Fornits
General Interest => Tacitus' Realm => Topic started by: Dr Phil on September 30, 2006, 01:39:03 PM
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Friedman's a smart guy. The exception that proves the rule, PhD stands for "piled higher and deeper". I wonder how old that segment is? Looks like early `70's at the latest. Still just as on the mark today as it was then, except that we're not forking over well over half of our earnings to the greedy shifless bastards in the public sector.
Here's some of what he's had to say on the war on certain unpatentable substances--the biggest, most expensive, most destructive and most visible failed social program left over from the New Deal.
http://www.druglibrary.org/special/frie ... ialist.htm (http://www.druglibrary.org/special/friedman/socialist.htm)
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i would dispute (big surprise) the logic of Mr friedmans links between larger govt intervention and the drug war.
Look at the european countries which have both extensive govt provided social services particularly health and education, and far greater social freedoms than their anglo equivalents.
Holland for example has some of the most relaxed drug laws in the world. It is also not exactly prudish in its approach to sexuality. Sweden , possibly the most socialist of all the scandinavian countries is also pretty let it all hang out when it comes to sex and drugs.
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But looking at the history of the drug war, it makes more sense. The first anti-drug laws in this country fell under the Harrison Narcotics Act. It was a part of the New Deal right from the beginning. Prior to that, we had drugs all over the place but no such thing as drug crime.
And the rest of the world isn't really much better off. They might enjoy some laxity in enforcement and social acceptance in spots. But we're all still dealing with a gargantuan black market. Last time I know of that anyone made a decent estimate, the international black market in drugs was running at about $400 bn/yr. For a really interesting pov on the topic, check out Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.
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Milton Friedman, economist, dies aged 94
Milton Friedman, who has died aged 94, was the last of the great economists to combine possession of a household name with the highest professional credentials. In this respect he was often compared to John Maynard Keynes, whose work he always respected, even though he to some extent supplanted it.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/cb74eef8-7599-1 ... e2340.html (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/cb74eef8-7599-11db-aea1-0000779e2340.html)
RIP