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View Full Version : Debate between Michael Harrington and Milton Friedman on Free to Chose



heiss93
3rd March 2010, 12:53
The actual debate begins at 28:45 minutes

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2024617864923164175&q=Milton+Friedman+Free+to+choose+duration%3Along&total=16&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=1#

I think Harrington nails it on the head when he says the point of the libertarian utopia is to justify the current conservative order and that Friedman's proposals are not serious. Although actually the neoliberals have returned us to the 19th century to a degree few could have imagined.

Also interesting is Motorola's CEO's defense of tariffs because the European Union has unfair socialism. Although according to pure laissez-faire which he supposedly supports the EU is doing the USA a favor by giving its customers goods at a below market price. Capitalism is supposedly all about consumer sovereignty not the producers.

Also Milton Friedman's disgusting Cold Warrior defense of the massive military budget which is the majority of "big government" spending. Hes not "comfortable" discussing military affairs since hes not an expert.

Also the Free to chose series was produces by PBS which he would dissolve. The entire series has debates the last 15 minutes which usually includes a token socialist.

Bilan
4th March 2010, 07:52
Of all the economic theory I've seen, I found Friedman's least convincing. Free to Choose is written in the most preposterously childish manner, and the things it is obviously and intentionally leaving out, are so plainly obvious, even to the most untrained eye, that to take it seriously borders on absurd.
It can be summarised as follows:

Capitalism is freedom cuz in capitalism you have the freedom to buy things and that is freedom.

End.

It's absolute crap.
I don't think any serious free market capitalist would uphold Free to Choose as a good book on free market theory, lest they were trying to make fun of them selves.
The same applies for his other book, Capitalism and Freedom, is slightly better, but still pretty crap.

¿Que?
4th March 2010, 08:31
The video is currently not available. Please try again later :confused:

heiss93
4th March 2010, 11:59
The video is currently not available. Please try again later :confused:

It still works for me. Maybe try through this link: http://miltonfriedman.blogspot.com/

pierrotlefou
4th March 2010, 23:53
I like how he says people just "fanned out" and formed the US, ignoring the mass murder and all.

MarxSchmarx
6th March 2010, 04:47
It's also worth noting that Milton Friedman supported the "negative income tax", which amounted to a guaranteed income. That this right-wing ideologue's concessions are now being seen as "radical" leftist reforms should be informative of just how degenerate the current discourse has become.