Re: FW JK Galbraith and Basic Income
Once again, you have cut through the BS of my thinking. On the one hand, I
can find rational answers such as the Basic Income which I am sure will
provide a corrective for the capitalistic system. I can also agree with
others answers, such as WesBurt's proposals or some of the thoughts of Tom
Walker.
Then I enlarge the problem by thinking/reading of population, energy,
resource depletion, or the book I picked up at the library today called Dark
Grey which deals with the demographics of an aging population and how
economics has no answer in providing a system in which we can save enough or
tax enough for a pension system for the elderly. This morning, I read how a
research team in California are onto what they call the immortality cell in
which they have been able to extend the life of a fruit fly up to three
times it's normal lifespan. A couple of days ago, I read an online book
called Can America Survive in which the author makes a very convincing case
that the Earth could support a sustainable population of only 5 million
hunter/gathers and 5 million living in an industrial/technological society.
Though we might quibble with the numbers, it seems rational to believe that
we can't keep 6 billion mouths and assholes functioning on this small planet
indefintely.
And yes, every state is debt and almost every person on the planet is in
debt to someone, somewhere. So what happens when a chain of non-payment
begins? It boggles my mind. Unlike you, though, I do have some small
comfort - death happens to us all and I chose to believe in an afterlife -
in fact many afterlives. I guess we'll have to each die before we find out
who is right on that belief.
I have the comfort of knowing that I belong to this
peculiar species called homo sapiens, and we have the
ability to become aware of our problems -
besides having a bloody good time, in the
process, in lucky circumstances - and
ingenius enough to plan for the future - in which I
have vested - normal biological as well as emotional
interest - through my children.
This is plenty enough for me to go on with -
I need no comfort, I feel lucky and special without
god - the number of coincidences to continuously
produce this individual - special to me and a few
others,- and the ability to reflect on this
amazing morsel of the universe of ours for a short while -
or even manipulate it collectively - is good enough for me,
thank you very much!
Eva
Respectfully,
Thomas Lunde
--
From: "Durant" [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: FW JK Galbraith and Basic Income
Date: Wed, Jul 7, 1999, 10:14 PM
This is a utopia if based on capitalist
economics. (Or have I already mentioned this?)
Welfare capitalism was tried, and when the upswing
collapsed, it failed. Even the richest states are in debt,
even when they only spend pitifully small percentages
on welfare.
Eva
Thomas:
One of things I have always like about Galbraith is that he accepts that the
poor are entitled and deserve some joy and comfort and security in their
lives. Something which the majority of the moderate and overly affluent want
to deny. It is as if poorness is not enough, a little suffering is good for
the soul, especially if it someone elses suffering.
You know, being poor is not so bad, and most of us who experience it find
ways to still enjoy our lives. However, it is the constant pressure from
those more fortunate that somehow if we have sex, go to a movie, have a
picnic in the park we are violating our status in life. Give us a basic
income and get off our back, I think would be endorsed by the majority of
the poor. Allow us to have dreams for our children and we will live
modestly.
Respectfully,
Thomas Lunde
--
From: "S. Lerner" [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED],
[EMAIL PROTECTED],
[EMAIL PROTECTED]@dijkstra.uwaterloo.ca
Subject: FW JK Galbraith and Basic Income
Date: Tue, Jul 6, 1999, 9:52 AM
Much to my delight, the following appeared in today's Toronto Globe and
Mail: A13 ("J.K.Galbraith, who is 90, delivered this lecture last week on
receiving an honorary doctorate from the London School of Economics. It is
reprinted from The Guardian." )
Excerpt: "I come to two pieces of the unfinished business of the century
and millenium that have high visibility and urgency. The first is the very
large number of the very poor even in the richest of countries and notably
in the U.S.
The answer or part of the answer is rather clear: Everybody should
be guaranteed a decent income. A rich country such as the U.S. can well
afford to keep everybody out of poverty. Some, it will be said, will seize
upon the income and won't work. So it is now with more limited welfare, as
it is called. Let us accept some resort to leisure by the poor as well as
b
Re: FW JK Galbraith and Basic Income
Dear Eva:
Once again, you have cut through the BS of my thinking. On the one hand, I
can find rational answers such as the Basic Income which I am sure will
provide a corrective for the capitalistic system. I can also agree with
others answers, such as WesBurt's proposals or some of the thoughts of Tom
Walker.
Then I enlarge the problem by thinking/reading of population, energy,
resource depletion, or the book I picked up at the library today called Dark
Grey which deals with the demographics of an aging population and how
economics has no answer in providing a system in which we can save enough or
tax enough for a pension system for the elderly. This morning, I read how a
research team in California are onto what they call the immortality cell in
which they have been able to extend the life of a fruit fly up to three
times it's normal lifespan. A couple of days ago, I read an online book
called Can America Survive in which the author makes a very convincing case
that the Earth could support a sustainable population of only 5 million
hunter/gathers and 5 million living in an industrial/technological society.
Though we might quibble with the numbers, it seems rational to believe that
we can't keep 6 billion mouths and assholes functioning on this small planet
indefintely.
And yes, every state is debt and almost every person on the planet is in
debt to someone, somewhere. So what happens when a chain of non-payment
begins? It boggles my mind. Unlike you, though, I do have some small
comfort - death happens to us all and I chose to believe in an afterlife -
in fact many afterlives. I guess we'll have to each die before we find out
who is right on that belief.
Respectfully,
Thomas Lunde
--
From: "Durant" [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: FW JK Galbraith and Basic Income
Date: Wed, Jul 7, 1999, 10:14 PM
This is a utopia if based on capitalist
economics. (Or have I already mentioned this?)
Welfare capitalism was tried, and when the upswing
collapsed, it failed. Even the richest states are in debt,
even when they only spend pitifully small percentages
on welfare.
Eva
Thomas:
One of things I have always like about Galbraith is that he accepts that the
poor are entitled and deserve some joy and comfort and security in their
lives. Something which the majority of the moderate and overly affluent want
to deny. It is as if poorness is not enough, a little suffering is good for
the soul, especially if it someone elses suffering.
You know, being poor is not so bad, and most of us who experience it find
ways to still enjoy our lives. However, it is the constant pressure from
those more fortunate that somehow if we have sex, go to a movie, have a
picnic in the park we are violating our status in life. Give us a basic
income and get off our back, I think would be endorsed by the majority of
the poor. Allow us to have dreams for our children and we will live
modestly.
Respectfully,
Thomas Lunde
--
From: "S. Lerner" [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED],
[EMAIL PROTECTED],
[EMAIL PROTECTED]@dijkstra.uwaterloo.ca
Subject: FW JK Galbraith and Basic Income
Date: Tue, Jul 6, 1999, 9:52 AM
Much to my delight, the following appeared in today's Toronto Globe and
Mail: A13 ("J.K.Galbraith, who is 90, delivered this lecture last week on
receiving an honorary doctorate from the London School of Economics. It is
reprinted from The Guardian." )
Excerpt: "I come to two pieces of the unfinished business of the century
and millenium that have high visibility and urgency. The first is the very
large number of the very poor even in the richest of countries and notably
in the U.S.
The answer or part of the answer is rather clear: Everybody should
be guaranteed a decent income. A rich country such as the U.S. can well
afford to keep everybody out of poverty. Some, it will be said, will seize
upon the income and won't work. So it is now with more limited welfare, as
it is called. Let us accept some resort to leisure by the poor as well as
by the rich."
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: FW JK Galbraith and Basic Income
Thomas:
One of things I have always like about Galbraith is that he accepts that the
poor are entitled and deserve some joy and comfort and security in their
lives. Something which the majority of the moderate and overly affluent want
to deny. It is as if poorness is not enough, a little suffering is good for
the soul, especially if it someone elses suffering.
You know, being poor is not so bad, and most of us who experience it find
ways to still enjoy our lives. However, it is the constant pressure from
those more fortunate that somehow if we have sex, go to a movie, have a
picnic in the park we are violating our status in life. Give us a basic
income and get off our back, I think would be endorsed by the majority of
the poor. Allow us to have dreams for our children and we will live
modestly.
Respectfully,
Thomas Lunde
--
From: "S. Lerner" [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED],
[EMAIL PROTECTED]@dijkstra.uwaterloo.ca
Subject: FW JK Galbraith and Basic Income
Date: Tue, Jul 6, 1999, 9:52 AM
Much to my delight, the following appeared in today's Toronto Globe and
Mail: A13 ("J.K.Galbraith, who is 90, delivered this lecture last week on
receiving an honorary doctorate from the London School of Economics. It is
reprinted from The Guardian." )
Excerpt: "I come to two pieces of the unfinished business of the century
and millenium that have high visibility and urgency. The first is the very
large number of the very poor even in the richest of countries and notably
in the U.S.
The answer or part of the answer is rather clear: Everybody should
be guaranteed a decent income. A rich country such as the U.S. can well
afford to keep everybody out of poverty. Some, it will be said, will seize
upon the income and won't work. So it is now with more limited welfare, as
it is called. Let us accept some resort to leisure by the poor as well as
by the rich."
Re: FW JK Galbraith and Basic Income
This is a utopia if based on capitalist
economics. (Or have I already mentioned this?)
Welfare capitalism was tried, and when the upswing
collapsed, it failed. Even the richest states are in debt,
even when they only spend pitifully small percentages
on welfare.
Eva
Thomas:
One of things I have always like about Galbraith is that he accepts that the
poor are entitled and deserve some joy and comfort and security in their
lives. Something which the majority of the moderate and overly affluent want
to deny. It is as if poorness is not enough, a little suffering is good for
the soul, especially if it someone elses suffering.
You know, being poor is not so bad, and most of us who experience it find
ways to still enjoy our lives. However, it is the constant pressure from
those more fortunate that somehow if we have sex, go to a movie, have a
picnic in the park we are violating our status in life. Give us a basic
income and get off our back, I think would be endorsed by the majority of
the poor. Allow us to have dreams for our children and we will live
modestly.
Respectfully,
Thomas Lunde
--
From: "S. Lerner" [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED],
[EMAIL PROTECTED]@dijkstra.uwaterloo.ca
Subject: FW JK Galbraith and Basic Income
Date: Tue, Jul 6, 1999, 9:52 AM
Much to my delight, the following appeared in today's Toronto Globe and
Mail: A13 ("J.K.Galbraith, who is 90, delivered this lecture last week on
receiving an honorary doctorate from the London School of Economics. It is
reprinted from The Guardian." )
Excerpt: "I come to two pieces of the unfinished business of the century
and millenium that have high visibility and urgency. The first is the very
large number of the very poor even in the richest of countries and notably
in the U.S.
The answer or part of the answer is rather clear: Everybody should
be guaranteed a decent income. A rich country such as the U.S. can well
afford to keep everybody out of poverty. Some, it will be said, will seize
upon the income and won't work. So it is now with more limited welfare, as
it is called. Let us accept some resort to leisure by the poor as well as
by the rich."
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
FW JK Galbraith and Basic Income
Much to my delight, the following appeared in today's Toronto Globe and
Mail: A13 ("J.K.Galbraith, who is 90, delivered this lecture last week on
receiving an honorary doctorate from the London School of Economics. It is
reprinted from The Guardian." )
Excerpt: "I come to two pieces of the unfinished business of the century
and millenium that have high visibility and urgency. The first is the very
large number of the very poor even in the richest of countries and notably
in the U.S.
The answer or part of the answer is rather clear: Everybody should
be guaranteed a decent income. A rich country such as the U.S. can well
afford to keep everybody out of poverty. Some, it will be said, will seize
upon the income and won't work. So it is now with more limited welfare, as
it is called. Let us accept some resort to leisure by the poor as well as
by the rich."
