John Kenneth Galbraith

[Brendan Slattery]

For what it's worth, JFK never had much use for Galbraith, who didn't have the president's ear. If anyone would have been seduced by JKG's income redistribution fantasies, it's Teddy, not the Prez. Galbraith could never bring himself to accept the fact that Western style capitalism, despite the bloated welfare state and myriad safety nets, still had winners and losers. Hence his lifelong (and ultimately doomed) infatuation with leftist thugs and socialist regimes. Hell, even LHO recognized communism was a loser.

Daniel, no hard feelings. It's enough that I post my real name and location. I'm not a big fan of unnecessary Internet disclosures.

[John Simkin]

For what it's worth, JFK never had much use for Galbraith, who didn't have the president's ear.

You really need to read more than John McAdams’ blog if you want to understand the relationship between JFK and Galbraith. JFK originally intended to appoint Galbraith as his Secretary of the Treasury. However, he was persuaded (blackmailed) by Lyndon Johnson and Phil Graham (the owner of the Washington Post) to appoint Douglas Dillon in the post (a Republican who had been the main fundraiser for Richard Nixon’s campaign against JFK.

JFK soon discovered he made a terrible mistake and Galbraith helped him draft the 1963 Tax Bill (the one that attempted to remove tax loopholes such as the oil depletion allowance). Of course, this part of the bill was removed by LBJ after JFK’s assassination.

Daniel, no hard feelings. It's enough that I post my real name and location. I'm not a big fan of unnecessary Internet disclosures.

The rules of the Forum also say you need to post your photograph as an avatar.

[Bruce Cormier]

"I think John McAdams nailed it when he noted that "Galbraith, like most leftists, was an elitist ... "

I concur in this assessment in a VERY narrow sense -- and one that McAdams would find bitterly ironic.

Galbraith, and Schlesinger, and the others were indeed elitist in remaining mum on JFK's killing or tepidly endorsing the WCR (Galbraith's articulated objection to a conspiracy finding is so pathetic that one can imagine it being rendered with a wink and nod). This elitism reflected either a desire to idealize in death what JFK was in life, or "unsophisticated" American from what really happened (repeat after me, with Jack Nicholson: "You can't handle the truth ..."

Whatever the motivation, we paid a high price for THIS elitism. Given his agenda, McAdams should be feting these liberals, not savaging them.

[John Simkin]

Galbraith published The Culture of Contentment in 1992. It is his most important book and identified something that has come to do terrible harm to the democratic system.

Galbraith pointed out that around 50% of Americans take little interest in politics. As they rarely vote, they are ignored by politicians. The two major political parties in the United States therefore concentrate on those who do vote (the "better off classes"). This group tend to demand that taxes are kept low and that they are used on programmes that help the "contented classes" themselves. As a result, only a small percentage of government revenues are spent on helping the underclass or repairing America's crumbling infrastructure.

[Bruce Cormier]

Galbraith published The Culture of Contentment in 1992. It is his most important book and identified something that has come to do terrible harm to the democratic system.

Galbraith pointed out that around 50% of Americans take little interest in politics. As they rarely vote, they are ignored by politicians. The two major political parties in the United States therefore concentrate on those who do vote (the "better off classes"). This group tend to demand that taxes are kept low and that they are used on programmes that help the "contented classes" themselves. As a result, only a small percentage of government revenues are spent on helping the underclass or repairing America's crumbling infrastructure.

That strikes me as his characteristically elegant way of saying, "the squeaky wheel gets the oil," whicb sounds about right.

There is no doubt that the participation rates of American voters began a steep decline after 1960 that has lasted the better part of 4 decades. Thankfully, there are signs in very recent elections of a reversal that almost certainly the result of our kulturkamp that ratcheted up significantly in the aftermath of the 2000 elections.

The causes of voter disinterest are multifacted and complex. A familiar refrain is that the USA's two major parties do not offer Americans a genuine choice. This contention has grains of truth, but is mostly false and does not excuse voter ennui in any event. For example, even if one were to condemn the Clinton/Gore regime as corporatist, the fact remains that there are enormous differences between Republicans and Democrats on important issues -- the environment and civil liberties to name just two.

I have not seen discontent of the magnitude we have today since the post-Watergate election of 1974. It will be interesting to see how this plays out over the next 25 weeks until our next election.

[John Simkin]

Namebase entry for J. K. Galbraith:

http://www.namebase.org/main2/John-Kenneth-Galbraith.html

Barnet,R. Mueller,R. Global Reach. 1974 (346-8)

Bird,K. The Chairman. 1992 (459, 619)

Bird,K. The Color of Truth. 1998 (105, 107, 135-7, 185, 220-3, 362-3, 372, 400)

Codevilla,A. Informing Statecraft. 1992 (220)

Covert Action Information Bulletin 1988-#29 (50)

Domhoff,G.W. The Higher Circles. 1971 (266-7)

Dye,T. Who's Running America? 1983 (96)

Finder,J. Red Carpet. 1983 (125, 128, 177)

Furiati,C. ZR Rifle. 1994 (30)

George Magazine 1997-10 (133)

Havill,A. Deep Truth. 1993 (67, 111)

Heilbrun,C. The Education of a Woman. 1995 (111, 117, 327-8)

Hepburn,J. Farewell America. 1968 (57, 113, 171)

Jeffreys-Jones,R. The CIA and American Democracy. 1989 (120)

Judis,J. William F. Buckley, Jr. 1988 (274-5)

Kaplan,F. The Wizards of Armageddon. 1983 (35, 195)

Kaufman,R. The War Profiteers. 1970 (176, 229-32, 234)

Langguth,A. Hidden Terrors. 1978 (102)

Lieber,J. Rats in the Grain. 2000 (111-2)

Mintz,M. Cohen,J. America, Inc. 1971 (30, 43-4, 53)

Mitgang,H. Dangerous Dossiers. 1988 (249-55)

Newman,J. JFK and Vietnam. 1992 (236, 466)

Perloff,J. The Shadows of Power. 1988 (6, 57, 111, 147-8)

Pisani,S. The CIA and the Marshall Plan. 1991 (28)

Prados,J. Keepers of the Keys. 1991 (105)

Prados,J. Presidents' Secret Wars. 1988 (167-8, 230)

Sampson,A. The Arms Bazaar. 1978 (202, 245)

Saunders,F. The Cultural Cold War. 2000 (13, 379)

Shultz,R. The Secret War Against Hanoi. 1999 (315)

Silk,L.& M. The American Establishment. 1980 (205)

Smith,J. The Idea Brokers. 1993 (102, 123-4)

State Dept. United States Chiefs of Mission 1778-1973. 1973 (77)

Swanberg,W.A. Luce and His Empire. 1972 (421-2)

Thomas,E. The Very Best Men. 1996 (277)

Tyson,J. Target America. 1981 (54)

Walls,D. The Activist's Almanac. 1993 (323-4)

Weissman,S. Trojan Horse. 1975 (76)

Woodmansee,J. The World of a Giant Corporation. 1975 (48)

Yakovlev,N. Washington Silhouettes. 1985 (200-1)

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/JFKgalbraithJ.htm

[Shanet Clark]

Namebase entry for J. K. Galbraith:

http://www.namebase.org/main2/John-Kenneth-Galbraith.html

Barnet,R. Mueller,R. Global Reach. 1974 (346-8)

Bird,K. The Chairman. 1992 (459, 619)

Bird,K. The Color of Truth. 1998 (105, 107, 135-7, 185, 220-3, 362-3, 372, 400)

Codevilla,A. Informing Statecraft. 1992 (220)

Covert Action Information Bulletin 1988-#29 (50)

Domhoff,G.W. The Higher Circles. 1971 (266-7)

Dye,T. Who's Running America? 1983 (96)

Finder,J. Red Carpet. 1983 (125, 128, 177)

Furiati,C. ZR Rifle. 1994 (30)

George Magazine 1997-10 (133)

Havill,A. Deep Truth. 1993 (67, 111)

Heilbrun,C. The Education of a Woman. 1995 (111, 117, 327-8)

Hepburn,J. Farewell America. 1968 (57, 113, 171)

Jeffreys-Jones,R. The CIA and American Democracy. 1989 (120)

Judis,J. William F. Buckley, Jr. 1988 (274-5)

Kaplan,F. The Wizards of Armageddon. 1983 (35, 195)

Kaufman,R. The War Profiteers. 1970 (176, 229-32, 234)

Langguth,A. Hidden Terrors. 1978 (102)

Lieber,J. Rats in the Grain. 2000 (111-2)

Mintz,M. Cohen,J. America, Inc. 1971 (30, 43-4, 53)

Mitgang,H. Dangerous Dossiers. 1988 (249-55)

Newman,J. JFK and Vietnam. 1992 (236, 466)

Perloff,J. The Shadows of Power. 1988 (6, 57, 111, 147-8)

Pisani,S. The CIA and the Marshall Plan. 1991 (28)

Prados,J. Keepers of the Keys. 1991 (105)

Prados,J. Presidents' Secret Wars. 1988 (167-8, 230)

Sampson,A. The Arms Bazaar. 1978 (202, 245)

Saunders,F. The Cultural Cold War. 2000 (13, 379)

Shultz,R. The Secret War Against Hanoi. 1999 (315)

Silk,L.& M. The American Establishment. 1980 (205)

Smith,J. The Idea Brokers. 1993 (102, 123-4)

State Dept. United States Chiefs of Mission 1778-1973. 1973 (77)

Swanberg,W.A. Luce and His Empire. 1972 (421-2)

Thomas,E. The Very Best Men. 1996 (277)

Tyson,J. Target America. 1981 (54)

Walls,D. The Activist's Almanac. 1993 (323-4)

Weissman,S. Trojan Horse. 1975 (76)

Woodmansee,J. The World of a Giant Corporation. 1975 (48)

Yakovlev,N. Washington Silhouettes. 1985 (200-1)

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/JFKgalbraithJ.htm