Economic Policy Journal: Walter Block: 'Why This Push Toward Milton Friedman?'

Source:Economic Policy Journal- Professor Milton Friedman.

Source:The New Democrat

"Dr. Walter Block responds to an inquiry from  Sadaf Hussain of the Centre for Civil Society, New Dehli...

From the Economic Policy Journal

Source:Sidewinder- Professor Milton Friedman in 1978.

"A student poses a series of question on based on Friedman's notion that people should pursue their own self-interest. The student points out that he'd read that Friedman had previously come out against disaster aid for victims of a flood in Pennsylvania. Friedman corrected the questioner and noted that he did not come out against private aid for flood victims but instead was against the Federal Government providing discounted flood insurance in advance to home purchasers which motivated people to build houses in areas where they otherwise would not have been able to obtain insurance privately. If not for the discounted insurance, it's likely many of the flooded houses would never have been built in the first place as it wouldn't have been in peoples self-interest."

From Sidewinder

I don't agree with Milton Friedman on everything once you get part the message of maximize freedom for everyone as long as they aren't hurting any innocent person with what they're doing. Which I agree with him on probably 99% of the way. I support the safety net as an insurance system, but only for people who truly need it and to be used to help people get themselves on their own feet and off of the safety net all together. And here's another area where I agree with Professor Friedman on. Even though he wouldn't have created the New Deal and Great Society, he said that as long as we have a public social insurance system it should be used to lift people up and not keep them down. That people on Welfare should be looking for work and be able to earn money on the side while on Welfare.

I basically look at my politics from the standpoint as a Classical Liberal (not Libertarian) who is influenced by Jack Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Martin O'Malley today and other what are called New Democrats. (The Real Liberals in the Democratic Party) People who believe success in life shouldn't be determined on whether you have wealthy parents, or not. But the quality of your parents and the opportunities that you create for yourself based on what your parents gave you and what you created for yourself. That the success of the individual should be determined based on the quality of their parents, community, education and at the end of the day what the individual does for themselves. Did they complete their education, find a good field for them and made the best out of that, that they could. Not whether their parents are wealthy, or not.

Milton Friedman is part of my political influence. Part of my political package that I use to voice my own politics and views. That it's not the job of government to take care of people, but to protect our freedom. Now my role for government while still very limited is a bit bigger than Milton's, we look at a lot of things the same way. That individual freedom, success, wealth and even extreme wealth, are actually good things. And that the problem is not that we have rich people, but that we don't have enough rich people and too many people in poverty. And where I differ with Milton is that I believe an effective limited government can be used to see that everyone has the access to the tools that they need to create their own freedom. Education, infrastructure, economic development, a safety net again for people who only need it, but is used to expand freedom and not government dependence. But I believe Milton and I share most of the same goals when it comes to freedom in America.