Why was Henry George not successful?

Neo-classical Economics as a Stratagem
against Henry George
Mason Gaffney
1
eoclassical economics is the idiom of most economic discourse
today. It is the paradigm that bends the twigs of young minds. Then
it confines the florescence of older ones, like chicken-wire shaping
a topiary. It took form about a hundred years ago, when Henry George and
his reform proposals were a clear and present political danger and challenge
to the landed and intellectual establishments of the world. Few people
realize to what degree the founders ofNeo-classical economics changed the
discipline for the express purpose of deflecting George and frustrating
future students seeking to follow his arguments. The strategem was
semantic: to destroy the very words in which he expressed himself. Simon
Patten expounded it succinctly. “Nothing pleases a …single taxer better
than … to use the well-known economic theories … [therefore] economic
doctrine must be recast” (Patten, 1908: 219; Collier, 1979: 270).’
George believed economists were recasting the discipline to refute him.
He states so, as though in the third person, in his posthumously published
book, The Science ofPoliticalEconomy(George, 1898:200-209). George’s
self-importance was immodest, it is true. However, immodesty may be
objectivity, as many great talents from Frank Lloyd Wright to Muhammed
Ali and Frank Sinatra have displayed. George had good reasons, which we
are to demonstrate. George’s view may even strike some as paranoid. That
was this writer’s first impression, many years ago. I have changed my view,
however, after learning more about the period, the literature, and later
events.

To read on please follow this link:

Click to access K1Neo-classical_Stratagem.CV.pdf

I, Uta, am very interested in finding out why there is so much resistance to applying the ideas that Henry George promoted in the 19th century.

The above publication seems to be giving some interesting links.

UTA’S DIARY

In March 1879 American Henry George published in San Francisco: PROGRESS AND POVERTY. It is a big read, more than 500 pages. We have had this book for many years. Still, I never took time to read it properly.

You may have noticed that I googled a lot these past few days. It all had to do with where past civilisations and our civilisation are headed for.

The unequal distribution of wealth and privilege is examined. Progress as well as poverty, how can this be? THIS IS THE QUESTION.

In 1979 Agnes George de Mille, the granddaughter of Henry George, published this:

w.progwwress.org/tpr/who-was-henry-george/

I found the above when I googled ‘Henry George‘. There are many more links to Henry George in Google!

Last Wednesday and last Saturday to Sydney by Train

Last Wednesday we were in Sydney. It was a very enjoyable, sunny winter day. We went to Hyde-Park to eat our lunch which we had brought from home. Lots of people were enjoying themselves in the sunshine. How wonderful for office workers to be able to spend their lunch break in beautiful Hyde-Park right in the midst of the city! Heaps of tourists were around too, of course. People took photos of the sculptures around the fountain with St Mary’s Cathedral in the background. Peter and I we took quite a few photos as well. It was a lovely atmosphere with a bit of rather pleasant music provided by someone who had brought along some recordings.

With the recordings he practiced some flute playing.

All the sculptures looked just wonderful in the brilliant sunshine.

Yesterday, on Saturday, we went to Sydney again. The ASSOCIATION FOR GOOD GOVERNMENT had sent us an invitation for a free conference “Henry George: Social Philosopher or Tax Reformer?” at the Sydney Mechanics – School of Arts in Pitt Street. The conference lasted from 10am to 4pm.The speakers were Terry Dwyer, Professor Frank Stillwell, Richard Giles and Ronald Johnston.