark J. Perry


After writing a weekly (sometimes semi-weekly) column for the last 25 years (here’s an archive of his columns back to 1998), economist, scholar, author and national treasure Thomas Sowell made this announcement in his column today (“Farewell“):

Even the best things come to an end. After enjoying a quarter of a century of writing this column for Creators Syndicate, I have decided to stop. Age 86 is well past the usual retirement age, so the question is not why I am quitting, but why I kept at it so long.

Here’s a link to Thomas Sowell’s second column today (“Random Thoughts, Looking Back“), here’s some of thereaction on Twitter and the Internet to Sowell’s retirement, here’s Thomas Sowell’s webpage, and here’s his Wikipedia entry. Milton Friedman once said, “The word ‘genius’ is thrown around so much that it’s becoming meaningless, but nevertheless I think Tom Sowell is close to being one.”

In my opinion, there is no economist alive today who has done more to eloquently, articulately, and persuasively advance the principles of economic freedom, limited government, individual liberty, and a free society thanThomas Sowell. In terms of both his quantity of work (at least 40 books and several thousand newspaper columns) and the consistently excellent and crystal-clear quality of his writing, I don’t think any living free-market economist even comes close to matching Sowell’s prolific record of writing about economics. And I don’t think there is any writer today, economist or non-economist, who can match Thomas Sowell’s “idea density” and his ability to consistently pack so much profound economic wisdom into a single sentence and a single paragraph.

Even at 86 years old, Thomas Sowell has remained intellectually active with his syndicated newspaper columns and the publication last year of his 40th book — Wealth, Poverty and Politics: An International Perspective — which was, amazingly, his 13th book in the last decade! To honor Thomas Sowell’s well-deserved retirement from writing his invaluable weekly column for the last quarter century, I present below some of my favorite quotations from Dr. Thomas Sowell (most were featured on a CD post in June onSowell’s birthday) and a bonus video of the great economist:

1. Knowledge. 
2. Obamacare.
3. Economics vs. Politics I. 
4. Economics vs. Politics II. 
5. Predicting the Future. 
6. Politicians as Santa Claus. 
7. Health Insurance. 
8. Diversity. 
9. Greed. 
10. The Anointed Ones. 
11. There’s No Free Red Tape/Obamacare.
12. Helping the Poor. 
13. Income Mobility. 
14. “Giving Back.”
15. Government Assistance. 
16. Statistical Disparities and Discrimination. 
17. Black Lives Matter.  
18. The Legacy of Slavery vs. the Legacy of Liberalism.

.....................

Read more: www.aei.org