Milton Friedman in Memoriam

Well the world of free-market economists has lost its Uncle Milty. When I heard the news, I was reminded of one of Mark Twain's quips that went something like this: When a person he was not very fond of died, he sent the following note to the widow: I regret not having been able to attend the funeral, but I want you to know I highly approved of the event.

Milty was an enigma. Supremely intelligent and completely dishonest intellectually. He advocated economic freedom for the few at the expense of many. He lived in a democracy but really preferred tyranny and an established aristocracy of the wealthy. What he and his colleagues at the University of Chicago did to the people of Chile and countless other multitudes really can not and should never be forgiven. He helped create an economic holocaust that consigned whole peoples to economic concentration camps, many of which still exist. He was an exploiter of humanity, a thoroughly evil person. Yet to uncritical economists, he is somewhat of a saint. Heilbroner was right when he called economics the dismal science. If Milton now rests in peace, cosmic justice has gone awry. (11/22/2006)

2006, John Kozy

Well the world of free-market economists has lost its Uncle Milty. When I heard the news, I was reminded of one of Mark Twains quips that went something like this: When a person he was not very fond of died, he sent the following note to the widow: I regret not having been able to attend the funeral, but I want you to know I highly approved of the event. If Milton Friedman now rests in peace, cosmic justice has gone awry. (11/22/2006)

Print article> Send to friend Author feedback