Keynesism in the United States 凯恩斯主义在美国 John K. Galbraith.doc

凯恩斯主义在美国 By John Kenneth Galbraith At the close of 1933, Keynes addressed a letter to Franklin D. Roosevelt, which，not seeking reticence, he published in the New York Times. A single sentence summarized his case: “I lay overwhelming emphasis on the increase of national purchasing power resulting from governmental expenditure which is financed by loans….” The following year he visited FDR but the letter had been a better means of communication. Each man was puzzled by the face-to-face encounter. The President thought Keynes some kind of “a mathematician rather than a political economist.” Keynes was depressed; he had “supposed the President was more literate, economically speaking.” 在1933年末，凯恩斯给富兰克林 D. 罗斯福写了一封信，不是为谋求沉默，他把信发表在纽约时报上。一句话可概括他的意思：“我十万分地强调，国家购买力的增加取决于政府贷款融资的支出…”除去信件是一种比较好的交流方式外，第二年他拜访了罗斯福。每个男人都会因当面的遭遇而感困惑。罗斯福总统认为凯恩斯是某类数学家，而不是政治经济学家。”凯恩斯很沮丧；他曾说“从经济学方面而言，假定总统更有学养。” If corporations are large and strong, as they already were in the thirties, they can reduce their prices. And if unions are nonexistent or weak, as they were at the time in the United States, labor can then be forced to accept wage reductions. Action by one company will force action by another. The modern inflationary spiral will work in reverse; the reduced purchasing power of workers will add to its force. Through the National Recovery Administration Washington was trying to arrest this process—a reasonable and even wise effort, given the circumstances. This Keynes and most economists did not see; he and they believed the NRA wrong, and ever since it has had a poor press. One of FDR’s foolish mistakes. Keynes wanted much more vigorous borrowing and spending; he thought the Administration far too cautious. And Washington was, indeed, reluctant. 如果企业规模巨大且实力很强，像30年代的那些企业一样，它们就可以降低它们的产品价格。而如果没有工会，或者工会力量很弱，像那时的美国企业，工人就可能被迫接受降低工资。一个公司的行为就会使另一个公司效仿。现代的恶性通胀会起反作用；降低工人的购买力就会增加通胀的力度。通过国家贮备局，华盛顿正试图阻止这个过程—一个合理的甚至明智的努力，考虑到了种种情形。凯恩斯和大多数经济学家并没有领会到这点；他和他们认为是国家贮备局的错误，而且从那时起国家贮备局一直未尽力。这成了罗斯福愚蠢的错误之一。凯恩斯渴望更多的有活力的借贷