… is from page 225 of Thomas Sowell’s March 22nd, 1985, column “Tom Brokaw’s ‘Patriotism’,” as this column is reprinted in Compassion Versus Guilt, a 1987 collection of some of Sowell’s essays:
Let the media discover that any of the sins that have plagued the human race for thousands of years still exist in the United States, and it becomes a special condemnation of American society. The morally anointed are constantly outraged that we have not obliterated racism, poverty, or disease. It would be fascinating to know who has – and how. But a look around the world shows that our problems in these areas are like a sprained ankle compared to cancer.


Let the media discover that any of the sins that have plagued the human race for thousands of years still exist in the United States, and it becomes a special condemnation of American society. The morally anointed are constantly outraged that we have not obliterated racism, poverty, or disease. It would be fascinating to know who has – and how. But a look around the world shows that our problems in these areas are like a sprained ankle compared to cancer.
