Irwin Stelzer

Irwin M. Stelzer (born 22 May 1932) is an American economist and columnist.

Letter from Londonistan (2005)

 * "Letter from Londonistan" (1 August 2005), The Weekly Standard


 * Britain still thinks it's 1999.


 * Myths are not the stuff of which sensible policy is made.


 * [B]elief in multiculturalism by the elites suits many Muslims just fine. Unlike immigrants who come to America in pursuit of the American dream, many Muslims come to Britain and other European countries determined not to assimilate into cultures they despise. They insist that neither British food is served, nor traditional British tolerance practiced, in the schools their children attend, demands the authorities find reasonable. Many of those children, unlike first-generation Americans, hold to their traditional ways with greater tenacity than their parents. This is especially true of young Muslim men eager to maintain their traditional dominance over women, a role threatened by the fact that Muslim girls are outperforming boys in school and in the workplace.


 * Blair likes to say that his party is best when it is bold. So is he--and when he has an unconflicted view of the right and wrong of an issue.


 * Blair is not at his best when his vision of what is right is blurred.

Newsnight debate (2010)

 * Debate on the matter of technically self-employed couriers in the UK being legally paid less than the minimum wage — as little as 50p per delivery Newsnight (3 December 2010) - YouTube video


 * Well, I think there are people who are getting work that they wouldn't otherwise have. For many of them apparently, it fits in with their lifestyles, so that they can make their own schedules. I think you've got a company that is expanding and delivers, what? A hundred million parcels a year. So somebody's happy with the service, and somebody's happy doing the job.


 * Well it seems to me absolutely scandalous to try to set wage levels which wipe out jobs. I mean these are people who are not on the dole. They want to work and if you price them out of the market its gonna be a lot worse for them and for the economy.


 * I started delivering flowers for 25 cents a shot so don't tell me about the shop floor.


 * Spare me a lecture from somebody in parliament to somebody who started out delivering flowers for 25c a shot.