Yesterday would have been Milton Friedman's 100th birthday. The Wall Street Journal published a great tribute to him yesterday by Stephen Moore, lamenting the "tragedy that Milton Friedman . . . did not live long enough to combat the big-government ideas that have formed the core of Obamanomics." Although the article goes on to apply a couple of Friedmanesque criticisms to Obama's economic policies (e.g., "There is no magical 'multiplier effect' by taking from productive Peter and giving to unproductive Paul."), its overall tone suggests that, if only Prof. Friedman were still alive, we might have a chance to counter the Left and prove to the American public, yet again, that the free enterprise system--the system that makes it possible to buy, affordably, houses and cars and air conditioning and iPhones and organic free-range chicken--is actually worth preserving.
(The Foundry Blog at The Heritage Foundation makes a similar point, in a post titled "Taxmageddon and Obamacare: What Would Milton Friedman Say?")
One is struck by that tone of lament. Yes, one pines for the sight of Prof. Friedman owning, say, Keith Olbermann in his smiling, gentlemanly and thoroughly ruthless way. That would be sweet. But are we without hope in reviving American passion for the American Dream given Friedman's passing? Are we left to ask, "What would Milton Friedman say" in order to make our points to a public misled by Leftist harangue? Is there no other free market economist with a knack for communication who could be today's Milton Friedman?
I really don't know, and I would be interested in others' views. In the meantime, we may have to be content sending around links to Friedman's PBS series, Free to Choose, to rally support for the cause.
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