There are few men in the modern world that we consider
great, but clearly Milton Friedman was one of them. He
was the Father of Monetarism, and we are Monetarists...
doctrinaire Monetarists at that... and when Dr. Friedman
chose to speak or write, we listened or read. We ran
across an interview with Dr. Friedman by Mr. Mark
Skousen, when the two had lunch together about a
month before this great man passed away. Forbes
carried Skousen's report of his lunch, and then took the
time to list a few of Dr. Friedman's pithy but keenly
insightful comments regarding the economy. These need
to be shared:
If a tax cut increases government revenues, you
haven't cut taxes sufficiently enough.
A society that puts equality ahead of freedom will
end up with neither equality nor freedom.
Nothing is so permanent as a temporary
government program.
Inflation is taxation without legislation.
The economy and the stock market are two
different things.
If government is to exercise power, better in the
city than in the county; better in the county than
in the state, and better in the state than in
Washington.
Dr. Friedman is sorely missed, for when he spoke of
small government he commanded attention. Would that
he were here to see the programs and "changes" that are
being promoted on the Left and would take a sharp
rhetorical stick to them and render them moot.
