. . . or click on the link here for Audio Player – NET: The Great Society Program – June 29, 1966 – Gordon Skene Sound Collection
When President Johnson swept to victory in 1964, his goal was to create The Great Society. An update of FDR’s New Deal of the 1930s. Sweeping plans were in the works, covering a vast array of jobs, education and the Arts. Coupled with Medicare, Voting Rights, The Civil Rights Bill, The War on Poverty – it was a full plate of change and many wondered just how it was going to happen.
And while the programs were being implemented, the nagging issues of Poverty, the Civil Rights question and Inner-City decay brought numerous issues to the forefront. One of the most crucial was that of the economy.
So in 1966, where was The Great Society? What was happening? What was changing? Were the programs bogging down in red-tape?
In this half-hour discussion, economists Dr. Milton Friedman and Herbert Striner gathered to debate and give their views on just where The Great Society was heading.
Each Economist has a distinct take on the situation, and it’s interesting to compare their schools of thought, particularly compared to our current economic climate. The moderator is Austin Kiplinger, editor of The Kiplinger Washington Letter.
Forerunner to PBS, NET ran the program and it was broadcast on June 29, 1966.
