Milton Friedman Quotes

Milton Friedman
Milton Friedman
American Economist
Born: Jul 31, 1912
Died: Nov 16, 2006
Free Freedom Good Government People Think
Related authors: Alan Greenspan Herbert A. Simon John Kenneth Galbraith Paul A. Volcker Peter Navarro Richard Thaler Robert Reich Thomas Sowell
If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there'd be a shortage of sand. Milton Friedman
Politics Government You Charge Federal Federal Government Put Sahara Years Shortage Sand Desert
We have a system that increasingly taxes work and subsidizes nonwork. Milton Friedman
Work Increasingly System Taxes
When government - in pursuit of good intentions - tries to rearrange the economy, legislate morality, or help special interests, the cost come in inefficiency, lack of motivation, and loss of freedom. Government should be a referee, not an active player. Milton Friedman
Government Good Freedom Active Good Intentions Tries Cost Morality Pursuit Come Economy Inefficiency Motivation Referee Loss Legislate Lack Intentions Interests Should Rearrange Help Special Special Interests Player
The Great Depression, like most other periods of severe unemployment, was produced by government mismanagement rather than by any inherent instability of the private economy. Milton Friedman
Depression Government Great Other Great Depression Severe Rather Instability Mismanagement Like Economy Most Periods Private Unemployment Than Any Produced Inherent
Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. Milton Friedman
Freedom Free Argument Market Free Market Most Underlying Itself Lack Against Belief
The government solution to a problem is usually as bad as the problem. Milton Friedman
Government Problem Bad Solution
Hell hath no fury like a bureaucrat scorned. Milton Friedman
Politics Hell Fury Hath Like Scorned Bureaucrat
So that the record of history 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. Milton Friedman
History People Free Unleashed Way System Enterprise Record Free Enterprise Free Enterprise System Absolutely Clear Crystal Alternative Discovered Lot Improving Candle Hold Ordinary Ordinary People Far Productive Activities
The greatest advances of civilization, whether in architecture or painting, in science and literature, in industry or agriculture, have never come from centralized government. Milton Friedman
Government Science Architecture Agriculture Painting Civilization Never Advances Come Industry Greatest Whether Literature Centralized
Indeed, a major source of objection to a free economy is precisely that it... gives people what they want instead of what a particular group thinks they ought to want. Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. Milton Friedman
Freedom People Free Argument Group Ought Market Indeed Objection Free Economy Gives Free Market Instead Major Particular Economy Most Underlying Source Itself Precisely Lack Want Against Belief Thinks
Government has three primary functions. It should provide for military defense of the nation. It should enforce contracts between individuals. It should protect citizens from crimes against themselves or their property. Milton Friedman
Government Property Three Nation Military Defense Crimes Citizens Individuals Primary Between Protect Provide Contracts Against Themselves Enforce Should Functions
The most important single central fact about a free market is that no exchange takes place unless both parties benefit. Milton Friedman
Free Important Single Benefit Market Unless About Both Free Market Fact Both Parties Exchange Takes Most Parties The Most Important Place Central
The world runs on individuals pursuing their self interests. The great achievements of civilization have not come from government bureaus. Einstein didn't construct his theory under order from a, from a bureaucrat. Henry Ford didn't revolutionize the automobile industry that way. Milton Friedman
Government Great World Way Runs Construct Civilization Pursuing Self Individuals Come Industry Ford His Revolutionize Bureaucrat Achievements Order Automobile Automobile Industry Einstein Interests Theory Henry Henry Ford Great Achievements
Many people want the government to protect the consumer. A much more urgent problem is to protect the consumer from the government. Milton Friedman
Government People Problem More Consumer Protect Want Urgent Much Many
Nothing is so permanent as a temporary government program. Milton Friedman
Government Nothing Temporary Permanent Government Program Program
Well first of all, tell me, is there some society you know of that doesn't run on greed? You think Russia doesn't run on greed? You think China doesn't run on greed? What is greed? Milton Friedman
Me You First Greed Think Society Tell Run Some Russia Know First Of All Well China
I am favor of cutting taxes under any circumstances and for any excuse, for any reason, whenever it's possible. Milton Friedman
Finance Favor Circumstances Possible Excuse Am Any Any Circumstances Whenever Taxes Cutting Reason
Every friend of freedom must be as revolted as I am by the prospect of turning the United States into an armed camp, by the vision of jails filled with casual drug users and of an army of enforcers empowered to invade the liberty of citizens on slight evidence. Milton Friedman
Freedom Army Vision Liberty Every Slight States Evidence Must Citizens Invade Casual Prospect Armed Empowered Am Camp Friend Jails Turning Users Filled United United States
Concentrated power is not rendered harmless by the good intentions of those who create it. Milton Friedman
Good Power Good Intentions Harmless Those Concentrated Rendered Intentions Create Who
Inflation is the one form of taxation that can be imposed without legislation. Milton Friedman
Inflation Without Imposed Legislation Form Taxation
Only government can take perfectly good paper, cover it with perfectly good ink and make the combination worthless. Milton Friedman
Politics Government Good Paper Worthless Only Take Perfectly Combination Make Cover Ink
History suggests that capitalism is a necessary condition for political freedom. Clearly it is not a sufficient condition. Milton Friedman
Freedom History Capitalism Political Clearly Condition Political Freedom Sufficient Necessary
The only relevant test of the validity of a hypothesis is comparison of prediction with experience. Milton Friedman
Experience Validity Relevant Only Hypothesis Test Prediction Comparison
Most economic fallacies derive from the tendency to assume that there is a fixed pie, that one party can gain only at the expense of another. Milton Friedman
Party Assume One Party Only Economic Tendency Pie Most Another Fixed Expense Gain Derive
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. Milton Friedman
People Values Every Favor System Most Because According Want Themselves Illegal Right Harm
The black market was a way of getting around government controls. It was a way of enabling the free market to work. It was a way of opening up, enabling people. Milton Friedman
Work Government People Black Free Market Way Free Market Opening Around Enabling Up Getting Controls
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