The miserable consumption of the poor is partly the result of the ostentatious demands of the rich. There isn't enough for both, and the latter get far more than they need...But could anything seriously be done about it? John Kenneth Galbraith More Quotes by John Kenneth Galbraith More Quotes From John Kenneth Galbraith Nostalgia combines regularly with manifest respectability to give credence to old error as opposed to new truth. John Kenneth Galbraith errors giving past The traveler to the United States will do wellto prepare himself for the class-consciousness of the natives. This differs from the already familiar English version in being more extreme and based more firmly on the conviction that the class to which the speaker belongs is inherently superior to all others. John Kenneth Galbraith united-states consciousness class I was brought up in southwestern Ontario where we were taught that Canadian patriotism should not withstand anything more than a five-dollar-a-month wage differential. Anything more than that and you went to Detroit. John Kenneth Galbraith ontario dollars months In all modern depressions, recessions, or growth-correction, as variously they are called, we never miss the goods that are not produced. We miss only the opportunities for the labour - for the jobs - that are not provided. John Kenneth Galbraith missing opportunity jobs No intelligence system can predict what a government will do if it doesn't know itself. John Kenneth Galbraith government ifs knows In economics it is a far, far wiser thing to be right than to be consistent John Kenneth Galbraith wiser economics consistent In the old days, land was important as the giver of all things. That period is gone now. Technology and brainpower are all that matters and yet conflicts over land, specially one like on the India-China border, that yields nothing, continue. This is a burden of ancient history that we continue to carry. If tomorrow there is settlement on planet Mars, we will begin to worry if others are interested. John Kenneth Galbraith yield technology land There is a common tendency to ignore the poor or to develop some rationalisation for the good fortune of the fortunate. John Kenneth Galbraith poverty poor common Agriculture is one economic activity that does not obey the laws of demand and supply. John Kenneth Galbraith agriculture law doe It is a well known and very important fact that America's founding fathers did not like taxation without representation. It is a lesser known and equally important fact that they did not much like taxation with representation. John Kenneth Galbraith important father america Men will look back in amusement at the pretence that once caused people to refer to General Dynamics and North American Aviation and AT&T as private business. John Kenneth Galbraith men people looks Liberalism is, I think, resurgent. One reason is that more and more people are so painfully aware of the alternative. John Kenneth Galbraith political people thinking The experience of being disastrously wrong is salutary, no economist should be denied it, and not many are. John Kenneth Galbraith politics political should If a man didn't make sense, the Scotch felt it was misplaced politeness to try to keep him from knowing it. Better that he be aware of his reputation, for this would encourage reticence which goes well with stupidity. John Kenneth Galbraith scotch knowing men Much discussion of money involves a heavy overlay of priestly incantation. John Kenneth Galbraith discussion heavy Few things are as immutable as the addiction of political groups to the ideas by whichthey have once won office. John Kenneth Galbraith addiction office ideas The charge that an idea is radical, impractical, or long- haired is met by showing that a prominent businessman has favored it?an additional tactic in this strategy of defense?is to assert that Winston Churchill once sponsored the particular idea. If one is challenged, a sufficiently careful investigation will show that he did. John Kenneth Galbraith defense long ideas These are the days when men of all social disciplines and all political faiths seek the comfortable and the accepted; when the man of controversy is looked upon as a disturbing influence; when originality is taken to be a mark of instability; and when, in minor modification of the original parable, the bland lead the bland. John Kenneth Galbraith discipline taken men The myth that holds that the great corporation is the puppet of the market, the powerless servant of the consumer, is, in fact one of the devices by which its power is perpetuated. John Kenneth Galbraith corporations puppets facts We now in the United States have more security guards for the rich than we have police services for the poor districts. If you're looking for personal security, far better to move to the suburbs than to pay taxes in New York. John Kenneth Galbraith security-guards new-york moving
