Power To Choose: How To Stay Free

Morton Friedman, arguably the most influential economist of the latter half of the twentieth-century (according to noted economist John Kenneth Galbraith) is the host of this series of programs offering a "personal statement" on economics. Although the show is nearly a decade old, Friedman's aggressive cap­italism is still plenty relevant today. A firm believer in the principles of Adam Smith (The Wealth of Nations) and the philosophy of Thomas Jefferson, Friedman argues, quite cogently, that we are in danger of losing our economic freedoms--which in his opinion is a prelude to the loss of greater freedoms. About as anti big-government as they come, Friedman traces the history of government interference in the marketplace (beginning with the Great Depression), up to our present ludicrous situation: where it's possible to have two government offices devoted to opposite purposes, canceling each other out, yet doubling our tax burden. He cites HEW as the greatest offender, with the third largest budget in the entire world (after the overall U.S. and the Soviet Union's.) There are also some fascinating tales of free enterprise being squelched. In one case, an alternative postal service in Rochester, NY was immediately shut down by court order (even though the customers preferred the entre­preneurial young woman's services over the U.S. Postal Service.) Whether or not Adam Smith's "invisible hand" could operate in today's society is debatable, and has been hotly argued for years. What is inarguable is that the system as is, doesn't work. A thought-provoking, stim­ulating hour with a very intelligent and lucid man. Highly recommended. (See SITTING IN LIMBO for availability.)