HowtoGetthePooroffOurConscienceisanessay,withclearlogicandatoneofirony,writtenbyJohnKennethGalbraithwhoisknownforhisdevelopmentofKeynesianandpost-KeynesianeconomicsaswellasforhiswritingandhisactiveinvolvementinAmericanpolitics.

　　Thisarticlebeginswithpointingdirectlyoutthatthethemeorproblem“HowtoGetthePooroffOurConscience”hasexistedwithalonghistory.ASforhowtogetthepooroffourconscience,theauthor,inthesecondpartofthisarticle,bringsupfivehistoricalsolutions:accordingtothebible,thepoorshouldbepatientenoughtotheirpovertyofthecurrentlifesoastoenjoytheirfuturefortuneinthenextlife;accordingtotheutilitarianismofJeremyBentharn,thegreatestgoodforthegreatestnumber,societydoesitsbestforthelargestpossiblenumberofpeople,bywhichpeoplecangetthepoorofftheirconscience;basedonMalthusianism,povertyiscausedbytheundueandirresponsiblesexualintercourseofthepoor,sothepovertyisthefaultofthepoorandnothingrelatedwiththerich;thetheoryof“survivalofthefittest”ofSocialDarwinismprovidestherichanexcusethatthepoorandtheaffluencearetheresultsoftheoperationofthelawofnatureandGod;CalvinCoolidgeandHerbertHooverbelievethatassistancetothepoorisinconsistentwiththeeconomicdesignandalsodamagestheeconomy,bywhichtherichcanalsogetthepooroutoftheirconscience.

　　AftertheRooseveltrevolutionalotofsubstantialmeasureshavebeentaken,howevertheauthorthinksthatis,actually,awaytoavoidthinkingaboutthepoor.Inrecentyears,thesearchforawayofgettingthepoorofftherich’sconscienceisnotatanend.Therearefivecurrentdesignsforpeopletochoose:thegovernmentincompetenceshouldbethereasonforthepoor;helpingthepooronlyhurtsthepoor;public-assistancemeasureshaveanadverseeffectonthemotivationoftherichandthediligent;thefreedomoftheaffluenceisreducedwhilethatoftheimpoverishedisnotextraordinarilyenhancedbytakingmoneytohelpthepoorfromthetaxesoftherich;psychologicaldenialtothepoorcanalsobeamethodtogetoutofthepoorfromtherich’sconscience.Intheendofthispart,theauthorconcludesthatthemoderndesignsexceptthepsychologicaldenialareallthevariationsofthehistoricalsolutions.SoaresomesolutionsordesignsnowwelcomedinWashington,suchasthoseproposedbyGeorgeGilderandCharlesMurray.

　　Inthelastpartofthearticle,theauthorpointsoutthatcompassion,alongwiththeassociatedpubliceffortisintheinterestoftheconservativestopreserveandenlargethesocialandpoliticaltranquility.