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John Kenneth Galbraith Quotes

Economist

John Kenneth Galbraith was a renowned economist known for his research on economic cycles, market structures, and government policies. His works have had a profound impact on economic theory and policy practice.

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Famous John Kenneth Galbraith Quotes

“Total physical and mental inertia are highly agreeable, much more so than we allow ourselves to imagine. A beach not only permits such inertia but enforces it, thus neatly eliminating all problems of guilt. It is now the only place in our overly active world that does.”

World Doe Problem Imagine Ocean Guilt Active Beach Permit Vacation Inertia Eliminating Beach And Ocean Beach Ocean Best Vacation

Author:John Kenneth Galbraith

“In recent times no problem has been more puzzling to thoughtful people than why, in a troubled world, we make such poor use of our affluence.”

People World Has Beens Use Problem Poor Thoughtful No Problem Affluence Puzzling

Book:The affluent society

Source: The affluent society

“Writing is a long and lonesome business; back of the problems in thought and composition hover always the awful questions: Is this the page that shows the empty shell? Is it here and now that they find me out?”

Writing Long Shows Problem Pages Empty Awful Shells Composition Find Me Here And Now Lonesome Empty Shell

Book:THE GREAT CRASH 1929

Source: THE GREAT CRASH 1929

“The oldest problem in economic education is how to exclude the incompetent. A certain glib mastery of verbiage-the ability to speak portentously and sententiously about the relation of money supply to the price level-is easy for the unlearned and may even be aided by a mildly enfeebled intellect. The requirement that there be ability to master difficult models, including ones for which mathematical competence is required, is a highly useful screening device.”

“Technology, under all circumstances, leads to planning; in its higher manifestations it may put the problems of planning beyond the reach of the industrial firm. Technological compulsions, and not ideology or political will, will require the firm to seek the help and protection of the state.”

May States Helping Problem Political Politics Technology Higher Circumstances Protection Planning Ideology Firm Manifestation Technological Compulsion Political Will

Author:John Kenneth Galbraith

“The problem of the modern economy is not a failure of a knowledge of economics; it's a failure of a knowledge of history.”

Problem Economy Modern Economics

Author:John Kenneth Galbraith

“Things that come from the private sector are in abundant supply; things that depend on the public sector are widely a problem. We're a world, as I said in The Affluent Society, of filthy streets and clean houses, poor schools and expensive television.”

World Said Problem School House Poor Streets Television Depends Clean Expensive Private Sector Filthy Affluent Public Sector Clean House

Author:John Kenneth Galbraith

“There was the Missile Crisis, but one can't attribute to the [J.F.] Kennedy years anything like the problems that [Franklin] Roosevelt stood over and surmounted.”

Years Problem Crisis Attributes Missiles Franklin

Author:John Kenneth Galbraith

“It is a commonplace of modern technology that problems have solutions before there is knowledge of how they are to be solved.”

Problem Technology Modern Solutions Commonplace Modern Technology

Book:The Essential Galbraith

Source: The Essential Galbraith

“No solution [to the problem of poverty] is so effective as providing income to the poor. Whether in the form of food, housing, health services, education or money, income is an excellent antidote for deprivation. No truth has spawned so much ingenious evasion.”

Problem Form Poor Poverty Solutions Capitalism Income Excellent Providing Housing Antidote Ingenious Deprivation Evasion Health Services

Author:John Kenneth Galbraith

“Few economic problems, if any, are difficult of solution. The difficulty, all but invariably, is in confronting them. We know what needs to be done; for reasons of inertia, pecuniary interest, passion or ignorance, we do not wish to say so.”

Ifs Knows Needs Reason Done Problem Passion Wish Difficult Interest Economic Ignorance Solutions Capitalism Difficulty Inertia Confronting Economic Problems

Author:John Kenneth Galbraith

“To see economic policy as a problem of choice between rival ideologies is the greatest error of our time.”

Problem Choices Economic Policy Errors Investing Ideology Our Time Rivals Economic Policy

Book:Money: Whence It Came, Where It Went

Source: Money: Whence It Came, Where It Went

“It's much easier to point out the problem than it is to say just how it should be solved.”

Should Problem Easier

Book:Capitalism, communism and coexistence: from the bitter past to a better prospect

Source: Capitalism, communism and coexistence: from the bitter past to a better prospect

“The drive toward complex technical achievement offers a clue to why the U.S. is good at space gadgetry and bad at slum problems.”

Problem Space Technology Offers Achievement Complexes Clue Slums Modern Technology Complex Problems

Author:John Kenneth Galbraith

About the Author

Born: October 15, 1908
Died: April 29, 2006
Known for: Economist
Quotes: 408

Books & Sources

the new industrial stateRelated source material

The affluent societyRelated source material

THE GREAT CRASH 1929Related source material

Money: Whence It Came, Where It WentRelated source material

The Essential GalbraithRelated source material

A Short History of Financial EuphoriaRelated source material

A life in our times: memoirsRelated source material

The great crash, 1929Related source material

Ambassador's JournalRelated source material

Economics in Perspective: A Critical HistoryRelated source material

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