And I do believe that JK Galbraith was President of the American Economics
Association. Forget which year. So, he is a real live bona fide economist.
Yes, writing clearly and plainly and not hiding behind a lot of equations,
regressions, etc., which, upon closer examination, prove to prove very
little and stand for not much at all.
There. Feel better already.
arthur cordell
----------
From: Ed Weick
To: Thomas Lunde
Cc: List Futurework
Subject: Re: Basic Income re JK Galbraith
Date: Tuesday, May 18, 1999 3:51PM
Picking up a book at the local library, my hand was guided to "A View from
the Stands" by John Kenneth Galbraith. I never really know how to classify
Galbraith whether as an economist, a liberal who happens to be an economist
or a professional writer who recieved training as an economist. Most of the
time when I mention Galbraith in discussions with knowledgeable people, I
get a sort of look down the nose as if he is not quite a first rank kind of
academic.
Hi Thomas,
Whether people look down at their noses at Galbraith shouldn't bother you.
Just because he doesn't draw indifference curves or write fancy equations
does not mean he isn't a good economist. I would say he is one of the best
this century has produced and if not one of the best economists, as
professional economists might judge their fellows, then certainly one of
this century's most effective thinkers. His big sin is that he has tried to
make big-ticket economic problems intelligible to the lay person by writing
readable books. Some of the things he has come up with may not be provable
in a scientific sense, but I can't think of much that I've read by him that
hasn't made me think. Making people think is probably the most important
thing anyone can do. Thanks for posting his stuff on a a guaranteed annual
income. It may revive some interest in the subject.
I'm into reading history. Here is a quote:
"The stinking puddle from which usury, thievery and robbery arises is our
lords and princes. They make all creatures their property + the fish in the
water, the bird in the air, the plant in the earth must all be theirs. Then
they proclaim God+s commandment among the poor and say, +You shall not
steal+ ... They oppress everyone, the poor peasant, the craftsman ... are
skinned and scraped."
Who said it? Some disgruntled late 19th Century Marxist? Why, no! It was
Thomas Muntzer, one of the leaders of the German Peasants' Revolt of 1525.
He was a very interesting fellow who believed that all property should he
held in common and that it should be used by people in accordance with their
need. Naturally, he was tortured and killed for believing such things.
Similar things were said in 1381 when the English peasants rebelled and, I'm
sure, many other times in history. What amazes me is how, in historic times
and contexts that are different yet surprisingly similar, things go round
and round and round and round and round ....
Best regards,
Ed Weick
