美国名人经济学家约翰·肯尼斯·加尔布雷思.docx

美国名人经济学家约翰肯尼斯加尔布雷思JohnKennethGalbraithz1908-2006:HeStronglyInfluencedEconomicThoughtintheUnitedStatesforManyYeaplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-15:30repeatByMarioRitter2007-4-7VOICEONE:mSteveEmber.VOICETWO:AndmBarbaraKleinwithPEOPLEINAMERICAinVOASpecialEnglish.Economicsisafieldbasedonmathematics.Yetitcannotprovideanswerstoeveryproblem.Somepeoplequestionwhethereconomicsisascienceatall.Formanyyears,possiblytheloudestcriticwashimselfaneconomist,JohnKennethGalbraith.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:JohnKennethGalbraithwasaneconomist,liberalthinker,author,professor;presidentialadvisorandambassador.He.stoodovertwometerstall.Hewasexcellentatarguingpositionsandmakingcomplexideasunderstandable.ThesetwoqualitiesmadeMisterGalbraithapowerfulpersonalityabletoinfluencepeopleatthehighestlevelsofgovernment.Hewasalsoaproductivewriterandaneffectivecriticofmanypopularideasofhistime.Forsome,hewasaneasypersontodislike.Hewasverysureofhimselfandhisarguments.Yet,heclearlyinfluencedtheeconomicideasofmanypeople,includingpoliticiansandpresidents.VOICETWO:JohnKennethGalbraithwasbornonafarmnearIonaStation,Canadainnineteen-oh-eight.ItwasalongwayfromtheEastCoastoftheUnitedStatesandthepoliticalpowercentershewouldcometoinfluence.Helearnedaboutpoliticsfromhisfather,WilliamArchibaldGalbraith,whowasafarmer.Healsoservedinmanylocalgovernmentpositionsandwasacommunityleader.Johnoncesaidthathismother,SarahCatherineKendallGalbraith,wantedhimtobeafarmeralso.Butshediedwhenhewasfourteen.VOICEONE:YoungJohnfirststudiedagricultureatOntarioAgriculturalCollege.Buthesoonfoundeconomicsmoreinteresting.HisstudiesledhimtotheUniversityofCaliforniaatBerkeley.Hegotadoctoratedegreeinagriculturaleconomicsinnineteenthirty-four.Inhisearlyyears,MisterGalbraithwasgreatlyinfluencedbytheeconomistThorsteinVeblenandhisbook,"TheTheoryoftheLeisureClass."MisterVeblenarguedthatpeoplegatheredwealthforthepurposeof"conspicuousconsumption."Hemeantthatpeopleearnedmoneytospendonvaluablethingstogainrespectinsociety.MisterGalbraithsaidhewasalsodeeplyaffectedbytheeconomicdisasterthatwasexpandingaroundhimandacrossthecountry:TheGreatDepression.(MUSIC:WoodyGuthrie)TheGreatDepressionseverelyaffectedtheAmericaneconomyandsociety.AttheheightoftheDepression,atleastoneinfiveAmericansdidnothaveajob.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:MisterGalbraithbecameaninstructoratHarvardUniversityinCambridge,Massachusetts.Innineteenthirty-seven,hebecameanAmericancitizen.HemarriedCatherineAtwater;thedaughterofaNewYorklawyer.Theylaterhadfoursons.Thatyear,MisterGalbraithalsowenttoEnglandtostudyunderthemostinfluentialeconomistofthetwentiethcentury.JohnMaynardKeyneswasteachingatCambridgeUniversityatthetime.Hehadpublishedthe"GeneralTheoryofEmployment,InterestandMoney"theyearbefore.MisterKeynesarguedthatdeepeconomiccrisesrequiredstrongmeasuresbythegovernment.Hesaidlargepublicworksprojectsandgovernmentpricecontrolswereneededtoincreaseemploymentduringeconomicdownturns.VOICEONE:Innineteenthirty-nine,JohnKennethGalbraithbeganworkingforthegovernment.HejoinedtheNationalDefenseAdvisoryCommitteeinWashington.HelaterwasinchargeofcontrollingpricesfortheOfficeofPriceAdministration.MisterGalbraithheldthepowerfulpositionoftoppricecontrollerintheadministrationofFranklinDelanoRoosevelt.Innineteenforty-three,however,hewasforcedtoresignfromthejob.Later;hewouldsaythathehadbeenoustedbythepoliticsofpricecontrol.Thesameyear,MisterGalbraithstartedwritingforFortunemagazine,whichwasownedbynotedconservativeHenryLuce.MisterGalbraithdevelopedintoahighlyskilledwriter.Evenhisstrongestcriticpraisedhiswritingability,eveniftheydidnotagreewithwhathewrote.VOICETWO:NeartheendofWorldWarTwo,MisterGalbraithtookpartintheStrategicBombingsurvey.ThestudywasmeanttomeasuretheeffectivenessoftheAmericanbombingcampaignagainstGermany.HeangeredmanypeoplebysayingthatthebombinghaddonelittletohalttheGermanwareffort.HefoundtheGermanshadsimplymovedindustrialoperationstonewplacesafterthebombing.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:Innineteenfifty-eight,MisterGalbraithpublishedhismostfamousbook,TheAffluentSociety."HearguedthatwhileprivateindividualsinAmericawerebecomingwealthier,publicinstitutionsweregrowingpoor.HecriticizedtheAmericanculturethathesaidwasrichingoodsbutpoorinsocialservices.MisterGalbraithalsousedtheterm"conventionalwisdom"inthebook.Thistermdescribesanideathateveryoneacceptsastrue,butisnotcloselyconsideredorexamined."TheAffluentSociety"createdalotofdiscussionatthetime.Criticssaidthebookforcedthenationtoreexamineitsvalues.Itisstillconsideredanexcellentexampleofreasoningandwriting.VOICETWO:MisterGalbraithwasalsoinvolvedinpolitics,whichwasunusualforaneconomist.HewrotespeechesforDemocraticpresidentialcandidateAdlaiStevensonduringtwocampaignsinthenineteenfifties.MisterGalbraithlaterbecameatrustedadvisertoPresidentJohnF.Kennedy.PresidentKennedyappointedhimambassadortoIndiainnineteensixty-one.ThirtyyearsIateoMisterGalbraithreceivedIndia'ssecond-highestcivilianhonorforhisworktostrengthentiesbetweenIndiaandtheUnitedStates.VOICEONETheyearsworkingfortheKennedyAdministrationwerehappytimes.ButonNovembertwenty-second,nineteensixty-three,PresidentKennedywasassassinatedinDallas,Texas.VicePresidentLyndonJohnsontookofficeafterthetragedy.MisterGalbraithhadgoodrelationswiththenewpresidentandbecameanadviser.ButthatlastedonlyuntilthewarinVietnambecamethebiggestissueintheUnitedStates.MisterGalbraithopposedtheinvolvementoftheUnitedStatesinthewar.Hespokeaboutthattime.SOUND:"IlikedLyndonJohnsonverymuch.AndIrespectedhimasamanwhocombinedintelligencewithawilltoaction-awonderfulcombination.AndsobreakingwithhiminthemidtolatesixtiesontheissueofVietnamwassomethingIregrettedverymuch."PublicoppositiontothewarinVietnamcausedPresidentJohnsonnottoseekanotherterminoffice.TheissueofthewarcausedMisterGalbraithtobecomeactiveinpoliticsagain.Hesupportedtheanti-warpresidentialcandidateEugeneMcCarthy.HeevennominatedMisterMcCarthyattheDemocraticPartyConventioninChicago,Illinois,innineteensixty-eight.MisterGalbraithwouldlatersay:"IwasmorestronglymovedbytheneedforoppositiontoVietnamthananyothermajorissueofmylifetime."(MUSIC)VOICETWO:IntheyearsaftertheVietnamWar,KenGalbraithputhisenergyintowriting.HedebatedconservativethinkerssuchashisfriendWilliamF.Buckle½Junior.AndhecontinuedtoadviseDemocraticPresidents.Innineteenninety-six,hisbook"TheGoodSociety"waspublished.Itwasanupdateofhisbook"TheAffluentSociety."Hewrotethathisearlierconcernshadworsened.TheUnitedStateshadbecomeevenmoreaplaceforthewealthy,ora"democracyofthefortunate."Inallzhewrotemorethanthirtybooksduringhiscareer.Intwothousand,PresidentBillClintonrecognizedMisterGalbraith'sservicebyawardinghimtheMedalofFreedom.VOICEONE:JohnKennethGalbraithdiedintwothousandsixattheageofninety-seven.WilliamF.Buckleysaidhisfriendwasmoreinterestedinthesocialandethicalquestionsrelatedtoeconomics.MisterGalbraith'sbookslackthemathematicalandstatisticalresearchfoundinmostworksoneconomics.YettheyremainexcellentexamplesOfthinkingaboutsocialresponsibilityandethics.Oneofhismostfamouscriticismsofhisprofessionwasthis:"Economicsisextremelyusefulasaformofemploymentforeconomists."(MUSIC)VOICETWO:ThisprogramwaswrittenandproducedbyMarioRitter.YoucandownloadthisprogramandothersfromourWebsite,WWW.51VOA.COM.mBarbaraKlein.VOICEONE:AndmSteveEmber.JoinusagainnextweekforPEOPLEINAMERICAinVOASpecialEnglish.