"We exist in moments of gentle apocalypse"                       Roland Barthes      

 

1 May 06: John Kenneth Galbraith

 

    One of my favorite smart people is no longer with us. 

 

    If anyone knows of anyone who is writing serious, reader friendly, socio-political economic books please let me know.  Galbraith's work, specifically 'The Affluent Society' actually gave me hope.  This hope was short lasting, however, as it seems his best lessons remain unexplored to date.

   

    The man created the phrase 'the conventional wisdom'.  And to the best of my knowledge it was never intended as a compliment.

 

    I came to study economics only after I had found gainful employment, as it really is a matter suited to idle time.  But architecture, my trade for lack of a better term, is an excellent introduction into socio-political economics.  When you study the history of architecture, you study what was built not what was said.  Economic theory can be a study in efforts to influence what gets built, bought, produced, etc.  The world is a different place when you have the imagination, or perhaps stamina, required to follow an idea from intent to  manifestation.  What gets built, bought, stolen, taxed, etc., let's you see where the priorities really are.

 

John Kenneth Galbraith argued for the evaluation of our priorities, and it is now the job of those who appreciated his work to continue this labor.

 

links in no particular order...

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5372103

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Kenneth_Galbraith

 

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat?bid=1&pid=80925

 

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/11da44a8-d8ae-11da-9715-0000779e2340.html

 

http://johnkennethgalbraith.com/

 

http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/John_Kenneth_Galbraith/

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,1764858,00.html

 

Two great quotes in case you don't have time...

"Politics is not the art of the possible. It consists of choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable."

 

"In all life one should comfort the afflicted, but verily, also, one should afflict the comfortable, and especially when they are comfortably, contentedly, even happily wrong."

other local news....

 

Bush clone.  Do I laugh or cry, either will be for the wrong reasons...

The Guardian UK

 

If problems occur, reevaluate what we mean by 'success'

CNN

 

It's your money, well, the middle class's children's children's money

The Age/Guardian

 

Part of where it is going....

BBC

 

At home my trade is hospital architecture, they don't need that here.