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| I Am Skooter | |
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So here's us, on the raggedy edge.
There are maybe 10 or 12 / things I could teach you / after that you're on your own — A.C. Newman, There are Maybe 10 or 12 |
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This week has seen the departure of two of North America’s distinguised thinkers: Jane Jacobs and John Kenneth Galbraith. Both were erstwhile Canadians.
Jane Jacobs Death and Life of Great American Cities is a classic text to anyone interested in urban planning. It went against conventional wisdom of the time and, to this day, remains an insightful thoughtful viewpoint.
Jacobs called both Toronto and Vancouver home for extended periods of time, and was proud to have been associated with both communities.
John Kenneth Galbraith was one of the most influential liberal economists of our times. Born near London, Ontario Galbraith was a Harvard professor and trusted advisor to a number of democratic presidents. His influence over American monetary policy was significant, and serves as evidence that the decline of liberalism in modern American economic thinking may, in fact, be linked to the general decline of America’s economy and its political relevance in the world.
Galbraith’s The Affluent Society was republished to celebrate an anniversary, and I read it years after I’d left school. It’s worthy reading for anybody with an interest in modern economics, despite the fact that it was written many years ago.
Posted by skooter at 9:15 AM
This entry is filed under Books, Politics, Technology, Words.
This entry is tagged: Economics, Obituaries, Urban Planning