The Socialism/State Paradox

Milton Friedman notes an interesting dichotomy:

After World War II, opinion was socialist while practice was free market; currently, opinion is free market while practice is heavily socialist. We have largely won the battle of ideas; we have succeeded in stalling the progress of socialism, but we have not succeeded in reversing its course. We are still far from bringing practice into conformity with opinion. That is the overriding non-defense task for the second Bush term. It will not be an easy task, particularly with Iraq threatening to consume Bush's political capital.

Link via Crooked Timber. Reason has interviewed Uncle Milty several times over the years, including by Brian Doherty in 1995.