Wealth, in even the most improbable cases, manages to convey the aspect of intelligence. John Kenneth Galbraith More Quotes by John Kenneth Galbraith More Quotes From John Kenneth Galbraith The spirit should never grow old. John Kenneth Galbraith 50th-birthday wrinkles age If you're rich you can buy books. If you're poor, you need a library. John Kenneth Galbraith library book needs There can be few fields of human endeavor in which history counts for so little as in the world of finance.Past experience, to the extent that it is part of memory at all, is dismissed as the primitive refuge of the those who do not have insight to appreciate the incredible wonders of the present. John Kenneth Galbraith appreciate memories past The privileged have regularly invited their own destruction with their greed. John Kenneth Galbraith investing greed destruction Partly, the Russian system succeeds because, in contrast to the Western industrial economies, it makes full use of its manpower. John Kenneth Galbraith economy succeed use More investment trusts securities were offered in September of 1929 even than in August - the total was above $600 million. However, the nearly simultaneous promotion of Shenandoah and Blue Ridge was to stand as the pinnacle of new era finance. It is difficult not to marvel at the imagination which was implicit in this gargantuan insanity. If there must be madness something may be said for having it on a heroic scale. John Kenneth Galbraith august imagination blue We live surrounded by a systematic appeal to a dream world which all mature, scientific reality would reject. We, quite literally, advertise our commitment to immaturity, mendacity and profound gullibility. It is as the hallmark of the culture. And it is justified as being economically indispensable. John Kenneth Galbraith dream reality commitment The American colonies, all know, were greatly opposed to taxation without representation. They were also, a less celebrated quality, equally opposed to taxation with representation. John Kenneth Galbraith taxation-without-representation taxes quality Consumer wants can have bizarre, frivolous, or even immoral origins, and an admirable case can still be made for a society that seeks to satisfy them. But the case cannot stand if it is the process of satisfying wants that create the wants. John Kenneth Galbraith bizarre made want Where humor is concerned there are no standards - no one can say what is good or bad, although you can be sure that everyone will. John Kenneth Galbraith humour standards humorous The more underdeveloped the country, the more overdeveloped the women. John Kenneth Galbraith men-women women country If we were not in Vietnam, all that part of the world would be enjoying the obscurity it so richly deserves. John Kenneth Galbraith obscurity would-be world I have never understood why one's affections must be confined, as once with women, to a single country. John Kenneth Galbraith affection understood country Every corner of the public psyche is canvassed by some of the most talented citizens to see if the desire for some merchandisable product can be cultivated. John Kenneth Galbraith global-issues citizens desire The family which takes it mauve and cerise, air conditioned, power-steered, and power braked automobile out for a tour passes through cities that are badly paved, made hideous by litter, blighted buildings, billboards, and posts for wires that should long since have been put underground. John Kenneth Galbraith cities air long Clerks in downtown hotels were said to be asking guests whether they wished the room for sleeping or jumping. Two men jumped hand-in-hand from a high window in the Ritz. They had a joint account. John Kenneth Galbraith jumping sleep men In the early days of the crash it was widely believed that Jesse L. Livermore, a Bostonian with a large and unquestionably exaggerated reputation for bear operations, leading a syndicate that was driving the market down. John Kenneth Galbraith reputation driving bears We do not manufacture wants for goods we do not produce. John Kenneth Galbraith goods produce want In a community where public services have failed to keep abreast of private consumption things are very different. Here, in an atmosphere of private opulence and public squalor, the private goods have full sway. John Kenneth Galbraith atmosphere opulence community Simple minds, presumably, are the easiest to manage. John Kenneth Galbraith simple-minds simple mind