1979

A friend, who is much wiser and therefore much older than I am (nyuck nyuck nyuck) sent me a couple of videos - one of which is the 1st of 5 videos of an interview with economist Milton Friedman on the Phil Donahue show from 1979 (and one that says 1980).

I was 12 when this first aired - so - I probably wasn't paying attention (even though Phil was in our house every single week day - my Mom was a big fan). I think I was too busy collecting the most troll dolls or something.

Anyways, the person that sent this said Friedman was the "most interesting and thoughtful economists of all time" and that he "destroys Donahue with his brilliance."

I have to agree. It's an interesting interview.....even 32 years later.

The first clip is embedded below, and the other 4 are links underneath.





2/5
3/5 (this one says 1980)
4/5
5/5

I always liked the "St. Petersburg Times" senior citizen's solution to fixing the economy. (Don't know if it's a true letter or not, supposedly it was a letter to the editor concerning an article in the business section of the St. Petersburg Times asking readers "How would you fix the Economy" - I didn't check it out to see if it was true - but I thought it was an interesting plan.)

Dear Mr. President,

Please find below my suggestion for fixing America 's economy. Instead of giving billions of dollars to companies that will squander the money on lavish parties and unearned bonuses, use the following plan. You can call it the "Patriotic Retirement Plan":

There are about 40 million people over 50 in the work force. Pay them $1 million apiece severance for early retirement with the following stipulations:

1) They MUST retire. Forty million job openings - Unemployment fixed.

2) They MUST buy a new AMERICAN Car. Forty million cars ordered - Auto Industry fixed.

3) They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage - Housing Crisis fixed.

It can't get any easier than that!!

P.S. If more money is needed, have all members in Congress pay their taxes..

Mr. President, while you're at it, make Congress retire on Social Security
and Medicare. I'll bet both programs would be fixed pronto!