Author: thcscout

The speaker is Joe Michael Cobb, was an outspoken libertarian. He was the editor-in-chief of the Chicago-based New Individualist Review. He expressed a point of view that was espoused by many of the younger conservatives in the United States at that time. He advocated for a drastically reduced role for government in American life and called for private industry to operate programs such as the public schools and the massive federal highway construction projects. Cobb also took issue with right-wing leaders such as William F. Buckley Jr. and the Rev. Billy James Hargis whose positions, he felt, were too colored by their religious beliefs.

Among those serving on his editorial board were Dr. Milton Friedman, a University of Chicago economics professor as well as a Newsweek columnist and Barry Goldwater’s chief economic advisor during his1964 presidential campaign. Also Dr. FA Hynek, who was a professor of political science at the University of Chicago and a noted conservative ideologist.

Every one of the questions raised in this program seem relevant today. Can we have a free market economy? Is our Liberal education system successful? Should public education be government controlled?

He felt that the liberal view that government should control much of our lives had proven a failure time and again. His examples included the failures of government control of public housing, urban renewal, public health, public education, roadbuilding, the military draft (a huge issue during the Vietnam War era), the legalization of marijuana, etc. etc. – issues that are actively being debated today.

Although the liberal press at the time thought his ideas insane and some called him an anarchist, to me as an 81year-old person who has lived in this country all of my life and considers myself an independent person politically, many of his ideas seem reasonable and certainly worthy of consideration.

What became of him after this kinescope was recorded? Among other activities, in 2000, he ran to become a United States representative in district 48 – Riverside California.

Prior to that he was a personal financial consultant, a college instructor of economics at Saddleback College, a senior fellow in economics at the Heritage Foundation, the chief economist of the Republican Party (1992 to 1993), economic advisor to the State Department (1982 and 1983) and the Deputy Director of the White House policy Office Of Policy Information during the Reagan administration (1982).

He said in a political speech in 2000 that his top priorities if elected were to

• Declare “defeat” in the failed police War on Drugs and finding a medical/educational solution
• Abolish the Federal income tax
• Oppose on every front the “social conservatives” who are taking over the ”Demopublican” Parties.

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David Hoffman filmmaker