A man in the arena

Milton Friedman was the most articulate and important intellectual defender of freedom in the 20^th Century. Period. Others were quite good. He was better.

The difference between obituaries for Friedman is defined by a single word: Chile. If the article mentions his trip to Chile in the 1970’s to lecture on economics as “controversial”, the reader would do well to stop reading and move on to the sports section.

I read “Capitalism and Freedom” in 1995. I have never really been the same since.

John Kenneth Galbraith has been mentioned in most of the articles. This is a good thing. Not only were they good friends, and that speaks well of both of them, but they were the archetypes of two different political and economic philosophies. However, the papers always neglect to mention that Galbraith’s influence on the science of economics has been reduced to zero, and the descendants of Friedman dominate.

In college, my Libertarian friend and I always referred to Friedman as Uncle Milty. We disagreed on much but not on our favorite intellectual relative.

Friedman visited Chile to lecture on economics and was attacked by the Left as supporting the dictator Pinochet. Then he visited Communist China and heard only silence. This said more about his Leftist critics then it ever did about Friedman.

If we had appointed Friedman Dictator for Life he would have implemented a flat tax, drug legalization, school choice, and a negative income tax instead of welfare. Then he would have resigned.

Economics is complex, but one idea is simple. Inflation only happens when the government prints too much money (Friedman’s first point).

The Right has forgotten a simple debating tactic: smile. Friedman’s good nature never hurt his cause.

In front of a hostile 1960’s college audience, Friedman’s debate opponent sarcastically read Friedman’s policy proscriptions out loud. There was much laughter until he stated that Friedman wanted the draft eliminated. The crowd was Friedman’s from that point forward.

Friedman was an economic advisor to President Nixon. After Nixon declared wage and price controls, he stopped speaking to Friedman. The President did not want to be lectured on elementary economics by the Professor.

Friedman, Galbraith, and William F. Buckley were all fierce partisans of their political views. They were also avid skiers and good friends. Try to imagine Anne Coulter and Michael Moore on a ski lift together.

# posted by D. W. Eifert @ 2:05 AM