Milton Friedman - Free to Choose (1980 & 1990)

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Free To Choose was an award winning PBS television series featuring the Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman. 10 films make up the series, each featuring a short documentary where Milton Friedman presents his views on a given topic followed by a discussion and debate with various participants including politicians, academics, business people, et al.

In general the views expressed are contrary to the status quo of government involvement in daily life. In fact at the time the series was first aired it was given poor time slots by station managers that did not want it broadcast, and the program was even banned in France. Despite this suppression, the series went on to become a smash success leading to the best selling non-fiction book of 1980 and a follow-up series in 1990.

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Free to Choose 1980

Volume 1 - The Power of the Market
Topic: The Power of the Market to Promote Prosperity and Freedom

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 price system. Friedman visits Hong Kong, U.S. and Scotland.

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Free to Choose 1980 - Milton Friedmans Major Television Series

Volume 2 - The Tyranny of Control
Topic: The Case for Free Trade

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 or subsidization in their attempts to stop or limit product improvements which they don't control. Friedman visits India, Japan and U.S.

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Free to Choose 1980 - Milton Friedmans Major Television Series

Volume 3 - Anatomy of a Crisis
Topic: What Caused the Great Depression, and What To Do About It

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 leads to decades of government expansion.

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1980 Free to Choose - Milton Friedmans Major Television Series

Volume 4 - From Cradle to Grave
Topic: The Welfare System

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 U.S. and Britain.

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Free to Choose 1980 - Milton Friedmans Major Television Series

Volume 5 - Created Equal
Topic: Is Equality Possible or Even a Desirable Goal for Society

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 one's self, 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, U.S. and Britain.

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Free to Choose 1980 - Milton Friedmans Major Television Series

Volume 6 - What's Wrong With Our Schools
Topic: Government Control and Involvement in Education

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 education for the future rich. Friedman has long advocated using vouchers to solve the problem. He explains why. Friedman visits U.S. and Britain.

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Free to Choose 1980 - Milton Friedmans Major Television Series

Volume 7 - Who Protects the Consumer
Topic: Are Consumer Protection Agencies the Best Way to Protect 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.

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Free to Choose 1980 - Milton Friedmans Major Television Series

Volume 8 - Who Protects The Worker
Topic: Do Government Protection, Minimum Wage, and Unions Really Benefit Workers

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.

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Free to Choose 1980 - Milton Friedmans Major Television Series

Volume 9 - How to Cure Inflation
Topic: Why Politicians Like Inflation and How to Prevent It

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, U.S. and Britain.

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Free to Choose 1980 - Milton Friedmans Major Television Series

Volume 10 - How to Stay Free
Topic: Limiting Government Power to Preserve Democracy and a Free Society

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.

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In 1990, Free to Choose was updated to five volumes. Each volume features a documentary by Milton Friedman followed by an all-new discussion and debate. Volumes 1, 2, 4 and 5 include modified documentaries originally produced for the 1980 version of the series. Volume 3, "The Failure of Socialism" was later renamed "Freedom and Prosperity". Volume 4, "What's Wrong With Our Schools" was later renamed "The Failure of Socialism".

The 1990 series features introductions by prominant figures such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Schultz, Ronald Reagan, and Steve Allen. If nothing else, after viewing these films at least you'll know what Arnold is talking about when he says, "Our state will prosper again when we commit ourselves in California to "Free to Choose" economics."

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Free to Choose 1990

Volume 1 - The Power of the Market
Topic: The Power of the Market to Promote Prosperity and Freedom

Dr. Friedman states, "There is not a single person in the world who can make this pencil." He explains that the creation of even a simple object - like the "lead" pencil - requires the knowledge of many people, lumberjacks, steel manufacturers, miners, etc. These people may not speak the same language, they may not know or like one another, yet the market enables them to combine knowledge and effort to produce wealth. Introduced by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Discussion with David Brooks, Wall Street Journal and James Galbraith, University of Texas.

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Free to Choose 1990

Volume 2 - The Tyranny of Control
Topic: The Case for Free Trade

"When anyone complains about unfair competition, consumers beware." Friedman tells us about the writings of Adam Smith who, 200 years ago, warned that businesses always try to sell for the highest price and will try to control the market to do so. But without government help businesses cannot force people to buy their goods. Consumers will always get the lowest possible prices when competition is free and robust. Introduced by George Schultz. Discussion with Michael Walker, Fraser Institute and Steve Cohen, UC Berkeley.

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Free to Choose 1990

Volume 3 - Freedom and Prosperity
Topic: The Re-Birth of Freedom in Eastern Europe

Milton says "Everybody knows what needs to be done. The property that is now in the hands of the state, needs to be gotten into the hands of private people who can use it in accordance with their own interests and values." Eastern Europe has observed the history of free markets in the United States and wants to copy our success. Ironically, we seem unable to turn away from the temptations of socialism despite its long history of bankrupting economies. Introduced by Ronald Reagan. Discussion with Gary Becker, University of Chicago and Sam Bowles, University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

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Free to Choose 1990

Volume 4 - The Failure of Socialism
Topic: Government Control and Involvement in Education

"Parental choice, parents choosing the teachers, parents monitoring the schooling," is Friedman's answer to the problem. In almost every case, giving individuals the power to choose, to set their own course, will lead to better results than centrally planned activity. That applies to schooling and every other activity in a modern society. Introduced by David Friedman. Discussion with Gordon Tullock, University of Arizona and Henry Levin, Stanford University.

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Free to Choose 1990

Volume 5 - Created Equal
Topic: Is Equality Possible or Even a Desirable Goal for Society

"The society that puts equality before freedom will end up with neither. The society that puts freedom before equality will end up with a great measure of both." The desire to have more, to have what those who are better off have, is a powerful emotion. Friedman points out that the most governments can do is provide all citizens with equal opportunity to use their time and abilities as they best see fit, in pursuit of a better life. Introduced by Steve Allen. Discussion with Thomas Sowell, Hoover Institution and Michael Kinsley, New Republic.

Bonus:
Milton Friedman - Icelandic State Television in 1984