Posted on 04/29/2006 8:55:55 PM PDT by lunarbicep
John Kenneth Galbraith, the iconoclastic economist, teacher and diplomat and an unapologetically liberal member of the political and academic establishment he often needled in prolific writings for more than half a century, died yesterday at a hospital in Cambridge, Mass. He was 97.
Mr. Galbraith lived in Cambridge and at an "unfarmed farm" near Newfane, Vt. His death was confirmed by his son J. Alan Galbraith.
Mr. Galbraith was one of the most widely read authors in the history of economics; among his 33 books was "The Affluent Society" (1958), one of those rare works that forces a nation to re-examine its values. He wrote fluidly, even on complex topics, and many of his compelling phrases — among them "the affluent society," "conventional wisdom" and "countervailing power" — became part of the language.
An imposing presence, lanky and angular at 6 feet 8 inches tall, Mr. Galbraith was consulted frequently by national leaders, and he gave advice freely, though it may have been ignored as often as it was taken. Mr. Galbraith clearly preferred taking issue with the conventional wisdom he distrusted.
He strived to change the very texture of the national conversation about power and its nature in the modern world by explaining how the planning of giant corporations superseded market mechanisms. His sweeping ideas — which might have gained even greater traction had he developed disciples willing and able to prove them with mathematical models — came to strike some as almost quaint in a today's harsh, interconnected world where corporations devour one another for breakfast.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Proof positive that the good die young.
I bet most of thought he died twenty or more years ago.
The obituaries will once aghain be interesting to read. Genius to the Left, fool to the Right.
Buckley will no doubt have gracious words for him though.
Excellent eulogy. I hate speaking ill of the dead. If I could say nothing good about him, I would say nothing at all about him. Therefore I shall say nothing about him.
a true 'giant' of economics
Actually his book, Money, is surpringly good. He points out early on that almost everything we call money today (FRNs) is probably unconstitutional.
ML/NJ
Unfarmed farm? How ironic.
"(Milton) Friedman still LIVES!!"
Is this screen handle available? By the way, I wonder if he collected from the gubmint for not farming this unfarmed farm. Isn't that how modern economics work?
What was in the water???? ;>)
HE arrives, relived, at the Pearly Gates. Unfortunately F. A. Hayek is there with a huge baseball bat and pop-fly's him to somewhere else.
Proof positive that the good die young.
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So true.
At least he got to see and ponder sadly conservative free market principles successfully undermining his wrong headed theories.
Indeed, it appears that his family gave the "exclusive" on his death to the New York Times. They had it on their front page, complete with full obit, a full 30 to 45 minutes before I saw even the barest mention of it on the AP wire. And the BBC didn't report it until just about two minutes ago.
LOL! - Good one Simmons. Gotta love obscure history based humor
Love it ... but now the mods will be angry that you beat them to it.
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