Is racial equality the answer to every question of public policy?

Is a huge group of citizens kept down by "the man"?

Radio host and best-selling author Larry Elder has made a career out of being a thorn in the side of the conventional-wisdom crowd. He deflates the pompous and points out the completely logical truths hidden behind the nutty rhetoric and out-of-control pandering of politicians and the so-called leaders of a variety of special-interest groups.

In Stupid Black Men, he takes on the mind-set of those people who always capture the most media attention - as well as masses of public money - people who say that racism is the root of all problems and who end up hurting precisely those they claim to be helping.

Whether they are demagogues like Al Sharpton, established politicians like Hilary Clinton, or entertainers like Danny Glover, no one escapes Elder's cogent arguments and rapier wit. His sometimes hilarious and always infuriating examples of wrong-headedness skewer not just politicians for their smugness and hypocrisy but also actors, educators, religious leaders, and the "main-scream media" for keeping the story in the headlines. But Elder has a positive message, too: though they are fewer - and generally not as loudmouthed - there are leaders and role models today who want to sweep away race-based whining and urge everyone in America to share in the hard work, smart thinking, and optimism that make this country great.