[gusopol3]

no wonder Harvard fired him

[george76]

" No contemporary economist anywhere on the political spectrum combined Mr. Friedman’s commitment to clarity of thought and argument, to scientifically examining evidence and to identifying policies that will make societies function better. "


bump

[WilliamofCarmichael]

Unless I am misremembering Dr. Friedman was Barry Goldwater's chief economic advisor.

Yes, advocating the importance of allowing free markets to operate made Milton Friedman . . . a devil figure. Those very same "progressive economists" who called Dr. Friedman a devil figure called Barry Goldwater a racist and a Nazi and worse.

Dr. Friedman thinking gave too little weight to considerations of social justice and . . . collective action. You got that right.

[SomeoneNeedsToSayIt]

Thanks Dr. Friedman! Just Thanks....

[econjack]

To my mind, his thinking gave too little weight to considerations of social justice...

I don't think that he gave too little weight to it as much as he thought a rising tide lifts all boats. He believed the free market was able to solve all problems much better than a bunch of bureaucrats.

Finally, while many may not know it, Friedman made notable contributions in the area of applied statistics and the nonparametric Friedman Test was his brainchild.

[GOP Poet]

bookmark

[traviskicks]

"There are other areas like vouchers for school choice, drug legalization and the abolition of certification requirements for lawyers, doctors and other professionals where Mr. Friedman has not yet and may never carry the day. But even in these areas, the climate of opinion and the nature of policy have shifted because of his powerful arguments."
----

These will carry the day, just a matter of when... :)

[traviskicks]

" No contemporary economist anywhere on the political spectrum combined Mr. Friedman’s commitment to clarity of thought and argument, to scientifically examining evidence and to identifying policies that will make societies function better. "





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[winner3000]

(any honest Democrat will admit that we are now all Friedmanites.)

That was the most dishonest statement of the whole article. Democrats are almost unanimously still Keyesians, wedded to the faith that big government (the fiscal lever) makes people's lives better (if they are in charge of course).

[LowCountryJoe]

Some additional Milton Friedman comments, including mine, posted on the CafeHayek Blog and pasted here:

I have to agree about Capitalism and Freedom. That was the best damned book I have ever read...in fact I also bought a five-cassette audio version and will listen to it from time to time, picking up new insights from it.

If more people were exposed to this book, the world, and the people who occupy it, would be a much better and more tolerant, cooperative place.

Many freedom-loving people are grieving -- along with Rose -- the loss of its modern-day, most influential advocate. Rest in peace, Dr. Friedman. ~ Nov 16, 2006 9:56:25 PM