This series is REALLY good stuff ( I think there’s at least one other Friedman/Donahue). Donahue actually seemed to listen as Friedman basically stopped him in his Leftist tracks. Score one for Donahue who was actually willing to question his own flawed assumptions.
Wish we had a million Milton Friedman’s today.
Friedman was a voice for the virtues and desirability of freedom crying in the wilderness of today’s popular culture which understands little if anything about freedom and the virtues and great benefits of the Free Market Economy.
He is my hero...always has been. I’ve been lucky enough to have dinner with him twice and see him talk numerous times. I’ve told this story here before, but it’s worth a repeat. I was teaching econ at Creighton University and a colleague’s (straight-A’s) daughter wanted to get an MBA and he asked where she should go. I suggested the University of Chicago, as I knew that would challenge her.
During her first week on campus she was walking across campus and was sure she saw Friedman. She had heard me talk about him a bazillion times in class and read some of his work. She was an unassuming, naive, lady and, when he reached her, she asked: “Aren’t you Milton Friedman?” He said: “Yes, I am.” She said: “I thought you were dead!” He said: “I didn’t know that.”
He is sorely missed...
Btt
Good find.
Friedman favored immigration, saying "legal and illegal immigration has a very positive impact on the U.S. economy."[100] Friedman however suggested that immigrants ought not to have access to the welfare system.[100] Friedman stated that immigration from Mexico had been a "good thing", in particular illegal immigration.[100] Friedman argued that illegal immigration was a boon because they "take jobs that most residents of this country are unwilling to take, they provide employers with workers of a kind they cannot get" and they do not use welfare.[100] In Free to Choose, Friedman wrote,[95]
No arbitrary obstacles should prevent people from achieving those positions for which their talents fit them and which their values lead them to seek. Not birth, nationality, color, religion, sex, nor any other irrelevant characteristic should determine the opportunities that are open to a person — only his abilities.
We've all heard this BS before.
My problem with Milton is that he did not take into account the ill effects of off-shoring jobs on the economy, on government revenue, and on national security. Always buy it cheaper if you can was his motto and it is why China is posed to surpass us both economically and perhaps someday soon militarily. Very unwise economic philosophy hindsight.
Milton Friedman knew jack sh*t about Tariffs,
and how they work.
Other than that ...
Back when sanity still prevailed i this country.
bmp
I loved Milton Friedman and thought he was one of the most brilliant men there was. He and Friedich Hayeck revolutionized free market thinking. That wonderful economist AOC (sic) could take a few lessons from them but since they were old white men I guess she won’t.
After saying all of this however, I have to strenuously disagree with him on his view of illegal drugs in this Donahue piece. First off, there is no way that illegal drugs such as heroin (specifically mentioned in this youtube video) should be allowed for minors.
A minor does not have full rights as an American for a reason. The very last part of a person that matures is the brain and the last part of the brain to fully mature is the frontal cortex. This part of the brain does our high level reasoning. It does not mature sometimes until the age of 25. Someone who is 13 or 14 years old does not have the capacity to make a decision to do drugs that could physically kill him or ruin his life.
The second part of his argument concerning adults should be allowed to use illegal drugs I am also in disagreement with. Yes, I am ambivalent about legalizing the use of Marijuana. I don’t believe in the government regulating morality. I am against the legalization of other harder drugs for a different reason. Why should I as a member of society be subsidizing someone’s hard drug use? What I mean by this is if we legalize it does that mean we continue to overburden our ambulance and hospital systems with overdoses? Our police with continuously answering calls of overdoses and administering narcon when their time could be effectively used elsewhere? Or do we just decide to let these people die in the streets. Yes, things like alcohol and cigarettes and others drugs will kill you, but the difference is that heroin and cocaine and meth can kill you just by taking it one time. Alcohol will kill you over a period of 20 - 30 years and it has to be hard alcohol use.
The phrase “Free to choose” now means “Kill the baby”.