More Quotes by Milton Friedman
The government doesn't have any money. The only power it has is to take from some and give to others.
The essential notion of a capitalist society ... is voluntary cooperation, voluntary exchange. The essential notion of a socialist society is force.
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.
The only corporate social responsibility a company has is to maximize its profits.
The most important single central fact about a free market is that no exchange takes place unless both parties benefit.
We have a system that increasingly taxes work and subsidizes nonwork.
The word 'free' is used three times in the Declaration of Independence and once in the First Amendment to the Constitution, along with 'freedom.' The word 'fair' is not used in either of our founding documents.
If you pay people not to work and tax them when they do, don't be surprised if you get unemployment.
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.
You cannot be sure that you are right unless you understand the arguments against your views better than your opponents do.