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« The Pursuit of Happiness | Main | Quick Links » November 17, 2006Losing a Legend
Milton Friedman (1912-2006) The passing of Milton Friedman yesterday was lamentable, though at 94 years, not surprising. As his final years wound down, every admirer must have wondered what the world would be like had he not contributed to our body of knowledge -- and what the world will be like now that he's gone. There were really two Milton Friedmans: the rigorous empiricist and the normative public intellectual. His work on monetarism revolutionized economics, enough so to convert central bankers to his views (even if the politicians behind them keep their reservations) and thus tame inflation. He also was essential to the re-invigoration of classical liberalism, or libertarianism, at a time when few scholars gave any credence to the ideas of free markets and limited government. He can be credited with ending conscription in the United States, proposing school vouchers, spawning generations of like-minded intellectuals, and laying the groundwork for the governance of politicians such as Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher. He was also a forceful, sharp spokesman for his views. Google video, until recently, archived his 10-part PBS series "Free to Choose," which was both charming and thought-provoking. In responding to questions and criticisms from public figures, he was uncompromising and tough without being shrill or unpleasant. One could find this resolution throughout his public life, and there's no doubt that was what was required to upend the predominant views on the role of the state. And yet those views persist, albeit attenuated and altered: we still suffer from recessions, school vouchers aren't universal, public spending continues to skyrocket, and we are still encumbered in numerous ways by central planning. Does this mean that Friedman failed? No, rather, I think it proves that the push for freedom is a constant battle, one that requires vigorous and sophisticated argument. In this battle, we have lost a tremendous advocate. Who can replace him? A few months ago, he was interviewed for a podcast by Russ Roberts, a professor of economics at the free market haven, George Mason University. Even this late in life, he was still challenging and correcting his younger devotee. His memory was dimming, but his wits were still sharp. There was still more to learn from this man. His passing is a great blow. Posted by Zach Wendling at November 17, 2006 06:28 AM CommentsPosted by: philosopher at November 17, 2006 01:05 PM | permalink "He [Friedman] can be credited with ending conscription in the United States." He was an important player, but there were many others, chief among them President Richard Nixon, who believed that war protests would diminish without the draft and give him more freedom to negotiate withdrawal on his terms. The war protests did diminish. And the war protesters themselves had a big influence. Without the massive demonstrations that so irritated Nixon, the draft could easily have stayed. Finally, the draft ended in 1973, the same year I registered with the Selective Service, which also happens to be the year we effectively withdrew from Vietnam, providing the right political atmosphere to end the draft. So, an argument can be made that several people and several forces converged to end the draft. Posted by: Joel Betow at November 21, 2006 12:54 AM | permalink Post a comment |
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