Up From The Projects

"Williams, you're a rascal."

So said UCLA Economics professor Dr. Armen Alchian. I think the good professor was much in the right of it.

I first became aware of Walter Williams from his many guest appearances on the Rush Limbaugh radio program, where he would argue the moral superiority of liberty, and its chief precondition, limited government. Williams seems to delight in asking awkward questions, and never seems troubled by the challenges he is offered. Of course, by the time he appeared on the Limbaugh show, he had already testified before the US Congress many times, and had been attacked repeatedly for his libertarian viewpoints. Not easily cowed, Williams was more contemptuous than troubled by his many critics from the left.

He disdained the ever changing terminology being demanded by various grievance groups. "I have been called negro, black, and african-american. I'm tired of constantly putting up with changing how I am referred to. You all can change terms as much as you like, I'm through with this nonsense. I'm going to stay black." 'Black.. by popular demand' is a frequent by-line used to introduce professor Williams on the Limbaugh show. Thomas Sowell writes a fine review here.

'Up From The Projects' was a fun read, and I highly recommend it.