Politically Impossible....? Quotes

“If Professor Samuelson had spoken in this kind of way, bringing thereby the relevant — indeed vital — political factor of vote-acquisition into the picture, and if a sufficient number of his economist colleagues had supported him, such reactions as his authority commanded would have been diametrically different. A tendency for the vote factor to change would have been the consequence. People would begin asking, ‘Why is the dismissed alternative “not worthy of consideration”? If the obstacle to what is desirable is simply the opposition of an identifiable group which is acting anti-socially, why should we put up with it?’ The number of votes likely to be lost through advocacy of a policy aimed at boosting an uninflated wages-flow (and raising profits and prospects of profits also) would have been reduced. In other words, a return to what Keynes, shortly before his death, called (unexpectedly but respectfully) ‘the old classical medicine’ would have become less ‘politically impossible’.”
― W.H. Hutt, Politically Impossible....?

“The virtue in the democratic process is that the masses have the power to change rulers in a peaceful manner so that rule in the interests of a few is prevented. The vice is that, because the masses have not learned how to discern rulers who will legislate for their advantage, governments are today engaged in dissipating their people’s heritage. But if I seem to be disparaging the electoral wisdom of ‘the masses’, I am in effect criticizing the people who create mass opinion, both from within and outside the political arena. It is the persuadable among the editors, the columnists, the television and radio commentators, the academics, the clergy and the teachers generally who must be won over. I see no reason why it should be ‘impossible’ to demonstrate to them that, while redistribution of property ownership via progressive inheritance taxes could occur without serious harm to the society of which the masses are a part, currently effected income transfers with egalitarian intentions have gravely harmful effects, the consequences of which are likely to be felt mainly in the future, with their source then possibly undiscernible.”
― W.H. Hutt, Politically Impossible....?