Jennifer Burns: Why Milton Friedman Matters More Than Ever

The biographer of the Nobel laureate says he made us "free to choose" in areas far beyond economics.

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Jennifer Burns: Why Milton Friedman Matters More Than Ever

Was Milton Friedman the most important libertarian of them all? That's part of the conversation I had with today's guest, Stanford historian Jennifer Burns, who has written a masterful and definitive new biography of the Nobel Prize–winning economist. Without reservation, I recommend you check out her new book, Milton Friedman: The Last Conservative. 

Friedman was arguably not just the most influential free market economist of the 20th century but the central figure in building the broad political and intellectual coalition that successfully challenged Keynesian economics and the top-down rule of experts in so many aspects of our lives. I talked with Burns about Friedman's conceptual and methodological breakthroughs in economics; his way-ahead-of-his-time collaboration with female economists such as Anna Schwartz and his wife Rose; his role in popularizing free market economics through his columns in Newsweek and the TV series Free To Choose; his controversial engagements with politicians such as Richard Nixon and Augusto Pinochet; and his role in ending the military draft and championing school choice. We also talked about Burns' previous book, Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the American Right, and its connections to her new work.

This episode was taped at the Reason Speakeasy, a monthly, unscripted conversation in New York City with outspoken defenders of free thinking and heterodoxy that doubles as a live taping of this podcast. Go here to get information about Speakeasys and all our upcoming events.

Comments

[Chumby]

Nobody will need choices once living in the 15-minute cities. Top Non-birthing People will make selections for you based on Science! and truths gained from collective reasoning.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

You'll have the choice of entering the congestion pricing zone at 2:30pm on Tuesday, or 7:45am on Sunday, in a self-driving fleet vehicle provided by Central Services.

[Chumby]

Do you have a completed 27B/6?

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

And a high enough social credit score?

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Speaking of non-birthing people...

"A new form of gay conversion therapy"

[Vernon Depner]

Sexism dictates that one's body comport with one's thoughts and feelings. Whether the mismatch is corrected by changing the mind or by changing the body, it's Conversion Therapy.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Ha, like you expect that your feelings will count more than those of the dominant people in your collective farm or urban work-dormitory unit.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Remember when Uganda passing a don't say gay law wasn't too local?

I guess this is.

Denmark passes law to ban Koran burnings

[Chumby]

With all the potential extremists now in the country due to the Biden Open Borders-Open Wallet policy that some of the editors support, they’d like to avoid a Charlie Hebdo reset.

[TheReEncogitationer]

It was more than a "Don't Say Gay" law in Uganda. It was a "Don't BE Gay" law, and was supported by Fundamentalist Christians in the U.S.

LGBTQ Rights in Uganda
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_Uganda

Although largely unenforced for decades, attempts to reinvigorate their application has been ongoing since the 1990s. In the decades since, anti-gay rhetoric and efforts to introduce harsher laws have gained momentum, culminating in the Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2023, which prescribes up to twenty years in prison for "promotion of homosexuality", life imprisonment for "homosexual acts", and the death penalty for "aggravated homosexuality".[4]

And neither the anti-LGBTQ+ law in Uganda, not the anti-blasphemy law in Denmark are too local for me. The Abrahamic religions that support these acts of tyranny are global in their aspirations and have outposts and cell throughout the U.S.

To Christian Theocrats, I say: "I will not submit!" and to Muslim Theocrats I say: "Lan astaslem!"

[Bill Falcon]

The Irving Kristol Brigade is ready for action in Uganda...you are open to enlist

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

The funniest words I heard all week:

"This is District Attorney Jason Williams and I was just carjacked at the corner of Race and Magazine street."

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

I have to try posting this in sections, since Reason twice sent my comment to the corn field.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Part 1

Meanwhile, the Democratic fucktards in Colorado are on a roll, and definitely not acting like Milton Friedman. (From the Denver Post, with my comments.)

Coloradan taxpayers can each expect an extra $800 back when they file their state income tax returns early next year, state officials said Wednesday. (Those of us who earn and spend our own money have a pretty specific idea of what a refund is.)

The refund is based on revenue collected above the cap set by the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, or TABOR, the state constitutional amendment passed by voters in 1992 to limit the growth of government. Unlike in 2022, when taxpayers received a check in the mail, people will collect the money through their tax filings in the form of higher refunds or reduced tax bills. (Yeah, cuz in 2022 we had some elections, or something, and the fucktards did their best to buy votes.)

Overall, the state is refunding nearly $3.7 billion in over-collected revenue. The $800 per taxpayer is slightly lower than prior projections as a result of legislation passed during the General Assembly’s special session in November, when lawmakers also voted to give out flat TABOR refunds to everyone. The session was called to provide relief on property taxes and housing costs. (No, that session was called to ram through the same legislation that the voters had just rejected in a state-wide initiative.)

[Fats of Fury]

I think The Steal has gone global

https://twitter.com/floridanow1/status/1737460112279715887

JUST IN - Polish public media chiefs dismissed, news channel stops broadcasting as the new pro-European government takes control.

The Poles are about to get a million muzzies jammed up their dupas.

[Bill Falcon]

So so wrong on monetary policy and can't forgive the withholding which lead to the modern federal state. And not understanding the causes of the great depression or the proper solution.

Won't go into abortion either. Wrong again.

[Fats of Fury]

https://twitter.com/WallStreetSilv/status/1737516679993708939

Pakistan is emptying their prisons and sending them to Europe.
They throw away their documents and pretend to be below the age of 18.
Europe just lets them get away with it, gives them hotel rooms, food and benefits plus some pocket money for spending.
These people are not coming to become good workers in European jobs. They are coming for the free benefits and to conquer your countries.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

And maybe a cross-cultural rape or two. But that's okay because reasons.

[JesseAz]

Of you dont take foreign criminals in youre racist. Ask sarc. And definitely never take away welfare from them.

[buybuydandavis]

"Pakistan is emptying their prisons and sending them to Europe."

They get rid of their criminals and inflict them on their enemies.
It's a win-win.

Invasion is warfare.

[Chumby]

In response to the CO supreme court ruling:

“The US has lost its ability to lecture any other country about democracy.”

- Nayib Bukele, President of El Salvador

[sarcasmic]

I’d think libertarians would support more ballot access, not less, regardless of the political party.

[sarcasmic]

Though JesseAz has already declared what I believe. I have no doubt you’ll defer to him rather than be accused of being a white knight.

[chemjeff radical individualist]

The US lost its ability (moral authority) to lecture anyone else on democracy a long time ago.

[DesigNate]

I can agree with you on this.

[R Mac]

Me too! *makes note on calendar*

[chemjeff radical individualist]

Do YOU favor making the US a more democratic system? Yes or no? If no, then you agree with the President of El Salvador.

[Chumby]

I favor decreasing the size of government significantly. The impact of elections, potential shenanigans, and the like become greatly reduced.

[Chumby]

WaPo has reportedly taken War in Ukraine from its masthead.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Corporate journalism wilts in sunlight.

[Bill Falcon]

Jennifer Rubin and Max Boot have had a stroke!

[buybuydandavis]

I didn't think Santa was going to give me that one!

[LIBertrans]

Friedman was clueless about Prohibition causing the Crash. He waxed lugubrious abt how Strong could've been economic Duce to Amerika had he not up and died in 1928. Yet would Resurrection have stopped the effects of the 5&10 law making beer a felony as of Hoover's "new race" inaugural? Would the Alesia have delivered the morphine to the NYC black market and saved the Bank of United States in Dec 1930? Would Hoover's Moratorium on Brains conciding with the July 1931 Limitation of Narcotics Convention have kept German pharma from funding the NSDAP after July 1931? Friedman and Schwartz FAILED to explain the Crash and Depression.