Free to Choose

A Personal Statement

De: Milton Friedman, Rose Friedman

Narrado por: James Adams

Milton Friedman and his wife, Rose, teamed up to write this most convincing and readable guide, which illustrates the crucial link between Adam Smith's capitalism and the free society. They show how freedom has been eroded and prosperity undermined through the rapid growth of governmental agencies, laws, and regulations. While a large central government may have good intentions, the results it produces are lamentable. More than another indictment of government planning and bureaucracy, however, Free to Choose offers several convincing and creative remedies to the world's woes.©1979 John McDermott, Forward 1990 Milton Friedman and Rose D. Friedman (P)2007 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Excellent book....This reviewer has never read a more straightforward and simple statement of the present ills facing our society and what we as citizens in a democracy must do about them." ( Chicago Sun Times)
"Milton Friedman puts verities back into focus and puts us back in touch with how a free and abundant society can work - if we let it. That is why he deserved his Nobel Prize in economics, and it is why you should read this book." ( Reader's Digest)

Too bad Government didn’t listen to Friedman

Really enjoyed listening this book. Timing is interesting. When it was written countries were coming to the senses and removing socialist governments. Currently we can only hope the same thing happens. Unfortunately we have much more government control today then back then.
All topics discussed in the book are relevant today. It’s just super depressing we are much more worse off.

Important reading, now more than ever

I would argue that these truths ring truer now than they did when Milton and Rose Friedman wrote them.

what insight that man had

I hope Donald Trump has read this, we could really turn things around in the American/global economy

Classic!

This book takes the classic arguments for economic freedom and makes them fresh and exciting with new examples such as the manufacturing of the pencil held by the author on the cover.

Liberty - the forgotten virtue

Friedman continues the traditional Austrian defense of liberty under a new name, Monetarism. After reading Hayek and Mises (which I highly recommend you read after), Friedman’s writing is refreshingly modern and easy to grasp. The intersection of economics, political science, and philosophy which he explores is truly fascinating. He does very little moralizing while explaining in a matter-of-fact way the various sectors of American life which have been degraded over time through governmental compulsion of one sort or another.

We often tell ourselves in America that we are the land of the free, but this has hardly rung true for many decades. The distinction between charity and compulsory welfare programs, which often achieve the opposite of their stated goals, has been all but lost in our education system and society on the whole. I find myself curious how different our society would be if this were mandatory reading in high school. There undoubtedly would be such flavors of schools if universal voucher programs were adopted as he suggests. Every day since this book was written it seems like our political choices are increasingly between left and right wing socialism controlled by two different coalitions of special interests.

Though I almost ubiquitously agree with Friedman, I wish he had more fully outlined exactly what roles the government should take on. Roads? Police? He does give a general outline, and I believe doesn’t want to come off as radical, but if his logic is properly followed to its ends we will discover how extremely few legitimate uses of government there are, particularly at the federal level.

I also wish he had spent more time criticizing the American election system. First Past the Post necessitates us arriving at a two party system through the spoiled vote phenomenon. Various ideas such as ranked choice voting could, and do in various European countries, remedy this problem. This seems like the only viable path forward for libertarianism, or any third party, against the monolithic, or duolithic, two party system.

He is also adamant that a democracy should be maintained despite all evidence showing us that democracy is legitimized mob rule used to steal some people’s labor for the benefit of others. I don’t see why an authoritarian regime which protects liberty is inferior to mob rule which demands half of your income. Obviously the book is about freedom of choice, and that we should try to win over the political realm to enthusiastically favoring liberty, but the political realm is fundamentally different from private choices. Only you bear the suffering endured from poor personal choices. Others bear the suffering caused by poor, and inherently violent and narcissistic, political choices. People are good at economizing their shopping choices, but not their political choices. Obviously I would prefer that everyone wake up tomorrow valuing liberty and feeling no sense of entitlement to others possessions or income, but I am under no illusions of this happening.

Awesome

Milton Friedman perfectly sums up what is wrong with or country and many countries around the world. The encroachment of government, encouraged by well meaning people, has the opposite intended effect in every instance.

Explains Western philosophy

Has many compelling ideas but takes a 1 sided approach to many key points like most things. it's the antithesis of Marxism.

Read This

Every person on this planet should read this. Without a doubt should be suggested reading in every high school and college.

Sound economics from a libertarian perspective.

10 chapters of why the government should interfere less in the economy. Strong enough arguments to rally the like-minded and soften if not convert the opposition.

Accessible economics

Powerful ideas illustrated with good examples. Most of it was understandable without an econ degree.