Jan

15

Milton Friedman’s “Free to Choose” on Google!

Filed Under Economics, History, Milton Friedman, National | Leave a Comment

The classic PBS Milton Friedman series “Free To Choose” is now up on Google Videos. The original 10 part series from 1980 is there as well as the updated 5 part series from 1990. Look Here

I was watching Vol. 8 of the 1980 segment titled “Who Protects the Worker” where Milton Friedman discusses trade unions, government employee unions, professional associations (AMA), non-unionized workers, illegal immigration and the minimum wage.
The discussion part is quite interesting, the free market side includes Milton Friedman, William H. Brady – President of WH Brady Co, and Walter Williams – Professor Of Economics, Temple University. They won the debate by sheer facts and intelligent argument.

The Losers

On the pro-union, pro minimum wage side is Ernest Green – Asst Secretary of Labor at the time who said “I don’t think you can have a democratic society without having trade unions, I think if you look at any democratic country, it’s essential to it.”
Typical bureaucrat, his department’s purpose is regulating labor union practices, so he claims that labor unions are essential to democracy. What he was really saying is labor unions are essential to him getting a government paycheck.

Then there’s Lynn Williams, then International Secretary of United Steel Workers of America. He takes the cake for most ridiculous historical fallacy. He say’s “We tried a free market system without labor unions, we tried it back in the 1920’s into the 30’s and it led the world into the biggest economic disaster it’s ever seen in modern times. A free market system without labor unions is a total disaster.”

Err…according to Lynn, there were no labor unions in the 20’s into the 30’s (WRONG!), and the Great Depression was caused because there were no labor unions? (DOUBLE WRONG). Wow! Strangest revisionist history I’ve ever heard.

Watch the whole series….great stuff!