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Farewell, Mercenary Professor
Nov. 17th, 2006 08:38 amMilton Friedman, one of the greatest economists of the 20th century, has passed at 94. I would say he was the greatest, but the gentleman himself would have rebuked me for making such a singluarly declartive statement that does not support the supposition that there are multiple options in a free market, all of equal value measured by the indivudal consumer.
What set Friedman apart was that he wasn't just a 'numbers economist', but that he was also a moralist concerned with the ethics of economics. One of the great Cirlces of Modern Life among the young who have just discovered socialism to make statements like 'Capitalism is the root of all evil', and even to buy witty bumper stickers to that effect. Friedman argued strongly that in fact the free market, like all Liberties, is the most ethical of all options, becuase it allows the most freedoms, and the most opportunity for individuals to exercise their own free will.
Friedman's dedication to the right of an individual's free will famously came out in an exchange with General Westmoreland when debating the use of the Draft durign the Vietnam War. Friedman was strongly against the draft. Westmoreland argued that he didn't want to lead an "army of mercenaries", to which Friedman stated "General, would you rather command an army of slaves?" Westmoreland replied "I don't like to hear our patriotic draftees refered to as slaves". Friedman went on with "I don't like to hear our patriotic volunteers refered to as mercenaries. If they are mercenaries, then I, sir, am a mercenary professor, and you, sir, are a mercenary general; we are served by mercenary physicians, we use a mercenary lawyer, and we get our meat from a mercenary butcher".
What set Friedman apart was that he wasn't just a 'numbers economist', but that he was also a moralist concerned with the ethics of economics. One of the great Cirlces of Modern Life among the young who have just discovered socialism to make statements like 'Capitalism is the root of all evil', and even to buy witty bumper stickers to that effect. Friedman argued strongly that in fact the free market, like all Liberties, is the most ethical of all options, becuase it allows the most freedoms, and the most opportunity for individuals to exercise their own free will.
Friedman's dedication to the right of an individual's free will famously came out in an exchange with General Westmoreland when debating the use of the Draft durign the Vietnam War. Friedman was strongly against the draft. Westmoreland argued that he didn't want to lead an "army of mercenaries", to which Friedman stated "General, would you rather command an army of slaves?" Westmoreland replied "I don't like to hear our patriotic draftees refered to as slaves". Friedman went on with "I don't like to hear our patriotic volunteers refered to as mercenaries. If they are mercenaries, then I, sir, am a mercenary professor, and you, sir, are a mercenary general; we are served by mercenary physicians, we use a mercenary lawyer, and we get our meat from a mercenary butcher".
