Yesterday marked the 99th anniversary of the birth of Nobel economist and one of the world’s greatest champions of liberty, Milton Friedman. Upon Friedman’s death in 2006, AEI’s Allan Meltzer expressed these thoughts in “An Appreciation: Milton Friedman, 1912-2006”:
Milton Friedman was an extraordinary economist and individual. Few people have had as much influence on both social policy and economic policy in the United States and the rest of the world. That influence continues to grow.
Milton Friedman swam against a strong and hostile current. Using his intelligence and abilities to communicate, he made major contributions to reverse the current. Facts helped to establish the correctness of his views. Rest in peace, Milton, secure in the knowledge that many others, everywhere, carry on your advocacy of freedom and opportunity as the basis for human betterment.
There are millions of people around the world who have more economic freedom, a better life, and a higher standard of living today thanks to Friedman’s enormous influence. Friedman was the strongest and most effective advocate of economic and political liberty in modern history, and the anniversary of his birthday provides an opportunity to reflect and appreciate his enduring impact on the world.
The next great challenge is to find ways to incorporate his insights into our education system. Unfortunately, many people still believe that wealth is created primarily by magic, fraud or by governments.