The Perspective On the Great Society
- Barry Goldwater: Click for biography: His Platform
- States Rights - He wanted the government of each state to be closer with the citizens of that state. He wanted the state and local governments to have more control over what happens locally. He wanted a reduction in federal involvement.
- Equal Treatment for Everyone - Goldwater wanted everyone to be treated equally, no matter color, gender, or race.
- Fiscal Responsibility - Goldwater wanted to maintain the value of the dollar. He wanted to reduce unnecessary government spending.
- Social Security - Safeguard the "Security" in the Social Security system. He wanted to maintain the financial benefits of the Social Security system for the aged.
- Leadership - Goldwater wanted to be a man of the people. He was not running for personal benefits, but was running to serve the citizens of the United States.
IN FAVOR OF THE GREAT SOCIETY:
2. “He requested ‘doubling the war against poverty this year’ and called for new emphasis on area redevelopment, further efforts at retraining unskilled workers, an improvement in the unemployment compensation system and an extension of the minimum wage floor to two million workers now unprotected by it. … He called for new, improved or bigger programs in attacking physical and mental disease, urban blight, water and air pollution, and crime and delinquency.” --- The New York Times in 1964
3. "I wouldn't quarrel that medicare's been a success. In fact, much of the social safety net was accomplished during the Great Society, and whatever gets trimmed, the safety net will remain intact.'' --- Edwin L. Dale Jr., the spokesman for David A. Stockman, director of the Office of Management and Budget. Source: The New York Times
4. ''is rich enough to do anything it has the guts to do and the vision to do and the will to do.'' --- Tom Wicker in 1990. Source: The New York Times
OPPOSED TO THE GREAT SOCIETY:
5. ''liberal architects of the Great Society acted as though various education, training and community development programs would themselves shrink poverty dramatically, almost independent of economic trends.'' --- Robert Greenstein, 1987. Source: the New York Times
6. ''Cost estimates running into the scores of billions are clearly far out of line with reality.'' ---Edwin L. Dale Jr., the spokesman for David A. Stockman, director of the Office of Management and Budget. Source: The New York Times