Free to Choose - Screening and Discussion
 | Thursday, January 17 to Thursday, March 20 On Thursdays, starting January 17, 2008, the Wynnewood Institute is screening "Free to Choose," the 1980 ground-breaking PBS television series featuring Milton Friedman, Nobel-Prize-winning economist, which became the foundation of the bestselling book of the same title. These programs, filmed on location around the world, have helped millions of people understand the close relationship between the ideas of human freedom and economic freedom. "Free to Choose" is just as inspiring and instructive today as it was in the 1980's. Each episode is followed by an hour of discussion. January 17 Episode 1: The Power of the Market America's freedom and prosperity derive from the combination of the idea of human liberty in America's Declaration of Independence with the idea of economic freedom in Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations . Friedman explains how markets and voluntary exchange organize activity and enable people to improve their lives. He also explains the essential connection between the price system and productivity. Friedman visits Hong Kong, U.S. and Scotland. January 24 Episode 2: The Tyranny of Control Government planning and detailed control of economic activity lessens productive innovation and consumer choice. Good, better, best, are replaced by "approved" or "authorized." Friedman shows how "established" industries or methods seek government protection and subsidies in their attempts to stop or limit competition and product improvements which they don't control. Friedman visits India, Japan and the U.S. January 31 Episode 3: Anatomy of Crisis The Great Depression has been popularly viewed as a failure of capitalism. The stock market crash, the failure of the Bank of the United States, loss of personal savings, were visible symbols supporting this belief. As Friedman explains, the real cause was the unseen failure of government policy and action. Yet this crisis resulting from government failure led to decades of government expansion. February 7 Episode 4: From Cradle to Grave The welfare state arises from the attempt to do good with other people's money. Such attempts always fail because nobody spends somebody else's money as carefully as his own. Welfare is supply-driven. Those spending the money use force to collect it and to insure those receiving it use it for "right" purposes. Good intentions are corrupted by bad means. Friedman visits the U.S. and Britain. February 14 Episode 5: Created Equal The Declaration of Independence says, "all men are created equal." Friedman explains that this did not mean all persons should or will have equal talents or income. Equal opportunity to better oneself, and the right to personally benefit from the gains realized, are consistent with freedom. Equality of results requires force. Taking from some to give to others destroys freedom and removes the incentive for creating new wealth. Friedman visits India, the U.S. and Britain. February 28 Episode 6: What's Wrong with our Schools Parental choice and parental responsibility in the education of children is the U.S. tradition and is consistent with a free society. Centralized government control has eroded freedom and adversely affected the quality of education. The poor help pay for the education of the future rich. Friedman has long advocated using vouchers to solve the problem. He explains why. Friedman visits the U.S. and Britain. March 6 Episode 7: Who Protects the Consumer? Various government agencies have been created on the claim that they will protect the consumer. These agencies restrict freedom, stifle beneficial innovation, and become agents for the industries or groups they are intended to regulate. Friedman explains how the apparent chaos of the market place, the competition of many suppliers for business, is the best protection of consumer interests. March 13 Episode 8: Who Protects the Worker? Unions sometimes protect some workers - their members - but usually at the expense of other workers. Government protects its employees and special groups of workers at the expense of other workers. Both unions and government restrict freedom. Friedman explains how the competition of employers for the talents of workers leads to the highest wages and best working conditions. March 20 Episode 9: How to Cure Inflation Inflation results when the amount of money printed or coined increases faster than the creation of new goods and services. Money is a "token" of the wealth of a nation. If more tokens are created than new wealth, it takes more tokens to buy the same goods. Friedman explains why politicians like inflation, and why wage and price controls are not solutions to the problem. Friedman visits Japan, the U.S. and Britain. March 27 Episode 10: How to Stay Free Democracies have only recently been considered desirable. Historically, it was feared that democracies always self destruct when citizens, forgetting that you cannot remove want and misery through legislation, insist on government actions that physically and morally bankrupt their nation. Friedman explains why the United States has so far avoided this outcome and how we can continue to do so. This program includes an interview of Dr. Friedman by Lawrence E. Spivak. Recommended Reading: Free To Choose, by Milton Friedman and Rose Friedman Duration: 10 weeks; Thursdays, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Concluding on March 27 Location: 104 Haverford Road Wynnewood, PA 19096 Cost: $200, or $20 per session. Discounts may be available in cases of financial hardship. Registration is necessary. You can register by email to wynnewood@wynnewood.org or by telephone at 610-642-0618. |