"The American Standard of Living"

[Cerridwen]

For those who wonder where some of us on the "extreme left" get our ideas, I thought I'd share this bit that somehow, has come to me through my life. The name Brandeis is one I've known so long I can't remember when first I heard it. I don't remember actual instances of hearing the name or these specific words, yet they are part of what I have always "known" to be the ideals to which Americans aspired. These inform *my* "conventional wisdom" as modified by my personal experiences and adjusted for any small bit of knowledge I've acquired over the years.

The following is an excerpt from BUSINESS--A PROFESSION, Chapter 22.

"First published in 1914, Business—A Profession, Brandeis' second book, is a collection of speeches and magazine articles written before his ascension to the Supreme Court. The essays reflect a number of Brandeis' concerns: trusts, unionism, life insurance, scientific management, citizenship and the moral duty of lawyers."

The American Standard of Living

What does this standard imply? In substance, the exercise of those rights which our Constitution guarantees; the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Life, in this connection, means living not existing; liberty, freedom in things industrial as well as political; happiness includes, among other things, that satisfaction which can come only through the full development and utilization of one's faculties. In order that men may live and not merely exist -- in order that men may develop their faculties, they must have a reasonable income; they must have health and leisure. High wages will not meet the worker's need unless employment be regular. The best of wages will not compensate for excessively long working hours which undermine health. And working conditions may be so bad as to nullify the good effects of high wages and short hours. The essentials of American citizenship are not satisfied by supplying merely the material needs or even wants of the worker.

Every citizen must have education -- broad and continuous. This essential of citizenship is not met by an education which ends at the age of 14 -- or even at 18 or 22. Education must continue throughout life. A country cannot be governed well by rulers whose education and mental development is limited to their attendance at the common school. Whether the education of the citizen in later years is to be given in classes or from the public platform, or is to be supplied through discussion in the lodges and the trade unions, or is to be gained from the reading of papers, periodicals, and books, - in any case freshness of mind is indispensable to its attainment. And to the preservation of freshness of mind a short workday is as essential as adequate food and proper conditions of working and living. The worker must, in other words, have leisure. But leisure does not imply idleness. It means ability to work not less but more -- ability to work at some thing besides breadwinning -- ability to work harder while working at breadwinning, and ability to work more years at breadwinning. Leisure, so defined, is an essential of successful democracy.

Furthermore the citizen in a successful democracy must not only have education; he must be free. Men are not free if dependent industrially upon the arbitrary will of another. Industrial liberty on the part of the worker cannot, therefore, exist if there be overweening industrial power. Some curb must be placed upon overweening industrial power. Some curb must be placed upon capitalistic combination. Nor will even this curb be effective unless the workers cooperate, as in trade unions. Control and cooperation are both essential to industrial liberty.

<snip>

The Distinctly American

<snip>

Other countries, while developing the individual man, have assumed that their common good would be attained only if the privileges of citizenship in them should be limited practically to natives or to persons of a particular nationality. America, on the other hand, has always declared herself for equality of nationalities, as well as for equality of individuals. It recognized racial equality as an essential of full human liberty and true brotherhood, and that it is the complement of democracy. It has, therefore, given like welcome to all the peoples of Europe.

<snip; much more at link>

edit for copy and paste space issue.

[Cerridwen]

1. kick. n/t

[Greyhound]

2. I am shocked that so few replied to this.

Well, not really. Louis Brandeis is an American from a bygone era, when the meaning of words and the understanding of ideas was more common. Much like what the founders of this nation envisioned, it has been lost or twisted to conform with the plans of the parasites. Individuality, understanding, knowledge beyond the doctrine, is a liability, a deficit, something to avoid in the Amerika we have allowed to rise.
:kick: & R

[Cerridwen]

3. Really? I'm not.

But, I'll use this as a chance to kick it.

Thanks.

[JDPriestly]

11. For people who don't know who Brandeis was.

Justice Brandeis was appointed by Woodrow Wilson to the Supreme Court of the United States in 1916 (sworn in on June 5), and served until 1939. It surprised many people when Wilson, the son of a Christian minister, appointed the first Jewish Supreme Court Justice.

Besides his educational record, Brandeis had for some years been a contributor to the progressive wing of the United States Democratic Party, and had published a noted book in support of competition rather than monopoly in business. President Wilson, who believed deeply that government must be a moral force for good, responded to similar sentiments in the thought and writings of Brandeis.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Brandeis

[Cerridwen]

12. Thank you!

I should have included more of a description than just a link.

I just assumed (yep, I know) everyone knew who Brandeis was.

[bbinacan]

4. I think Franklin said it best

"The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself." - Benjamin Franklin

If happiness is working your ass off to make money, or if you prefer a more modest life, we have the choice.

[Cerridwen]

7. I think the point Brandeis was making is that no one should have to

"work their ass off" just to exist.

[pnutbutr]

21. I didn't get that

It sounded more like a call for citizens rights and how they should be afforded by the state through programs and regulation. Everyone should work their ass off to exist. It's part of life. When people begin to expect to be given things they do not work as hard which leads to more need, more giving and more expecting.

[Ichingcarpenter]

5. Free education is necessary and indicative of western democracies.

[Cerridwen]

8. One would think.

Your image didn't come up for me. If it was pertinent to your post, please consider checking the link; if not, I'll live with my curiosity. :D

[prairierose]

6. Unfortunately, Brandeis is another who is no longer read ...

so much good information that used to read regularly is deemed too difficult for many students today. I always tell my students that I expect much from them and that I am sorry their earlier teachers did not think enough of them to challenge them. Maybe I will add Brandeis to some reading assignments.

[Cerridwen]

9. Sad to hear, er, read.

He had some very compelling arguments and ideas that fly in the face of today's "conventional wisdom."

[prairierose]

20. Cerridwen, there are so many important writers...

who are no longer read in schools because they are "too difficult". There seems to be this attitude that we should not force students to look at things that are "too difficult". Part of t=it is every child left behind and teaching to the test but part of it is an idea that this is old information and there is so much new information. However, those timeless ideas often help people to see things in a different light. That is what we need for students to have the ability to read and think critically about any information. In the case of Brandeis' ideas, they are some of the seminal ideas about freedom and society and the fact that students do not even know these ideas that underpin our culture is part of the reason that we are losing that culture.

[Cerridwen]

10. kick n/t

[Juche]

13. I'd never heard of Brandeis

Yeah I know, I'm a philistine. But I have only been paying attention to politics for about a year. Reading that article I can only say that I am glad that at least western Europe managed to achieve his ideal of an American standard of living. We haven't achieved most of what he talked about, but I think the internet is really helping with achieving lifelong education.

[Cerridwen]

15. Thanks for saying so.

You just made this frustrated, wanna be teacher quite happy.

This is why I post this stuff at DU. There just might be one or two people who didn't know or hadn't heard or read.

Thank you!

:hi:

[Shardik]

14. K&R. Thanks for sharing this. n/t

[Cerridwen]

16. You're welcome. n/t

[Shardik]

17. No prob and happy to kick again.

[Greyhound]

18. .

[Cerridwen]

19. .

:D