Top 37 Quotes by Milton Friedman

About Milton Friedman

These are some quotes by American author Milton Friedman Economist, who lived between July 31, 1912 and November 16, 2006.

If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there'd be a shortage of sand.

If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there'd be a shortage of sand.

Milton Friedman

The only way that has ever been discovered to have a lot of people cooperate together voluntarily is through the free market. And that's why it's so essential to preserving individual freedom.

The only way that has ever been discovered to have a lot of people cooperate together voluntarily is through the free market. And that's why it's so essential to preserving individual freedom.

Milton Friedman

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

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

Milton Friedman

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

Only government can take perfectly good paper, cover it with perfectly good ink and make the combination worthless.

Only government can take perfectly good paper, cover it with perfectly good ink and make the combination worthless.

Milton Friedman

And what does reward virtue? You think the communist commissar rewards virtue? You think a Hitler rewards virtue? You think, excuse me, if you'll pardon me, American presidents reward virtue? Do they choose their appointees on the basis of the virtue of the people appointed or on the basis of their political clout?

Milton Friedman

The power to do good is also the power to do harm.

The power to do good is also the power to do harm.

Milton Friedman

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

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.

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

The government solution to a problem is usually as bad as the problem.

The government solution to a problem is usually as bad as the problem.

Milton Friedman

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