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It‘s Famed Economist Milton Friedman’s Birthday! Here are His Top 6 Quotes

For today’s “top whatever” list, we’re going to commemorate the 100th birthday of Nobel Prize-winning conservative economist Milton Friedman. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Friedman, here’s what you need to know: he rescued the U.S. economy from the clutches of President Carter’s stagflation [i.e. rising inflation and unemployment] and, as the Wall Street Journal’s Stephen Moore puts it, he “saved capitalism.”

“Next to Ronald Reagan, in the second half of the 20th century there was no more influential voice for economic freedom world-wide than Milton Friedman,” writes Moore.

“Small in stature but a giant intellect, he was the economist who saved capitalism by dismembering the ideas of central planning when most of academia was mesmerized by the creed of government as savior,” he adds.

And like most towering intellects, Friedman was a font of pithy and brilliant one-liners. In honor of his birthday, here are our favorite quotes from Milton Friedman with accompanying words from Stephen Moore:

“Concentrated power is not rendered harmless by the good intentions of those who create it.”

Happy Birthday, Milton Friedman! Here Are Our Favorite Freidman Quotes

Friedman was awarded the Nobel Prize in economics for 1976 — at a time when almost all the previous prizes had gone to socialists. This marked the first sign of the intellectual comeback of free-market economics since the 1930s, when John Maynard Keynes hijacked the profession.

Friedman’s 1971 book “A Monetary History of the United States,” written with Anna Schwartz (who died on June 21), was a masterpiece and changed the way we think about the role of money.

“Governments never learn. Only people learn.”

Happy Birthday, Milton Friedman! Here Are Our Favorite Freidman Quotes

In the early 1990s, Friedman visited poverty-stricken Mexico City for a Cato Institute forum. I remember the swirling controversy ginned up by the media and Mexico’s intelligentsia: How dare this apostle of free-market economics be given a public forum to speak to Mexican citizens about his “outdated” ideas? Yet when Milton arrived in Mexico he received a hero’s welcome as thousands of business owners, students and citizen activists hungry for his message encircled him everywhere he went, much like crowds for a modern rock star.

Once in the early 1960s, Friedman wrote the then-U.S. ambassador to New Delhi, John Kenneth Galbraith, that he would be lecturing in India. By all means come, the witty but often wrong Galbraith replied: “I can think of nowhere your free-market ideas can do less harm than in India.” As fate would have it, India did begin to embrace Friedmanism in the 1990s, and the economy began to soar. China finally caught on too.

“Hell hath no fury like a bureaucrat scorned.”

Happy Birthday, Milton Friedman! Here Are Our Favorite Freidman Quotes

More influential than Friedman’s scholarly writings was his singular talent for communicating the virtues of the free market to a mass audience. His two best-selling books, “Capitalism and Freedom” (1962) and “Free to Choose” (1980), are still wildly popular.

[...]

Friedman stood unfailingly and heroically with the little guy against the state. He used to marvel that the intellectual left, which claims to espouse “power to the people,” so often cheers as states suppress individual rights.

Here‘s an example of Friedman’s unique ability to succinctly and eloquently communicate free market principles to even the most ardent leftist college student:

And in regards to his standing for “the little guy,” here’s a brilliant video of Friedman explaining how social programs intended to “help” the poor more often than not end up doing the exact opposite:

“I am in favor of cutting taxes under any circumstances and for any excuse, for any reason, whenever it’s possible.”

Happy Birthday, Milton Friedman! Here Are Our Favorite Freidman Quotes

I remember asking Milton, a year or so before his death, during one of our semiannual dinners in downtown San Francisco: What can we do to make America more prosperous? “Three things,” he replied instantly. “Promote free trade, school choice for all children, and cut government spending.”

How much should we cut? “As much as possible.”

“If you put the Federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there’d be a shortage of sand.”

Happy Birthday, Milton Friedman! Here Are Our Favorite Freidman Quotes

While he questioned almost every statist orthodoxy, he fearlessly gored sacred cows of both political parties. He was the first scholar to sound the alarm on the rotten deal of Social Security for young workers — forced to pay into a system that will never give back as much as they could have accumulated on their own. He questioned the need for occupational licenses — which he lambasted as barriers to entry — for everything from driving a cab to passing the bar to be an attorney, or getting an M.D. to practice medicine.

He loved turning the intellectual tables on liberals by making the case that regulation often does more harm than good. His favorite example was the Food and Drug Administration, whose regulations routinely delay the introduction of lifesaving drugs. “When the FDA boasts a new drug will save 10,000 lives a year,” he would ask, “how many lives were lost because it didn’t let the drug on the market last year?”

“Many people want the government to protect the consumer. A much more urgent problem is to protect the consumer from the government.”

Happy Birthday, Milton Friedman! Here Are Our Favorite Freidman Quotes

In a recent tribute to Friedman in the Journal of Economic Literature, Harvard’s Andrei Shleifer describes 1980-2005 as “The Age of Milton Friedman,“ an era that ”witnessed remarkable progress of mankind. As the world embraced free-market policies, living standards rose sharply while life expectancy, educational attainment, and democracy improved and absolute poverty declined.”

Well over 200 million were liberated from poverty thanks to the rediscovery of the free market.

Final thought: Although he witnessed the economic mess brought about by Carter’s policies, we can’t help but wonder how shocked Friedman would be with the policies of the current administration.

“It’s a tragedy that Milton Friedman … did not live long enough to combat the big-government ideas that have formed the core of Obamanomics,” Moore writes.

“It’s perhaps more tragic that our current president, who attended the University of Chicago where Friedman taught for decades, never fell under the influence of the world’s greatest champion of the free market. Imagine how much better things would have turned out, for Mr. Obama and the country,” he adds.

And with President Obama’s “government makes everything possible” ideology in mind, here’s Friedman on the idea of personal and individual responsibility:

Comments (67)

  • h-schoolmom
    Posted on August 1, 2012 at 8:48am

    I became aware of Milton Friedman when I heard his name mentioned by “Alex P Keaton” on the 1980′s show Family Ties (Michael J Fox). Anyone remember that show?
    My admiration of Friedman began way back then and continues today. My only question…Where is this century’s Milton Friedman? Arthur Laffer comes close, but he’s not quite Friedman.

    Report Post »  
    • Arminianism
      Posted on August 1, 2012 at 2:03pm

      Peter Schiff is one of the best when it comes to economics…

      Report Post » Arminianism  
  • OhSnappage
    Posted on August 1, 2012 at 1:59am

    If we were ever to have a national holiday added on to our calendar it should be the great Milton Friedman. His approach to intellectual discussions are timeless and continues to educate people long after his passing.

    Granted a democratic congresswomen believed it should be a national holiday for Michael Jackson…granted that congresswoman is a simpleton.

    Report Post » OhSnappage  
    • thetreyman
      Posted on August 1, 2012 at 5:14am

      Dont let the Rothbardian neo confederates hear you say that.

      Report Post » thetreyman  
  • BenFrank1791
    Posted on July 31, 2012 at 7:00pm

    A beacon of light for all ages, back when the University of Chicago actually was an intellectual Meritocracy. The more you read Friedman the smarter you get.

    Report Post » BenFrank1791  
  • Comeandtakeit
    Posted on July 31, 2012 at 6:24pm

    MF has always been my number one intellectual hero (He is way up there with Ronaldus Maximus) – one of his best quotes that is so poignant of what is being tried today is “As society that aims for equality before liberty will end up with neither equality nor liberty.”

    Report Post » Comeandtakeit  
  • floradaze
    Posted on July 31, 2012 at 5:48pm

    Personally, I would expand these thoughts about if a person wants to do drugs and kill himself.
    I have thought since the seventies that we are doing too much to save people from themselves.
    All the protective measures have only managed to keep a lot of people alive that would not have survived in more unregulated times. I know this sounds cruel, but how many of the idiots we meet every day would have survived a week on a wagon train headed to Oregon?

    Report Post »  
  • mrmarkjohnson
    Posted on July 31, 2012 at 5:46pm

    That Sahara Desert quote is hilarious.

    Report Post »  
  • The_Cabrito_Goat
    Posted on July 31, 2012 at 5:23pm

    I’m bookmarking this article. Hopefully this is just the beginning of my relationship with Friedman

    Report Post » The_Cabrito_Goat  
  • Valuable
    Posted on July 31, 2012 at 5:21pm

    I need to read his stuff. Sowell’s too. I’ve GOT to get with the program and really start self-educating myself!! I’ve learned a ton from this article and the comments- thanks!

    Report Post »  
  • LINKSTER
    Posted on July 31, 2012 at 3:50pm

    As Milton Friedman put it, succinctley and accurately. ” So that the record is absolutely crystal clear, that there is no alternative way so far discovered of improving the lot of the ordinary people that can hold a candle to the productive activities that are unleashed by a free enterprise system.”

    Report Post »  
    • faithkills
      Posted on July 31, 2012 at 5:16pm

      Best Friedman quote: “Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself”

      Report Post » faithkills  
  • Canada_Goose
    Posted on July 31, 2012 at 3:33pm

    Here are three which Mr. Adams may have missed.

    “I’m in favor of legalizing drugs. According to my values system, if people want to kill themselves, they have every right to do so. Most of the harm that comes from drugs is because they are illegal.”

    “Now here’s somebody who wants to smoke a marijuana cigarette. If he’s caught, he goes to jail. Now is that moral? Is that proper? I think it’s absolutely disgraceful that our government, supposed to be our government, should be in the position of converting people who are not harming others into criminals, of destroying their lives, putting them in jail. That’s the issue to me. The economic issue comes in only for explaining why it has those effects. But the economic reasons are not the reasons”

    “Universities exist to transmit knowledge and understanding of ideas and values to students not to provide entertainment for spectators or employment for athletes.”

    Report Post » Canada_Goose  
    • Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
      Posted on July 31, 2012 at 3:40pm

      Oh boy, you had to go and kick the hornet‘s nest didn’t you.

      Neocon onslaught in

      3
      2
      1

      Report Post » Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve  
    • jungle J
      Posted on July 31, 2012 at 4:34pm

      dopers are funny…and dangerous to the sane.

      Report Post »  
    • Chuck Stein
      Posted on July 31, 2012 at 5:14pm

      “According to my values system, if people want to kill themselves, they have every right to do so.”
      As Jungle J’s comment alludes to, “dopers” often kill others — sometimes in stunningly horrific ways (e.g., cannibalism).
      More generally, drug use is (to an extent) inherently inconsistent with Libertarianism. Consider the statement: “According to my values system, if people want to sell themselves into slavery, they have every right to do so.“ Because classic Liberal philosophy is centered around people being ”free to choose”, then a choice that ends future choices presents a big problem.

      Report Post »  
    • KC1
      Posted on July 31, 2012 at 6:52pm

      Freidman would support Paul if he were alive today. All truly free market/Austrain economist support Paul.

      Report Post »  
    • Canada_Goose
      Posted on July 31, 2012 at 7:29pm

      Sorry did you say cannibalism?

      Are you forgetting all the heavy and casual drinkers – almost 11,000 drunk driving fatalities in 2009 (32% of all traffic deaths) and I am not even going to get into spousal abuse and a host of other social ills.

      Report Post » Canada_Goose  
    • thetreyman
      Posted on August 1, 2012 at 5:12am

      Sorry! Rothbardian neo confederates hated Friedman, as their true believers still do today.

      Report Post » thetreyman  
  • LightvsDarkness
    Posted on July 31, 2012 at 3:23pm

    This man was and still is awesome!!!! I advise everyone to search his name on youtube and listen to his lectures…. He articulated free markets and freedom like no one I have ever heard or seen.

    Report Post » LightvsDarkness  
    • nzkiwi
      Posted on July 31, 2012 at 6:48pm

      I did that some time ago, and I can assure everyone that it was well worth the time.

      It is also interesting to note that Friedman’s comment: “Promote free trade, school choice for all children, and cut government spending”, is what Mr Romney has been repeating in his speeches.

      Mr Romney, it seems, is also a student of Friedman.

      That’s a relief.

      Report Post »  
    • KC1
      Posted on July 31, 2012 at 6:55pm

      @NZKIWI
      Romney doesnt cut spending levels only future growth of spending and has supported TRAP and QE. Romney is no student of free markets and certainly not of Freidman.

      Report Post »  
  • Brother Winston Smith
    Posted on July 31, 2012 at 3:20pm

    I’m confused. Wouldn’t the MS(fake-conservative)M, who support ANTI-AMERICAN Central Government Planners (like Romney)… want to DOWNPLAY Friedman? Oh… right… you’re POSING as a “supporter” to deceive people… now I get it…

    Report Post » Brother Winston Smith  
  • Free_Man
    Posted on July 31, 2012 at 3:18pm

    “Many people want the government to protect the consumer. A much more urgent problem is to protect the consumer from the government.”

    Romney should use this one in his campaign.

    Report Post » Free_Man  
    • soybomb315_II
      Posted on July 31, 2012 at 3:23pm

      he would have to believe it first

      Report Post » soybomb315_II  
    • Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
      Posted on July 31, 2012 at 3:34pm

      Would he do that before or after he explains why he lobbied for, and signed into law an individual mandate and the socialization of MA healthcare?

      Maybe he could use that before he explains how he increased fees in MA to businesses to put up signage.

      Maybe he could use that after he explains how he raised taxes on small businesses and increased taxes on consumers for things like internet purchases. Wonder if this would be made up for his proposed “tax free shopping day”?

      Maybe he could use that before he explains how he raised/or pushed for the raising of property taxes in MA to historically high levels.

      Maybe he could use it to somehow explain the MA gun ban law he signed.

      Oh I know, have him explain how raising the minimum wage works and then use this quote.

      The possibilities are endless it seems.

      Report Post » Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve  
  • ronin_6
    Posted on July 31, 2012 at 3:10pm

    Who is the heir apparent to his philosphies? Who has the understanding, educational clout and public persona to replace this sage for the ages?
    This is a legit question. I would like to know.

    Report Post » ronin_6  
    • Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
      Posted on July 31, 2012 at 3:19pm

      Paul Krugman?

      LOL, Ok I tried to keep a straight face on that. Dang, I always laugh when I tell a joke.

      Report Post » Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve  
    • soybomb315_II
      Posted on July 31, 2012 at 3:20pm

      the flock was struck and the sheep scattered. Some fled to the republican party where they became more moderate and compromised

      Milton Friedman was a great leader, but he had his flaws. Later in his life, he compromised his views. He also became more supportive of the Fed

      Friedman became who he was because he followed in the footsteps of those before him. One of which was Ludwig Von Mises. Go to http://www.mises.org. There are a bunch of folks who carry on that tradition – although they do not match Milton’s popularity, they have not sacrified their principles

      Report Post » soybomb315_II  
    • progressiveslayer
      Posted on July 31, 2012 at 3:23pm

      Thomas Sowell,he‘s in his eighties I believe but he’s a free market capitalist.

      Report Post » progressiveslayer  
    • Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
      Posted on July 31, 2012 at 3:45pm

      Seriously though….

      Check out Robert P. Murphy. He’s an Austrian School, Anarcho-Capitalist, natural law Christian. That’s a mouthful I know. Cool cat.

      Report Post » Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve  
    • IU2012
      Posted on July 31, 2012 at 3:52pm

      Mark R. Levin

      Report Post »  
    • faithkills
      Posted on July 31, 2012 at 5:20pm

      Certainly NOT Mark Levin. He’s a protectionist and interventionist, anti-free market.

      Report Post » faithkills  
    • KC1
      Posted on July 31, 2012 at 6:47pm

      @Ronin
      If you are actually looking for a great economist who believes in Free Markets try Tomas woods Jr he is the best I have found. Peter Schiff is brilliant as well both called the housing bubble years in advance.
      Tom Woods video.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxcjT8T3EGU&feature=relmfu
      Peter Schiff video.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NngxJz2aBqg
      Thomas Sowell is a good one to.

      Ha some idiot suggested Mark Levin?! Pathetic Levin is a talking head who knows nothing about history or economics, and is a typical know nothing.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmZeyaDsNss

      Report Post »  
    • Turin
      Posted on July 31, 2012 at 7:51pm

      Friedman had some good things to say, but he’s way overrated imo. I‘m not a fan of anybody who isn’t totally against central banking and fiat currency. Freidman was way too keen on fiat currency for my tastes.

      Murray N. Rothbard is somebody with both the philosophical and economic chops worthy of deep study and consideration. He was an economist in the Austrian tradition and a student of Ludwig Von Mises – absolutely brilliant man who refused to yield his principles to anything.

      Check out Mises.org if you’d like a great free resource. Also, if you’re interested in Liberty and a non-progressive reading of history as well as a great online course in Austrian economics that is perfect for beginners, check out:

      http://www.libertyclassroom.com/dap/a/?a=236

      Report Post » Turin  
    • thetreyman
      Posted on August 1, 2012 at 5:29am

      Friedman – known for defending free markets

      Rothbard – known for cheering on Khrushchev as he drove by while here to address the U.N.

      I will never give any respect to anyone who took the sides of the USSR over the U.S. If you think the U.S. is always the problem then i will oppose you too.

      Report Post » thetreyman  
    • Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
      Posted on August 1, 2012 at 12:27pm

      Do you know why Rothbard did that? To claim that he “picked the USSR” is to confess a complete lack of understanding of who Rothbard was.

      Report Post » Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve  
    • faithkills
      Posted on August 1, 2012 at 3:28pm

      @thetreyman

      You need to check the facts. There is no evidence whatsoever, and the mere idea is asinine. WFBJr only ever dared pose this slur in ‘obit’ which the subject was assured never able to respond to. What a brave neocon WFBJr was. (yes, oxymoron I know)

      Rothbard cheered the fall of the USSR as anyone could verify from videos of him on this very subject.

      You know nothing about Rothbard, or else you would not buy the crap. Hell you don’t even need to read. Just go watch some of videos of stuff he actually said.

      Here’s a series of lectures on mp3 from BYU polytechnic http://media.mises.org/mp3/rothbard/AmericanEconomy1986/

      Listen and then tell me, THIS GUY applauded Kruschev? LOL.

      Report Post » faithkills  
    • thetreyman
      Posted on August 2, 2012 at 4:56am

      i thought about making an argument to the neo confederates but i realize, whats the point, they are who they are. it’s not you who we need to win over. personally, i can’t stand you. you’re as bad as liberals to me. your fiscal house may be in order now but you set up future generations for strife. by not taking a stand on social or cultural issues you doom us into multiculturalism. all of the libertarians i’ve ever met were open borders types. this is not my main issue but you can’t have an open border and a welfare state at the same time. abortion is another. if we can ever get it back to where the states decide, what’s your plan to eradicate it in your state and promote adoption as a more favorable option, with making it easier to do so. as far as drugs go, there should be no federal drug laws. this is something that will take time. you guys talk about sound money a lot. i hear gold standard from some of you. thats fine, how do you value the money? congress is supposed to set the value, but do you trust them? or the fed for that matter? when nukes are minutes away, do you really need to wait for them to kill hundreds of thousands to take action? these are just a few of the things i ponder.

      p.s. i am, right now, being nice to you libertarians. dont expect this in the future because eventually there will be some of you that only want to insult and i will be there to give it right back to you.

      fyi-i can be really nasty.

      as far as Rothbard goes, Buckley is not a

      Report Post » thetreyman  
    • faithkills
      Posted on August 2, 2012 at 12:42pm

      No it’s you fascists that set up generations of strife. It‘s not the Goldwaters’ that caused the problems, it‘s the Bush’s and WFBJr’s that give socialists excuse to expand government. Well ‘conservatives’ spend like sailors, why can’t we? It’s a valid point, and why the two parties are the problem. You both set up dependency, then blame the other side for the results of your own policy.

      You’re sort of right about open borders and welfare state, but you neglect the obvious. Give them work visa’s which grant them no special priority in getting citizenship and explicitly no social benefits, that would solve the problem. Make political hay forcing dems to vote against it;)

      Abortion is a criminal matter. Thus, according to the Constitution; a states matter. As is gay marriage. Feds need to but out, period. They have no purview, no jurisdiction, whatsoever. I know, I know, you, like all statists, only believe in the Constitution when it suits you.

      Re gold & money query: How do you value gold?? How do you value DOLLARS? You think uncle sam decides this? The questions displays profound economic ignorance. It will take weeks to unscramble your Keynes programmed brain, if possible. I suggest you get to work immediately.

      And lol you have delusions of significance if you think anyone cares if you like them.

      Report Post » faithkills  
  • progressiveslayer
    Posted on July 31, 2012 at 3:09pm

    Milton Friedman was a titan in the realm of economics and I enjoyed watching him eviscerate libs and communists over the years and he’s missed terribly.

    Report Post » progressiveslayer  
  • Steverino
    Posted on July 31, 2012 at 2:26pm

    If you are interested in seeing Mr. Friedman take the liberal Phil Donahue to school, have a look:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1lWk4TCe4U

    Part 1 of 5 – this should not be missed by any fan. Donahue is reduced to a sputtering incompetent at times.
    I found Mr. Friedman through my reading of Thomas Sowell, another staggeringly brilliant, commonsense economist. Great readin’!
    Steve

    Report Post »  
    • Cinderella
      Posted on July 31, 2012 at 9:24pm

      Yes, I heard the clip on Rush’s show today also so tonight viewed the whole episode on YouTube as well as others uploaded. What a breath of fresh air to listen to one with just plain common sense–and to think some of those clips of 30+ yrs ago could be timelessly aired today and be on point!

      Report Post » Cinderella  
  • InTheNameOf
    Posted on July 31, 2012 at 2:09pm

    My favorite was when he suggested a tax on car emissions (start at the 4 min mark):http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1lWk4TCe4U

    Report Post »  
    • KC1
      Posted on July 31, 2012 at 7:12pm

      Thats why Hayek is the best and Friedman is not even worthy of comparison. Friedman has many flaws and is not as consistent as Hayek.

      Report Post »  
  • KidCharlemagne
    Posted on July 31, 2012 at 2:07pm

    This quote from Milton Friedman most assuredly belongs in that list somewhere:

    ——————-
    “If you look at the drug war from a purely economic point of view, the role of the government is to protect the drug cartel. That’s literally true.”
    Wikiquote: Milton Friedman

    Report Post »  
  • mixplix
    Posted on July 31, 2012 at 1:52pm

    He was like a parent that warns children of the dangers they will face only to see them scared forever with their ignorance of his advice.

    Report Post » mixplix  
    • KC1
      Posted on July 31, 2012 at 7:05pm

      Kind of like Paul trying to warn all of you.

      Report Post »  
  • bobefann
    Posted on July 31, 2012 at 1:45pm

    Milton Friedman, my biggest idol. He is the reason why I am majoring in Economics. This country could use a few more Milton Friedmans and Thomas Sowells.

    Report Post » bobefann  
    • contkmi
      Posted on July 31, 2012 at 2:00pm

      Two incredibly smart men. If more people would listen to them we’d be in much less economic trouble.

      Report Post » contkmi  
    • Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
      Posted on July 31, 2012 at 2:17pm

      Welcome to the world of economics brother. I’m a huge fan of Friedman too, but I think he sold his soul when he worked for Nixon. He seemed to acquiesce to the monetary policy types of the day. (So too did Greenspan…but for different reasons.). He abandoned the gold standard for a belief in fiat currency. I think he liked the agility of the fiat format from a policy perspective but I think he was polly-anna regarding the intentions of central planners with such a tool. Hence, you saw his departure from the Von Mises and Rothbards of the world and he sort of became a pariah economically. He was opposed to Keynes but now found himself outside of Austrian doctrine…particularly on the monetary expansion policy. He became more like a Greenspan (or maybe an Okun) where he felt incrementalism and compromise could get him to a better state only to realize that compromising principles to a fictitional end only gets you to a point where you don’t recognize who you are. In some sense, the Friedman story is a tragedy.

      Report Post » Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve  
    • KC1
      Posted on July 31, 2012 at 7:21pm

      Check out this guy Bobby!
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRhtmcxDSIs&feature=relmfu
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxP1irQFdto&feature=related
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=541bajR4k8g&feature=related
      This is by far the easiest to listen to and funny economist I have run across in my studies.

      Report Post »  
    • Turin
      Posted on July 31, 2012 at 7:58pm

      I agree with Rothbardian regarding Friedman. His story is sad imo. I’m not nearly as kind in my assessment of him. He was a very sharp guy, but he’s way overrated imo in light of his ridiculous attachment to fiat currency. Sadly, history had nothing to teach him in that regard. He was too smart for his own good.

      If you want the real deal in the Austrian tradition then read Murray N. Rothbard. The guy was a genius. Also, if you’re studying economics, then you’ll definitely want to read Man, Economy, and State by Rothbard as well as Human Action by Ludwig Von Mises (in that order if I might recommend it). Also, check out Mises.org and the Mises Academy. There are some very good online Austrian courses that you can take if interested.

      Report Post » Turin  
  • Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
    Posted on July 31, 2012 at 1:44pm

    Milton Friedman of the Ludwig Von Mises institute? The same institute that gave birth to the modern incarnation of libertarian party? The same Ludwig Von Mises that inspired Ron Paul? How can this be? Model82a1 just passed out

    Report Post » Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve  
  • IMCHRISTIAN
    Posted on July 31, 2012 at 1:43pm

    We could use another economists like that in Washington. Great statements from him but with the ones in office now they would still need an interpreter.

    Report Post »  
  • drphil69
    Posted on July 31, 2012 at 1:41pm

    Thank you Milton Friedman!

    Report Post »  
  • SquidVetOhio
    Posted on July 31, 2012 at 1:24pm

    A great mind that is greatly missed.

    Report Post » SquidVetOhio  

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