The essential notion of a capitalist society ... is voluntary cooperation, voluntary exchange. The essential notion of a socialist society is force.

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When everybody owns something, nobody owns it, and nobody has a direct interest in maintaining or improving its condition. That is why buildings in the Soviet Union - like public housing in the United States - look decrepit within a year or two of their construction.

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If capitalism worked as the socialists think an economic system ought to work, and provided a constant equality of living conditions for all, regardless of whether a man was able or not, resourceful or not, diligent or not, thrifty or not, if capitalism put no premiums on resourcefulness and effort and not penalty on idleness or vice, it would produce only an equality of destitution.

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Inflation is the one form of taxation that can be imposed without legislation.

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Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself.

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Corruption is government intrusion into market efficiencies in the form of regulations.

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A society that puts equality — in the sense of equality of outcome — ahead of freedom will end up with neither equality nor freedom. The use of force to achieve equality will destroy freedom, and the force, introduced for good purposes, will end up in the hands of people who use it to promote their own interests.

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The government doesn't have any money. The only power it has is to take from some and give to others.

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Nothing is so permanent as a temporary government program.

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You cannot simultaneously have free immigration and a welfare state.

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