Meat Shake
12-10-2003, 12:34 PM
Galbraith Vs. Reich
Different Men, A Common Problem
Webster’s Dictionary defines poverty as “A lack of material goods or income, indigence, destitution.” A seemingly easily rid problem, poverty still stands at the forefront of America’s major issues. Countless plans and solutions have been thought of, though seldom implemented. Every second, 5 people are born. Currently approximately 11.3% of the nation lives in poverty, meaning that at least one of the 5 children born every second will be born into poverty.(National Census)
John Kenneth Galbraith, and Robert B. Reich, are both humanitarian in their efforts to rid America of this looming inconsistency. Although the two have radically different backgrounds, they both share one view; Poverty is a problem that does have a solution, so long as a commendable effort is made. Both men grew up in different regions, attended different schools, and even have different views and solutions to poverty; but they both see it as a problem with a solution.
John Kenneth Galbraith was born in 1908, in Canada. He moved to America and gained citizenship in 1937. With hard work and determination, he received his degree in agricultural science from Berkeley University, in California. Galbraith was the professor of economics at Harvard University for several years. (Ideas, 247) In 1960, John Galbraith was appointed as the ambassador to India, by the greatest president in U.S. history, John F. Kennedy. Galbraith is considered by many to be the “Last American Institutionalist”. In the 1950’s Galbraith conceived a plan for price control, although it never saw action past the texts it was printed on. John Kenneth Galbraith has produced over 20 pieces devoted to American social issues. He felt that the environment was a major concern, and believed that clean air should take precedence over industry.(Ideas, 248) He believed also that Americans “create artificial needs for things that have no ultimate value and inadvertently build in a “planned obsolescence”, which seems more or less wasteful and ultimately destructive.”(Ideas, 248) Galbraith viewed poverty in terms of insular, and case poverty.
Robert B. Reich was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in 1946. As U.S. Secretary of Labor during President Clinton's first term, Reich was part of an Administration that presided over the longest economic expansion in history and created more than 22 million jobs nationwide, with more than 450,000 created in Massachusetts alone. (Reich, 1) He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1968, obtained an M.A. as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University and a J.D. from Yale Law School in 1973. He does not hold a Ph.D. in economics. He feels that many laws and shady underhanded deals do not produce wealth; rather churn money around the hands of greedy predators. Reich felt that the government must work together with the people to solve the labor and poverty issues facing the nation. Reich felt that reliable roads, plentiful electricity, well educated workers, low crime rates, and political stability are all elements that make locations attractive to a multinational corporation. (Ideas, 288) Reich viewed poverty through use of metaphor, by comparing living standards to boats.
Alfred Marshal quoted that, “The study of the causes of poverty is the study of the causes of the degradation of a large part of mankind.”(Ideas, 250) He spoke particularly of England, but indirectly of the world. Poverty is almost a self perpetuating problem. Low wages lead to low standards of living, and eventually inability to support companies by buying products, thus leading to the disintegration of said companies, costing hundreds of low level employees their jobs. The poor find jobs more readily available only when the market is expanding. Case poverty is more individualized than insular poverty. An example of case poverty would be the dirty child at school, who is continually assaulted for wearing the same clothes to school. Case poverty more directly relates to a personal inability to cope with changes and adapt to the surrounding conditions. Generally case poverty is related to a particular quality of the individual – mental deficiency, bad health, uncontrollable procreation, alcohol, discrimination involving an excessively limited minority, or educational handicaps unrelated to social shortcomings. (Ideas, 250) Case poverty tends to limit itself to those individuals who are unable to fit and conform to the expectations of society as a whole.
The boat containing in routine producers is sinking rapidly. (Ideas, 291) Reich viewed social categories not as “case” and “insular” poverty, rather metaphorically as boats. Routine producers are those associated with farm work, factory workers, garbage men, ect. The continuing expansion of global economy leads to direct competition with routine producers from around the world. The ability of major corporations to hire workers outside of the states for lower wages, cuts even more deeply into the problem we face with poverty today. To add to this problem, machines and rapidly expanding technology are performing jobs that at one time required up to 5 or 6 workers. An example is that AT&T owned a factory producing phones in Shreveport, Louisiana. In the early 1980’s they found that Singaporian workers would work for less than the routine producers in Shreveport. In 1989 however, AT&T discovered Taiwanese eager to produce their phones for only a fraction of what they currently paid the Singaporians, and consequently switched, costing many Singapore families their jobs and livelihood.(Ideas, 291)
Galbraith described insular poverty as “that which manifests itself as an “island” of poverty.” (Ideas, 251) The people living in such an “island” tend to have been frustrated by some factor that is common to their environment. It is not possible to attribute insular poverty on an individual basis, rather view it as a dilemma facing an entire community. “It is not proper or even wise so to characterize an entire community.” (Ideas, 252) Galbraith attempts to explain insular poverty as peoples need to be at home, the need to stay where they feel safe. Often times those born into poverty have little chance of changing their way of life, insular poverty is caused by several factors. One possibility is that of low paying jobs only available in the area. Insufficient transportation leads to the inability to work for higher wages somewhere further away, and workers must settle where they are, for the low wages they are receiving. Children born into such positions often find themselves following in the footsteps of their loved ones, heading directly into the same dead end jobs that their parents and siblings have become entombed by. A good majority of modern poverty is insular in nature. The “islands” can more or less be categorized by rural or urban slums. (Ideas, 252) Poor schooling leads to poor education, and indirectly back to poor teaching, thus perpetuating the problem. It remains, however, that advance cannot improve the position of those who, by virtue of self or environment, cannot participate.
Different Men, A Common Problem
Webster’s Dictionary defines poverty as “A lack of material goods or income, indigence, destitution.” A seemingly easily rid problem, poverty still stands at the forefront of America’s major issues. Countless plans and solutions have been thought of, though seldom implemented. Every second, 5 people are born. Currently approximately 11.3% of the nation lives in poverty, meaning that at least one of the 5 children born every second will be born into poverty.(National Census)
John Kenneth Galbraith, and Robert B. Reich, are both humanitarian in their efforts to rid America of this looming inconsistency. Although the two have radically different backgrounds, they both share one view; Poverty is a problem that does have a solution, so long as a commendable effort is made. Both men grew up in different regions, attended different schools, and even have different views and solutions to poverty; but they both see it as a problem with a solution.
John Kenneth Galbraith was born in 1908, in Canada. He moved to America and gained citizenship in 1937. With hard work and determination, he received his degree in agricultural science from Berkeley University, in California. Galbraith was the professor of economics at Harvard University for several years. (Ideas, 247) In 1960, John Galbraith was appointed as the ambassador to India, by the greatest president in U.S. history, John F. Kennedy. Galbraith is considered by many to be the “Last American Institutionalist”. In the 1950’s Galbraith conceived a plan for price control, although it never saw action past the texts it was printed on. John Kenneth Galbraith has produced over 20 pieces devoted to American social issues. He felt that the environment was a major concern, and believed that clean air should take precedence over industry.(Ideas, 248) He believed also that Americans “create artificial needs for things that have no ultimate value and inadvertently build in a “planned obsolescence”, which seems more or less wasteful and ultimately destructive.”(Ideas, 248) Galbraith viewed poverty in terms of insular, and case poverty.
Robert B. Reich was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in 1946. As U.S. Secretary of Labor during President Clinton's first term, Reich was part of an Administration that presided over the longest economic expansion in history and created more than 22 million jobs nationwide, with more than 450,000 created in Massachusetts alone. (Reich, 1) He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1968, obtained an M.A. as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University and a J.D. from Yale Law School in 1973. He does not hold a Ph.D. in economics. He feels that many laws and shady underhanded deals do not produce wealth; rather churn money around the hands of greedy predators. Reich felt that the government must work together with the people to solve the labor and poverty issues facing the nation. Reich felt that reliable roads, plentiful electricity, well educated workers, low crime rates, and political stability are all elements that make locations attractive to a multinational corporation. (Ideas, 288) Reich viewed poverty through use of metaphor, by comparing living standards to boats.
Alfred Marshal quoted that, “The study of the causes of poverty is the study of the causes of the degradation of a large part of mankind.”(Ideas, 250) He spoke particularly of England, but indirectly of the world. Poverty is almost a self perpetuating problem. Low wages lead to low standards of living, and eventually inability to support companies by buying products, thus leading to the disintegration of said companies, costing hundreds of low level employees their jobs. The poor find jobs more readily available only when the market is expanding. Case poverty is more individualized than insular poverty. An example of case poverty would be the dirty child at school, who is continually assaulted for wearing the same clothes to school. Case poverty more directly relates to a personal inability to cope with changes and adapt to the surrounding conditions. Generally case poverty is related to a particular quality of the individual – mental deficiency, bad health, uncontrollable procreation, alcohol, discrimination involving an excessively limited minority, or educational handicaps unrelated to social shortcomings. (Ideas, 250) Case poverty tends to limit itself to those individuals who are unable to fit and conform to the expectations of society as a whole.
The boat containing in routine producers is sinking rapidly. (Ideas, 291) Reich viewed social categories not as “case” and “insular” poverty, rather metaphorically as boats. Routine producers are those associated with farm work, factory workers, garbage men, ect. The continuing expansion of global economy leads to direct competition with routine producers from around the world. The ability of major corporations to hire workers outside of the states for lower wages, cuts even more deeply into the problem we face with poverty today. To add to this problem, machines and rapidly expanding technology are performing jobs that at one time required up to 5 or 6 workers. An example is that AT&T owned a factory producing phones in Shreveport, Louisiana. In the early 1980’s they found that Singaporian workers would work for less than the routine producers in Shreveport. In 1989 however, AT&T discovered Taiwanese eager to produce their phones for only a fraction of what they currently paid the Singaporians, and consequently switched, costing many Singapore families their jobs and livelihood.(Ideas, 291)
Galbraith described insular poverty as “that which manifests itself as an “island” of poverty.” (Ideas, 251) The people living in such an “island” tend to have been frustrated by some factor that is common to their environment. It is not possible to attribute insular poverty on an individual basis, rather view it as a dilemma facing an entire community. “It is not proper or even wise so to characterize an entire community.” (Ideas, 252) Galbraith attempts to explain insular poverty as peoples need to be at home, the need to stay where they feel safe. Often times those born into poverty have little chance of changing their way of life, insular poverty is caused by several factors. One possibility is that of low paying jobs only available in the area. Insufficient transportation leads to the inability to work for higher wages somewhere further away, and workers must settle where they are, for the low wages they are receiving. Children born into such positions often find themselves following in the footsteps of their loved ones, heading directly into the same dead end jobs that their parents and siblings have become entombed by. A good majority of modern poverty is insular in nature. The “islands” can more or less be categorized by rural or urban slums. (Ideas, 252) Poor schooling leads to poor education, and indirectly back to poor teaching, thus perpetuating the problem. It remains, however, that advance cannot improve the position of those who, by virtue of self or environment, cannot participate.