[Vwoolf] Woolf and the middlebrow, from today’s New York Times

Sun Aug 3 11:49:49 EDT 2014

“There was a law of nature, he said, by which wages went up and wages went down. ‘You must accept the declivity as well as the ascent. . . . If we could only get people to learn that, then things would go on a great deal better and smoother.’”

“Archbishop Thomson” in “The Common Reader”

Stuart

From: Linda Camarasana 
Sent: Sunday, August 03, 2014 3:48 PM
To: 'VWOOLF listserv' 
Subject: Re: [Vwoolf] Woolf and the middlebrow, from today’s New York Times

I think it’s a very American thing: Capitalism will make you free and equal, and if you are not equal (meaning prosperous) it’s because you didn’t work hard enough. Scott is right in saying it’s what we are taught (or at least told by our politicians) to believe.

--Linda

From: vwoolf-bounces+mhussey=verizon.net at lists.service.ohio-state.edu [mailto:vwoolf-bounces+mhussey=verizon.net at lists.service.ohio-state.edu] On Behalf Of Stuart N. Clarke
Sent: Sunday, August 03, 2014 3:58 AM
To: 'VWOOLF listserv'
Subject: Re: [Vwoolf] Woolf and the middlebrow, from today’s New York Times

I didn’t read this article carefully, but I couldn’t make any sense of it at all.  I don’t know where the author got this from:

“The nature of capitalism, we have been taught to believe, tends toward greater equality, wider opportunity and the leveling of archaic, invidious distinctions based on pedigree. Mr. Piketty throws cold water on this conventional wisdom, which has been part of the intellectual birthright of nearly everyone born in the West since the end of World War II.”

Is this some sort of “trickle down” effect, argued by -- is it Milton Friedman?

I suppose it’s appropriate that the article should have quoted Woolf’s “letter”, which, although not really difficult to understand (esp. ever since Melba Cuddy-Keane deconstructed it), is difficult to absorb because the reader tends to come at it with his/her own prejudices.  I came at the NYT article with my own prejudices, yet somehow I doubt that Melba will be able clarify it for me.

Stuart

From: Linda Camarasana 

Sent: Sunday, August 03, 2014 2:30 AM

To: 'VWOOLF listserv' 

Subject: [Vwoolf] Woolf and the middlebrow, from today’s New York Times

Cheers!

Linda Camarasana

SUNY Old Westbury

From: emailthis at ms3.lga2.nytimes.com [mailto:emailthis at ms3.lga2.nytimes.com] 
Sent: Saturday, August 02, 2014 9:17 PM
To: camarasana at mindspring.com
Subject: NYTimes.com: A Resurgence in Inequality and Its Effects on Culture 

            Sent by camarasanal at oldwestbury.edu:

                 Cross Cuts
                  A Resurgence in Inequality and Its Effects on Culture 
                  By A. O. SCOTT
                  The implications of entrenched inequality described by the economist Thomas Piketty extend beyond the realm of political economy.

            Or, copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://nyti.ms/1tDnR91 

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