"'Liberal' Rhetoric vs. LBJ Achievements," by Leon H. Keyserling

Page Two JUSTICE April 1968 Liberal' Rhetoric vs. LB Achievements By LEON H. KEYSERLING to keep our economy running observations which the newly-select- foisting additional sales taxes upon smoothly enough to translate its ed leader of a liberal organization the backs of the poor-or has he NTIL rather recently, attacks by burgeoning ability to produce into should be blaring from the house- put through a much larger expan- U John Kenneth Galbraith, chair- tops, and to all the young people on sion of federal aid to education a blessing for all instead of a curse man of Americans for Democratic the campuses throughout the land. than anybody dreamed feasible a for many. Action (ADA), upon the Johnson Ad- And on the social side, the claim (I have perhaps a more moderate few years ago? ministration were limited to the of "opulence" in the private sector view about such comments from any Has President Johnson told us Vietnam issue. But the momentum of and starvation in the public sector labor leader who is doing other that we are "opulent" in our pri- these attacks has now carried over flaunts what everyone who looks can things besides, or even from some vate lives-or has he put through to the domestic front. In a keynote see: that families poor because of of those outside the labor move- the Congress the most extensive im- address to the national conference inadequate incomes, living in prox- ment who have worked with it over provements in minimum wage leg- of the American Public Welfare As- imity to some of our splendiferous the years and who know also of its islation to date, both as to levels sociation on December 6, 1967, Mr. immense services to the and coverage? Galbraith said that President John- public welfare.) Has President Johnson told us son, in dealing with poverty, un- that we are "opulent" in our pri- employment and unrest, "invoked vate lives-or has he in the War in unprecedented fashion the power publicly endowed universities and More broadly, I believe (granted Against Poverty and many other of prayer." public highways, offer just as tragic that it might be doing even better new programs of The Great So- Under these circumstances, it is a contrast as rich families living in some respects) that the American ciety shown both compassion and fair to compare the President's rec- close to the shambles of some of labor movement remains the most inventiveness, and in some respects ord with Mr. Galbraith's domestic our starved public hospitals. powerful and hopeful single striking shown even more courage than FDR views. In 1958, Galbraith's book, The Although improved income dis- force in the battle for economic and when measured against the times? Affluent Society, urged "winning a tribution is incomparably the core social progress. And instead of get- Has President Johnson measured measure of release from our present economic and social problem in ting rhapsodic about how "sov- poverty by those families with in- commitment to full employment (p. the United States, the book argues ereign" corporations are planning in comes below $1,000-or has he been 295), and added that "economic that liberals abandon their tradi- the public interest, we would do concerned about the 30-odd million management requires an operating tional "argument over equality" (p. well to recognize the contribution poor? margin of possible (acceptable) un- 313), and that we should have a of the labor movement, not just Has President Johnson sought to employment of up to perhaps 4 mil- "truce" on "the issue of inequality" through collective bargaining, but disparage the significance of the lion" (p. 303). because of its "comparative lack of also through its manifold supports American labor movement-or has He reiterated in the magazine En- social urgency" in an affluent so- to planning in the public interest. he hailed the significance of that counter in December 1964 that top ciety (p. 314). movement and worked with its lead- priority should no longer be attach- LET US NOW COMPARE THE ership and its people? ed to the problem of unemployment domestic views of our ADA dump- THIS PROPELS GALBRAITH ONE Johnson leader with the record of Has President Johnson scoffed at when it gets as low as about 6 per- cent (more than 50 percent higher step further toward ardent advocacy Lyndon B. Johnson. President John- the importance of economic growth than it is now!). Yet it did not take of vastly increased use of the sales son indeed has not gone as far as -or has he sought vigorously to tax at state and local levels, as the maintain and advance it? until 1967 for even informed con- he might have in some respects. But servatives to learn that an unem- predominant method of financing has President Johnson told us that It is indubitably true that liberals ployment rate of even 4 percent im- expansion in the public sector, on it might be well to have 6 percent in ADA have not adopted Mr. Gal- pacts so devastatingly upon vulner- the ground that "in the affluent so- unemployment-or has he worked braith's domestic program, lock, able groups that full employment ciety, no useful distinction can be made between luxuries and necessi- mightily to reduce unemployment stock, and barrel, although some from 5.7 percent in 1963 to 3.7 per- of them seem to have fallen asleep. must be the first step in any war against poverty, and toward restor- ties," and that "food being com- cent in early 1968? Nonetheless, their acceptance of him ation of human dignity among mil- paratively cheap and abundant, we Has President Johnson told us as their leader must indicate their tax it in order to have better medi- lions of our people. that social security is largely finish- reduced concern about the great cal services" (p. 315). ed business-or has he driven domestic priorities. And his views INSTEAD, THE BOOK URGES And by looking only at families through Congress (albeit with high- on the domestic front which he with incomes under $1,000 the book ly undesirable amendments) a 13 knows best should render suspect his powerful restraints upon private concludes that practically all of the consumption and incomes, and re- percent increase in social security views on the international front allocation of resources from the pri- poor are of the "case variety,' suf- benefits? which he knows least, instead of vate to the public sector, on the fering mostly because of individual Has President Johnson invoked propelling ADA to follow so trust- ground that we are "opulent" the shortcomings, or of the "insular the power of prayer that the state ingly his "solutions" to our inter- private sector while starved in the variety," due largely to "the desire and localities expand education by national difficulties. public sector. Yet it is clear that al- of people to stay in the localities of most chronic underconsumption has their birth.