I'm a libertarian, i agree with like 99% of Friedman. The guy was right about cannibus back then which is obvious now. He was boldly right just about one issue, hes been right about every issue.
This is funny. Donahue then was ALL concerned about car safety. Now, today, people buy SUV's, partially because of the safety they offer. If Donahue were still on, would we be hearing about car safety, or the gas those safer cars burn?
Unfortunately Milton's statement about women and prohibition shows that he often had his facts wrong. I love the guy, but take everything he says with a grain of salt. He oversimplifies often and sometimes bends the facts to fit his truth. But his economic philosophy remains refreshing in illuminating our contemporary absurdities.
@Khayman8888 sht............ they make Donahue look like obama. Freidman is conservatism at its finest, but neo conservatism liberal blowhards get their money convincing all of us they actually believe in the constitution.
Its sad how a Donahue interview with Marilyn Manson has more than 20 times the views of this very important and insightful interview with the great Milton Friedman.
I've seen a number of comments on several video comment streams calling Friedman a 'liberal.' These are just leftist attempts to co-opt one of the great economic geniuses of history.
I am glad that the government can protect the people against corporations that manipulate the poor and the ignorant. Those with power have the resources to blind and manipulate, do we want corporations to have the power to then tell the American people what is best for us? Shouldn't government be able to step in and protect those whose interests are pushed aside?
@810connie the relationship between corporations and governments is a sinister element of government intervention; because of regulations "big business" comes into existence to protect itself (effectively eliminating the proverbial "little guy" in the process) ; as soon as this can of worms is opened corporations will strive to punish competition, not in the markets, but with their cozy government cronies-- a sickening relationship indeed
A person like Milton Friedman holds back social advancement in order to sustain a flawed system disregarding many innovative methods in today's world. His views are flawed, based on a dated system. He's presents a false dichotomy. "IT'S EITHER WHAT WE HAVE NOW OR THE SOVIET UNION MAKE YOUR CHOICE!" Such romanticism with a system he was indoctrinated by does more harm than good.
@freeeekyyy Thank GOD somebody has the decency to use the word LIBERAL in the correct sense. Modern liberals are nothing but progressives renamed after the Nazi's took over Germany, and became unpopular in American politics.
he lost me a bit at this point. i think if it can be effective without too much negative consequences, the govt should prevent people from killing themselves.
can you imagine Jon Stewart or Oprah having an hour long interview with a political theorist concerning relevant and contentious issues? tv is dead, long live the internet
@TheAlhero I can imagine a similar Jon Stewart interview, he has similar guests and such, but his show is just too short and his interview segments are only a third of the show on top of that.
@TheAlhero Really? John Stewart? He couldnt last ten seconds without throwing in some punch line or joke. Granted he does stay calm-ish, but he doesnt take anything serious and always tries to make people laugh instead of debate as a gentleman as these guys do. John Stossel is a man who could actually debate respectfully and intelligently like these two men.
@andrewknox92 funny part is donahue was the oprah of his day, known for flippancy and ridiculous topics. Yet relative to now he looks downright serious with a huge amount of integrity.
@DazedSpy2 The dumbing down of the populus isn't just a fairy tale you know. It's a plan. Watch a show from 30 years ago like this and you'll see how fast it goes.
Mental instability is another thing. Committing suicide consciously is what M. Friedman is discussing here. Mental instability at a given point in your life may cause you to attempt to take your life, but consciously and rationally you are not able to take the choice. I don't know what Friedman would argue over it, but in my point of view, one should be prevented and be helped by wither public or private institutions, experts and so on.
I did not say that it is. I said that it can be caused by mental instability at a given period of time.
Who defines what is stability of mind? I guess its very subjective really, and I can't give you a standard definition at all. A sharp change of behaviour caused by a clear incidence would do it for me.
See it this way. Out of an emotional response, you would do things at a given moment without consideration or desire to do so. Murder is an extreme example. So is suicide.
i disagree with this Dr Freidman on the state spending money for suicidal people. Many people want to take their lives at a given moment in their lives and go get help and get cured because of such good institutions which help the mentally unstable. What if i end up becoming a person who does good after i am saved from killing myself...in his world he doesn't want to spend the money toe save me at that particular instance of my life.
I like it that Friedman takes his reasoning all the way to what is today "banned thinking" in the media today because of the enforcement of political correctness, which aims to avoid bothering those who do not want, or are scared, to follow a truly thorough path in thinking. A discussion cannot progress if the participants limit their thinking. Therefore taboos and political correctness are wrong and an obstacle to human progress.
Conversations like this just do not take place anymore on tv... its blah blah blah lets go to commercial... it seems the segments used to be way longer or is it just me?
Wow, compare this intelligent discussion with the nonstop logic-free screamfest that makes up the current talkshow lineup. If tv is any indication, this country's iq has gone way down.
Not for nothing, and I love Milton...but his contention that prohibition was "voted in by women" as men were at war is false as women did not have the right to vote until August. 1920. Prohibition was inacted in JANUARY 1920.
@RWFW True. I'm watching Boardwalk Empire now, it takes place in that same exact time period. The women's temperance movement put political pressure on before women could actually vote, though.
A major reason for Swedish suicides has been identified as gloomy weather, not socialism. A logical conclusion cannot be implicit, speculative or generalized. He also disproved his own argument over legalizing alcohol sales. Did deregulation improve our economy? For a very few only! His disingenuously persuasive style, rather than logic & verification, led to an economic trainwreck. Who did he really work for? Many viewers should be much more skeptical & critical of an obvious con job.
@SIMKINETICS Don't feel bad, it was kind of complicated. Friedman said that prohibition of alcohol wasn't enforced because nobody was for it. He suggested that maybe if 90% of the public was for the prohibition, it wouldn't have been such a mess, resulting in so much crime, etc. Then Donahue said but 90% of the public support drug prohibition and there is the same kind of violence. And Friedman said youre right, I understated my case, meaning support for prohibition would have to be near 100%.
@guyjohn59 Alcohol prohibition is not a subject as the main thrust of my argument. I argue mainly that dissolution of regulations & enforcement concerning corporate & banking corruption has resulted in our economic crisis. Furthermore, the middle-class has suffered repeated blows from corporatism since Truman's presidency, Friedman's influence being the biggest blow. We've been constantly encouraged to partake in our own demise! Congress has been bought! We must unwind this insanity!
Friedman is no doubt interesting speaker (and I'm mostly saying this because of all the fanatics that are about to attack me) but seems to me he doesn't take in account the human factor well enough. He only looks at the system from ideological standpoint. People aren't that bright and they are easy to manipulate with advertisements or obfuscating matters. There's also this fetish to own more and more stuff in our society today, stuff that we don't really even need, it's just preposterous.
@Basaltq Which is why (I think) he defends a smaller Government, since inevitably the "brighter" people will be the ones on top of the "food-chain", imagine if they had tremendous power over the less bright ones, oh wait, they already do ;)
@Basaltq Wow of course people will attack you for saying something stupid. He is for FREE TO CHOOSE so if you are persuade by flash its STILL YOUR CHOICE to buy the flash. BUT then you must live with the fact that you bought flash and not substance.
@9:13 LMAO! --- I bet if Rachel Maddow were in the audience that day, she would have rode her Harley(with wife on back) onstage and ran over Dr. Friedman!!
We all know, that the only cure for addiction is when you've had enough, when you've hit rock bottom right? Well, if it is legal and readily available would'nt you just end up quiting sooner?
@TimeWarp66 scandanavia is not socialist, this is demagoguery from station like Fox. they welfare capitalism. sweden over the past few years, along with denmark, has undergone a lot deregulation and privatisation.
@bonfirejovi actually scandinavia is still very socialist in the sense that there is way too much government intervention in the individuals private economy.
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Friedman talks like all other people are ignorant and economics is a natural science like physics where you can make very certain statements (or not if you know some modern physics) and he, Friedman, has found these certainties and his opponents have just not done enough maths and he is the genius being able to do so.
Audacity...and has cost us 24 years in the Reagan/Reagan/Bush/Clinton/Bush/Bush eras.
@hyperseauton For the record it was 28 years and 28 years of the most expansive peace-time economy in history due to relatively limited taxation and relaxed regulation which began under Ronald Reagan. George W Bush and Congressional Republicans who lost their way began the tilt back toward increased gov't spending and regulation and Obama and the Dems are continuing to careen on that same path with likely devastating results.
@biffster68 "Peace-time?!" some peace time, money wasted on Star Wars, nuclear proliferation, conflicts in south america, the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq that we OPENLY funded (not to mention Iran-Contra) which led to suffering and death. That is "peace-time" for you? And thats just reagan! What about about George HW Bush! Invasion of Panama, Desert Storm...thats peace time? And how much did real wages correspond to cost of living? Inversely Reagan apologist
@direwolf661 Direwolf, you have absolutely no fundamental understanding of cause and effect here. Take Star Wars. You might think that SDI was money wasted; BUT THE SOVIETS DIDN'T! They KNEW we could eventually come up with a way to check nuclear strikes. International relations isn't a game of chess, it's a game of poker; it's about creating in the mind of your enemy an advantage that you may possess, whether it's real or not. It was a Corbomite Maneuver. Look that up.
But it wasn't. Look what happened. The Soviets knew that if anyone on this globe could do what Reagan proposed, it was the USA. The arms race broke the USSR. They were a third world nation with a first world (barely) military, and they had to steal everything they had from the west because they couldn't innovate as well as we could. When the B-2 bomber was unveiled, two prominent GRU generals committed suicide because we had radically changed the game; we could strike them with impunity.
killwhitey your so wrong socailism is the gov rules all bussiness its a bad thing for the ppl name one socailist country that is doing go for its ppl . OH and killwhitey you must be a racsict i guess with a name like that
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Socialism has done so much for this country .....abolition of slavery, child labor laws, police, fire fighters, welfare. Reagan deregulated and look what happend Milton, crime spiked in the eighties, while the rich got richer, I agree with him a lot but he never factors in the plight of the underdog and that history is made off the man who is worked to death. We have too many laws, but we need laws against big business
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pt2. or dont ban drugs for public good. All this free trade nonsense about Milton and Smith. HELLO WORLD these men were operating when capitalism was at its best i.e. during the slave trade! Free trade did not work for europe when it first started in the 1500's only a handful of the population rose up to enslave more people and hire wage slaves. Why do you think the age of revolution occured. 1st the capitalist middle class rise up , then the peasants.
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Why is he so popular this man is a selfish retard, he doesnt even know the true sense of socialism, which is for the public good, socialism is not the government making rules over our lives, socialism is what the vast majority of the poeople want and for the public good but everyone must pay into it. Im glad our libraries are not publicly owned . Also how is banning drugs socialist when sweeden deregulates drugs? Both can be seen as a socialist reaction.
The Socialist system is almost incompatible with man's nature. It seems that when we are free and unrestricted our good nature is brought forth. Although, there should be restriction on heroin, due to it's addictive properties. One hit of Heroin can open a door that cannot be closed.
I agree that socialism is not compatible with human nature, but not because we have a good nature. Instead, because we have an imperfect nature, we cannot trust a government to have broad powers over our daily lives, because said government is just a group of fellow human beings who are too limited morally and intellectually.
As Friedman points out, it is when we have a free market that these human limitations are most efficiently checked.
@dangolingo this just isnt even intelligable. Sounds like something a fourth grader would say. Are you a fourth grader? If so, very good, i take back the insult.
Many countries overcome Sweden in suicide rate but they have either a subestimation in their numbers for bad statistic services or for political reasons like China. The mix of elder population, longer nights and a good death notification might explain the higher rates for Sweden back in those days.
When gvt starts using emotion to drive public opinion on where money should go, it always gets misused. The problem I have is that gvt is the problem and they abuse their power and take from hard working people and now give more to people that dont work hard. I have been telling my kids about the minimum wage BS for years now and they are still in middle and high school.
I agree with Milton that a high minimum wage is NOT the way to fight poverty. It comes thru education & training. Raising the minimum wage only increases the cost of basic goods & services like a haircut.
On the other hand, there are LOTS of minimum wage jobs the last time I checked. Goto your local 7-11 or Mcdonald's. There are TONS of help wanted ads. So Milton isn't quite right on that the minimum wages suppresses jobs...
actually he is correct. People are not hiring you people cause they know they have to pay a certain amount and are looking for 'experienced' people to fill the slots due to the hike in minimum wage. Keep in mind that minimum wage went from 5.85 2 years ago to 7.25 as of this month. That just raised the bottom line about 23%. From a percentage standpoint, you just lost 23% worth buying power your money used to have over the last 2 years as this affects the economy.
The question to be asked is what is the OPTIMUM number. Is it 5.85, 6, 10 or whatever? Having no minimum wage leaves room for worker abuse & someone could be working for a penny an hour.
Right now, there are lots of minimum wages jobs so let's just leave it the way it is. I'm just taking a center point-of-view...that's all.
That will not happen cause people will only work for so low a wage. You cannot stay in business if you cannot hire anyone. It will work and works better if behavior/productivity based.
Be careful about that because there was a recent court ruling (where I live) where latin american workers were recruited to do berry picking. The company was fined for paying below minimum wage (I believe it was almost a dollar an hour).
These poor latin american workers didn't know about the canadian laws & were on temporary work visas. English was another issue. These workers were grateful for the wage because their currency to ours was like 10-1.
There lies part of the problem. Young students in college or even late in highschool should be doing those jobs but will not as they think they are too good. If you want to solve that problem, you put the company's management in jail and shut the company down by enforcing existing laws which the U.S. doesnt do. Hold people accountable. There lies the problem, why are we issuing visas for unskilled labor??? Think about it.
I agree with that. I know many people who think they are too good to be working at 7-11 because they have an Arts degree. It's called Entitlement. Sadly, we live in a society where there's a culture of entitlement.
Another example is this advocate wanting gov't $ for a national daycare. It didn't happen but think about it: Since when is the gov't a babysitter? Entitlement to tax dollars is rampant where I live...
I hear ya there. It is not too bad here other than illegals working a lot here. There are entitlement areas here as well. It is sad when they live in a 700 square foot apartment with 4 kids running around driving a srt8 charger.
You clearly don't understand capitalism; if a company paid a penny an hour then a rival would pay more, all their employees would go to the better competitor and put the previous company out of business.
the countries with the highest tax rates and most gvt control have the highest suicide rates. When gvt does only what it is supposed to do (protects from other country's force aka war, and protects against other people.
I don't have a problem with LESS government. Milton's right for the most part.
However, to equate suicide to high tax rates is overly simplistic. Suicide is a complicated issue & there are many factors. I know someone who attempted suicide and it had nothing to do with taxes.
I will agree with you on that and glad you are not one of these absolutist kind of people. There are factors such as age and specific situations at hand such as personal problems other than money. I agree with you more than you think or may have thought. When money is the problem for the suicide, the higher taxes + failing economy at the time are usually the problem and are usually temporary as well. Most everything he says is true based on common sense that most people dont want o use anymore.
Wikipedia sucks man. Anybody can change it. Nonetheless, I just checked different sites and some are reporting Lithuania and others are reporting Japan.
I have several friends from Japan and they told me this in 2002-2004, Japan was the highest. maybe it has changed now and I haven't kept up to date. So, I don't know...
sweden lowered its corp tax rate to 12.5% if i recall right. Japan raised theirs and is now higher than the U.S. Wonder why the swede's are doing much much better now and their economy is better due to it. Thier gvt is spending much less now.
pdynamics1 and all028, you missed the point entirely. The fact that there are minimum wage jobs available and low skilled people without jobs proves Friedman's point. Minimum wage laws make it ILLEGAL TO HIRE LOW SKILLED PEOPLE. It has nothing to do with suppressing jobs.
Actually look at cliffKemp's comments too. He supports Milton and even he acknowledges it has to do with suppressing jobs. Or, do a search on youtube "milton friedman minimum wage" and he talks about how it hurts job creation.
cliffKemp's comments carry as much weight as yours or all028 (or mine for that matter!) I didn't say the job suppression claim is false. It's just not the point. There are many videos (watch?v=Rls8H6MktrA "or" watch?v=JfdRpyfEmBE to name a few) which Friedman talks about minimum wage, the main point is never about job suppression. It is about how the GOV'T set out to help the poor by instituting a minimum wage. The result of that good intention was the poor are hurt not helped.
I like how they boo what Friedman said about women and the prohibition even though it's absolutely true. The biggest proponents of the prohibition were women and the KKK.
Friedman had balls. Who on TV these days would defend heroin legalization or say anything remotely "negative" about women (that they passed Prohibition while men were off at war)?
@wheelzwheela I read Free to Choose a few months ago (prompted by Stossel) and discovered where John Stossel got much of his material for his programs. Which of course is a good thing.
@WelfareRobot Morally, I absolutely agree with Friedman on that point about heroin; In practice though, I don't see how it won't lead to a decrease in productivity. I mean, China had opium and in the U.S now it's other illicit drugs.
@WelfareRobot I love the follow-up statement. "Neither good or bad, just historical fact". I wonder what those who boo'd reacted to the follow-up thought.
A man who is currently running for President did just that in a NATIONALLY televised debate a week and a half ago. Not to mention he holds the exact same FREE market economic and personal responsibility beliefs that Friedman holds. Ron Paul 2012! Research him
@WelfareRobot I don't think that is even true.The 18th amendment was ratified in january of 1920 and the 19th was ratified in august of 1920. They couldn't have possibly passed prohibition.
"say anything remotely "negative" about women (that they passed Prohibition while men were off at war)?"
The real question needs to be, why is stating that fact "negative". He wasn't assigning a negative attitude to it, he was simply stating the fact that prohabition was passed while most of the men were away, and so the idea was supported by the women who were left behind.
We have to grow some thicker skin, and get over ourselves and quit being so damn sensitive.
Right, the war on drugs is a massive failure. Eight years ago, Portugal legalized possession of drugs. Everything got better, not worse. Drug use declined, HIV infections from sharing needles decreased & the # of people seeking treatment for drug addiction doubled. People using marijuana in Portugal is less than every country in the EU & the US. $ saved on enforcement allowed for increased funding of drug-free treatment.
Isn't it amazing how there are literally ZERO intellectuals anywhere in the public eye these days? We don't need talking head or pundits to understand what is going on these days, we simply need to look to the past for truth and to read the works of those who have already provided the answers to our problems.
John Stossel. Thomas Sowell. And many more from the Cato Institute. The Milton Friedman Institute. And in politics, we have Ron Paul. There's still hope, my friend!
Ron Paul 2012
RocknRollaRevolution 1 week ago
I'm a libertarian, i agree with like 99% of Friedman. The guy was right about cannibus back then which is obvious now. He was boldly right just about one issue, hes been right about every issue.
RocknRollaRevolution 1 week ago
I didn't think women could vote until after WW1?
rsmoove2000 2 weeks ago in playlist Milton Friedman vs. Phil Donahue
This is funny. Donahue then was ALL concerned about car safety. Now, today, people buy SUV's, partially because of the safety they offer. If Donahue were still on, would we be hearing about car safety, or the gas those safer cars burn?
stlstg 3 weeks ago in playlist Milton Friedman on Donahue (1980)
Unfortunately Milton's statement about women and prohibition shows that he often had his facts wrong. I love the guy, but take everything he says with a grain of salt. He oversimplifies often and sometimes bends the facts to fit his truth. But his economic philosophy remains refreshing in illuminating our contemporary absurdities.
chapaev36 3 weeks ago
@TheDenknach Nice one :D
lessiv 1 month ago
sweden has a high suicide rate because they have no light up there... try to live in a dark shithole like this :D^^
TheDenknach 1 month ago
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RON PAUL 2012!!!
1991RubenV 4 months ago
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Yeah a TRUE LIBERAL... neither a Neocon or a Modern Liberal(Leftist).... just a classic LIBERAL
argenta86 4 months ago
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argenta86 4 months ago
lol, Donahue struggles mightily with logic and reason.
pretorious700 4 months ago 8
@pretorious700 Yea, but Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity make Phil Donahue look like Milton Friedman.
Khayman8888 1 month ago
@Khayman8888 sht............ they make Donahue look like obama. Freidman is conservatism at its finest, but neo conservatism liberal blowhards get their money convincing all of us they actually believe in the constitution.
RON PAUL 2012!
RocknRollaRevolution 1 week ago
That was sort of a weird semi-jab at women from Friedman :/ loved the video though.
Minkki82 5 months ago
Fantastic segment! LEGALIZE IT ALL!
DUPDOGGY 5 months ago in playlist Milton Friedman vs. Phil Donahue 5
Nobody gives a rat's about anything Donahue ever had to say.
The fact that he had a show is inconsequential.
Anyone who searches for this playlist searches for the Nobel Laureate and economic libertarian genius Milton Friedman!
DonEdwardVoiceovers 5 months ago
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Milton Friedman always considered himself a liberal, in the true sense of the word.
Libertarians should take the word back so the phoney "liberals" can have their real titles, 'Social Democrats' and/or 'Democratic Socialists'.
JackyB92 6 months ago
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JackyB92 6 months ago
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JackyB92 6 months ago
Its sad how a Donahue interview with Marilyn Manson has more than 20 times the views of this very important and insightful interview with the great Milton Friedman.
MrFireballbren 6 months ago 3
I'm wondering why this dude at 7:52 is being shown
What's up homie
Hogames 6 months ago
@Hogames LOl/
8bobthebuilder 2 months ago
I've seen a number of comments on several video comment streams calling Friedman a 'liberal.' These are just leftist attempts to co-opt one of the great economic geniuses of history.
TomKaren1994 6 months ago
It's higher in scandinavia because of the weather problems.
seppsters 6 months ago
Donahue gets pinned and then he takes things to extremes to get out from under it.
bonemailtanks 8 months ago
I am glad that the government can protect the people against corporations that manipulate the poor and the ignorant. Those with power have the resources to blind and manipulate, do we want corporations to have the power to then tell the American people what is best for us? Shouldn't government be able to step in and protect those whose interests are pushed aside?
810connie 10 months ago
@810connie the relationship between corporations and governments is a sinister element of government intervention; because of regulations "big business" comes into existence to protect itself (effectively eliminating the proverbial "little guy" in the process) ; as soon as this can of worms is opened corporations will strive to punish competition, not in the markets, but with their cozy government cronies-- a sickening relationship indeed
2dum2getsocialism 10 months ago
his analysis on heroin was correct then and it is correct now.
palkom13 10 months ago
Women suck. Bitches, they adopted prohibition.
LogicalFlawDetector 10 months ago
A person like Milton Friedman holds back social advancement in order to sustain a flawed system disregarding many innovative methods in today's world. His views are flawed, based on a dated system. He's presents a false dichotomy. "IT'S EITHER WHAT WE HAVE NOW OR THE SOVIET UNION MAKE YOUR CHOICE!" Such romanticism with a system he was indoctrinated by does more harm than good.
Iaganatzi 10 months ago
@freeeekyyy Thank GOD somebody has the decency to use the word LIBERAL in the correct sense. Modern liberals are nothing but progressives renamed after the Nazi's took over Germany, and became unpopular in American politics.
asleeperj 10 months ago
he lost me a bit at this point. i think if it can be effective without too much negative consequences, the govt should prevent people from killing themselves.
defgill 11 months ago
can you imagine Jon Stewart or Oprah having an hour long interview with a political theorist concerning relevant and contentious issues? tv is dead, long live the internet
andrewknox92 1 year ago 28
@andrewknox92 Jon Stewart is the only one I can imagine having a similiar conversation
TheAlhero 10 months ago
@TheAlhero I can imagine a similar Jon Stewart interview, he has similar guests and such, but his show is just too short and his interview segments are only a third of the show on top of that.
andrewknox92 10 months ago
@TheAlhero Really? John Stewart? He couldnt last ten seconds without throwing in some punch line or joke. Granted he does stay calm-ish, but he doesnt take anything serious and always tries to make people laugh instead of debate as a gentleman as these guys do. John Stossel is a man who could actually debate respectfully and intelligently like these two men.
sch3ffs 9 months ago
@andrewknox92 funny part is donahue was the oprah of his day, known for flippancy and ridiculous topics. Yet relative to now he looks downright serious with a huge amount of integrity.
DazedSpy2 2 months ago
@DazedSpy2 The dumbing down of the populus isn't just a fairy tale you know. It's a plan. Watch a show from 30 years ago like this and you'll see how fast it goes.
RealTrueTarget 2 months ago
He was a legend, even then.
EnigmaticWolf1 1 year ago
Mental instability is another thing. Committing suicide consciously is what M. Friedman is discussing here. Mental instability at a given point in your life may cause you to attempt to take your life, but consciously and rationally you are not able to take the choice. I don't know what Friedman would argue over it, but in my point of view, one should be prevented and be helped by wither public or private institutions, experts and so on.
a199215 1 year ago
@a199215
Yet, Friedman's statement that responsibility lies first of all to the person's friends and family is still very strong.
a199215 1 year ago
@a199215 Why is it mentally unstable to kill one's self? Who defines what is stability of mind?
ab1tchslap 1 year ago
@ab1tchslap
I did not say that it is. I said that it can be caused by mental instability at a given period of time.
Who defines what is stability of mind? I guess its very subjective really, and I can't give you a standard definition at all. A sharp change of behaviour caused by a clear incidence would do it for me.
See it this way. Out of an emotional response, you would do things at a given moment without consideration or desire to do so. Murder is an extreme example. So is suicide.
a199215 1 year ago
i disagree with this Dr Freidman on the state spending money for suicidal people. Many people want to take their lives at a given moment in their lives and go get help and get cured because of such good institutions which help the mentally unstable. What if i end up becoming a person who does good after i am saved from killing myself...in his world he doesn't want to spend the money toe save me at that particular instance of my life.
armeniantamara 1 year ago
I like the comment on Sweden. Every leftest says Sweden is a benevolent socialist utopia, when it has a lot of dark history.
YesWeCantaloupe 1 year ago
I like it that Friedman takes his reasoning all the way to what is today "banned thinking" in the media today because of the enforcement of political correctness, which aims to avoid bothering those who do not want, or are scared, to follow a truly thorough path in thinking. A discussion cannot progress if the participants limit their thinking. Therefore taboos and political correctness are wrong and an obstacle to human progress.
No point here. Just a statement.
v1rtualguy 1 year ago
Conversations like this just do not take place anymore on tv... its blah blah blah lets go to commercial... it seems the segments used to be way longer or is it just me?
jjmdirector 1 year ago
Wow, compare this intelligent discussion with the nonstop logic-free screamfest that makes up the current talkshow lineup. If tv is any indication, this country's iq has gone way down.
TreachMarkets 1 year ago 2
@TreachMarkets totally agree. What show would let someone speak like this now. Phil asks a question and then listens to the answer. A novel idea.
pantherfan3763 1 year ago
Not for nothing, and I love Milton...but his contention that prohibition was "voted in by women" as men were at war is false as women did not have the right to vote until August. 1920. Prohibition was inacted in JANUARY 1920.
RWFW 1 year ago
@RWFW True. I'm watching Boardwalk Empire now, it takes place in that same exact time period. The women's temperance movement put political pressure on before women could actually vote, though.
TreachMarkets 1 year ago
Take that, ladies!
napoleonseven 1 year ago
A major reason for Swedish suicides has been identified as gloomy weather, not socialism. A logical conclusion cannot be implicit, speculative or generalized. He also disproved his own argument over legalizing alcohol sales. Did deregulation improve our economy? For a very few only! His disingenuously persuasive style, rather than logic & verification, led to an economic trainwreck. Who did he really work for? Many viewers should be much more skeptical & critical of an obvious con job.
SIMKINETICS 1 year ago
@SIMKINETICS Don't feel bad, it was kind of complicated. Friedman said that prohibition of alcohol wasn't enforced because nobody was for it. He suggested that maybe if 90% of the public was for the prohibition, it wouldn't have been such a mess, resulting in so much crime, etc. Then Donahue said but 90% of the public support drug prohibition and there is the same kind of violence. And Friedman said youre right, I understated my case, meaning support for prohibition would have to be near 100%.
guyjohn59 1 year ago
@guyjohn59 Alcohol prohibition is not a subject as the main thrust of my argument. I argue mainly that dissolution of regulations & enforcement concerning corporate & banking corruption has resulted in our economic crisis. Furthermore, the middle-class has suffered repeated blows from corporatism since Truman's presidency, Friedman's influence being the biggest blow. We've been constantly encouraged to partake in our own demise! Congress has been bought! We must unwind this insanity!
SIMKINETICS 1 year ago
Milton Friedman is brilliant. Phil Donahue is obviously a ninny since he seems he's unable to care for himself without government interference.
Ramoza1 1 year ago
Friedman is no doubt interesting speaker (and I'm mostly saying this because of all the fanatics that are about to attack me) but seems to me he doesn't take in account the human factor well enough. He only looks at the system from ideological standpoint. People aren't that bright and they are easy to manipulate with advertisements or obfuscating matters. There's also this fetish to own more and more stuff in our society today, stuff that we don't really even need, it's just preposterous.
Basaltq 1 year ago
@Basaltq Which is why (I think) he defends a smaller Government, since inevitably the "brighter" people will be the ones on top of the "food-chain", imagine if they had tremendous power over the less bright ones, oh wait, they already do ;)
Firearmor 1 year ago
@Basaltq Wow of course people will attack you for saying something stupid. He is for FREE TO CHOOSE so if you are persuade by flash its STILL YOUR CHOICE to buy the flash. BUT then you must live with the fact that you bought flash and not substance.
Xantheus07 9 months ago
@Xantheus07 Whoa, you really think someone is going to take you seriously when you furiously attack them with ad hominem? You have a lot to learn.
Basaltq 8 months ago
@9:13 LMAO! --- I bet if Rachel Maddow were in the audience that day, she would have rode her Harley(with wife on back) onstage and ran over Dr. Friedman!!
jonesey5168 1 year ago 3
We all know, that the only cure for addiction is when you've had enough, when you've hit rock bottom right? Well, if it is legal and readily available would'nt you just end up quiting sooner?
M3di3v4L 2 years ago 2
This guy is brilliant. Made my day.
Jesper, Denmark
Jazzper79 2 years ago 15
@Jazzper79
Denmark? I thought everyone in Denmark was a socialist? Way to be an independent thinker Jasper!
TimeWarp66 1 year ago
@TimeWarp66 scandanavia is not socialist, this is demagoguery from station like Fox. they welfare capitalism. sweden over the past few years, along with denmark, has undergone a lot deregulation and privatisation.
bonfirejovi 1 year ago
@bonfirejovi
Good to hear. I also hear you folks privatized social security.
TimeWarp66 1 year ago
@bonfirejovi actually scandinavia is still very socialist in the sense that there is way too much government intervention in the individuals private economy.
dkswede 1 year ago
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Friedman talks like all other people are ignorant and economics is a natural science like physics where you can make very certain statements (or not if you know some modern physics) and he, Friedman, has found these certainties and his opponents have just not done enough maths and he is the genius being able to do so.
Audacity...and has cost us 24 years in the Reagan/Reagan/Bush/Clinton/Bush/Bush eras.
hyperseauton 2 years ago
@hyperseauton For the record it was 28 years and 28 years of the most expansive peace-time economy in history due to relatively limited taxation and relaxed regulation which began under Ronald Reagan. George W Bush and Congressional Republicans who lost their way began the tilt back toward increased gov't spending and regulation and Obama and the Dems are continuing to careen on that same path with likely devastating results.
We need Milton Friedman more now than ever.
biffster68 2 years ago 4
@biffster68 "Peace-time?!" some peace time, money wasted on Star Wars, nuclear proliferation, conflicts in south america, the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq that we OPENLY funded (not to mention Iran-Contra) which led to suffering and death. That is "peace-time" for you? And thats just reagan! What about about George HW Bush! Invasion of Panama, Desert Storm...thats peace time? And how much did real wages correspond to cost of living? Inversely Reagan apologist
direwolf661 2 years ago
@direwolf661 Direwolf, you have absolutely no fundamental understanding of cause and effect here. Take Star Wars. You might think that SDI was money wasted; BUT THE SOVIETS DIDN'T! They KNEW we could eventually come up with a way to check nuclear strikes. International relations isn't a game of chess, it's a game of poker; it's about creating in the mind of your enemy an advantage that you may possess, whether it's real or not. It was a Corbomite Maneuver. Look that up.
ThePenWolf 2 years ago
@ThePenWolf Well I'm sure glad our tax money was wasted on a "corbomite maneuver"
direwolf661 2 years ago
But it wasn't. Look what happened. The Soviets knew that if anyone on this globe could do what Reagan proposed, it was the USA. The arms race broke the USSR. They were a third world nation with a first world (barely) military, and they had to steal everything they had from the west because they couldn't innovate as well as we could. When the B-2 bomber was unveiled, two prominent GRU generals committed suicide because we had radically changed the game; we could strike them with impunity.
ThePenWolf 2 years ago
@hyperseauton your totally right, he does talk like that. However, I agree with him in this segment
direwolf661 2 years ago
lol, milton friedman says he's not an anarchist, but his son certainly turned out to be.
intercourseman69 2 years ago
killwhitey your so wrong socailism is the gov rules all bussiness its a bad thing for the ppl name one socailist country that is doing go for its ppl . OH and killwhitey you must be a racsict i guess with a name like that
jaay334 2 years ago 3
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Socialism has done so much for this country .....abolition of slavery, child labor laws, police, fire fighters, welfare. Reagan deregulated and look what happend Milton, crime spiked in the eighties, while the rich got richer, I agree with him a lot but he never factors in the plight of the underdog and that history is made off the man who is worked to death. We have too many laws, but we need laws against big business
killwhitey88d 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
pt2. or dont ban drugs for public good. All this free trade nonsense about Milton and Smith. HELLO WORLD these men were operating when capitalism was at its best i.e. during the slave trade! Free trade did not work for europe when it first started in the 1500's only a handful of the population rose up to enslave more people and hire wage slaves. Why do you think the age of revolution occured. 1st the capitalist middle class rise up , then the peasants.
killwhitey88d 2 years ago
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Why is he so popular this man is a selfish retard, he doesnt even know the true sense of socialism, which is for the public good, socialism is not the government making rules over our lives, socialism is what the vast majority of the poeople want and for the public good but everyone must pay into it. Im glad our libraries are not publicly owned . Also how is banning drugs socialist when sweeden deregulates drugs? Both can be seen as a socialist reaction.
killwhitey88d 2 years ago
Seems to me, every time Phil wants to make a counter argument, he always uses children as a shield to back himself up.
Rocheno 2 years ago 3
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Abraham Lincoln on LIBERTARTIANISM''the perfect liberty they seek is the liberty of making slaves of other people''
fenderboy88 2 years ago
Because Lincoln was the perfect picture of a role model...
TtL2424 2 years ago
@fenderboy88
You're an idiot.
TimeWarp66 2 years ago
Nice talking with you sunny jim
fenderboy88 2 years ago
The Socialist system is almost incompatible with man's nature. It seems that when we are free and unrestricted our good nature is brought forth. Although, there should be restriction on heroin, due to it's addictive properties. One hit of Heroin can open a door that cannot be closed.
dangolingo 2 years ago 6
I agree that socialism is not compatible with human nature, but not because we have a good nature. Instead, because we have an imperfect nature, we cannot trust a government to have broad powers over our daily lives, because said government is just a group of fellow human beings who are too limited morally and intellectually.
As Friedman points out, it is when we have a free market that these human limitations are most efficiently checked.
cmitchz 2 years ago 5
If you're going to make that argument, there is just as strong a case for the restriction of nicotine.
CSturmer 2 years ago
@dangolingo this just isnt even intelligable. Sounds like something a fourth grader would say. Are you a fourth grader? If so, very good, i take back the insult.
direwolf661 2 years ago
he's so right opium was freely dispensed in the late 1800s and their was never a social problem because of it,
goldentomcat 2 years ago
very smart man!!!
goldentomcat 2 years ago 3
Many countries overcome Sweden in suicide rate but they have either a subestimation in their numbers for bad statistic services or for political reasons like China. The mix of elder population, longer nights and a good death notification might explain the higher rates for Sweden back in those days.
BrazilianGirlDoll 2 years ago
When gvt starts using emotion to drive public opinion on where money should go, it always gets misused. The problem I have is that gvt is the problem and they abuse their power and take from hard working people and now give more to people that dont work hard. I have been telling my kids about the minimum wage BS for years now and they are still in middle and high school.
cliffkemp 2 years ago
I agree with Milton that a high minimum wage is NOT the way to fight poverty. It comes thru education & training. Raising the minimum wage only increases the cost of basic goods & services like a haircut.
On the other hand, there are LOTS of minimum wage jobs the last time I checked. Goto your local 7-11 or Mcdonald's. There are TONS of help wanted ads. So Milton isn't quite right on that the minimum wages suppresses jobs...
all028 2 years ago
actually he is correct. People are not hiring you people cause they know they have to pay a certain amount and are looking for 'experienced' people to fill the slots due to the hike in minimum wage. Keep in mind that minimum wage went from 5.85 2 years ago to 7.25 as of this month. That just raised the bottom line about 23%. From a percentage standpoint, you just lost 23% worth buying power your money used to have over the last 2 years as this affects the economy.
cliffkemp 2 years ago
The question to be asked is what is the OPTIMUM number. Is it 5.85, 6, 10 or whatever? Having no minimum wage leaves room for worker abuse & someone could be working for a penny an hour.
Right now, there are lots of minimum wages jobs so let's just leave it the way it is. I'm just taking a center point-of-view...that's all.
all028 2 years ago
That will not happen cause people will only work for so low a wage. You cannot stay in business if you cannot hire anyone. It will work and works better if behavior/productivity based.
cliffkemp 2 years ago
Be careful about that because there was a recent court ruling (where I live) where latin american workers were recruited to do berry picking. The company was fined for paying below minimum wage (I believe it was almost a dollar an hour).
These poor latin american workers didn't know about the canadian laws & were on temporary work visas. English was another issue. These workers were grateful for the wage because their currency to ours was like 10-1.
all028 2 years ago
There lies part of the problem. Young students in college or even late in highschool should be doing those jobs but will not as they think they are too good. If you want to solve that problem, you put the company's management in jail and shut the company down by enforcing existing laws which the U.S. doesnt do. Hold people accountable. There lies the problem, why are we issuing visas for unskilled labor??? Think about it.
cliffkemp 2 years ago
I agree with that. I know many people who think they are too good to be working at 7-11 because they have an Arts degree. It's called Entitlement. Sadly, we live in a society where there's a culture of entitlement.
Another example is this advocate wanting gov't $ for a national daycare. It didn't happen but think about it: Since when is the gov't a babysitter? Entitlement to tax dollars is rampant where I live...
all028 2 years ago
I hear ya there. It is not too bad here other than illegals working a lot here. There are entitlement areas here as well. It is sad when they live in a 700 square foot apartment with 4 kids running around driving a srt8 charger.
cliffkemp 2 years ago
You clearly don't understand capitalism; if a company paid a penny an hour then a rival would pay more, all their employees would go to the better competitor and put the previous company out of business.
zfs1918 2 years ago
You're taking the example out of context. READ the conversation in full....it was an example meant to make a point
all028 2 years ago
the countries with the highest tax rates and most gvt control have the highest suicide rates. When gvt does only what it is supposed to do (protects from other country's force aka war, and protects against other people.
cliffkemp 2 years ago
I don't have a problem with LESS government. Milton's right for the most part.
However, to equate suicide to high tax rates is overly simplistic. Suicide is a complicated issue & there are many factors. I know someone who attempted suicide and it had nothing to do with taxes.
all028 2 years ago
I will agree with you on that and glad you are not one of these absolutist kind of people. There are factors such as age and specific situations at hand such as personal problems other than money. I agree with you more than you think or may have thought. When money is the problem for the suicide, the higher taxes + failing economy at the time are usually the problem and are usually temporary as well. Most everything he says is true based on common sense that most people dont want o use anymore.
cliffkemp 2 years ago
At 2:40, he mentions Sweden has the highest suicide rate. Actually, it's Japan now
all028 2 years ago
It says Sweden on Wikipidia.
TimeWarp66 2 years ago
Wikipedia sucks man. Anybody can change it. Nonetheless, I just checked different sites and some are reporting Lithuania and others are reporting Japan.
I have several friends from Japan and they told me this in 2002-2004, Japan was the highest. maybe it has changed now and I haven't kept up to date. So, I don't know...
all028 2 years ago
sweden lowered its corp tax rate to 12.5% if i recall right. Japan raised theirs and is now higher than the U.S. Wonder why the swede's are doing much much better now and their economy is better due to it. Thier gvt is spending much less now.
cliffkemp 2 years ago
That's because this is from 1980 you stupid dumbass
zfs1918 2 years ago 2
And that proves he was WRONG about how things should be...
all028 2 years ago
I was working in 1980. Many minimum wage jobs were available then as they are now. all028 is right.
pdynamics1 2 years ago
pdynamics1 and all028, you missed the point entirely. The fact that there are minimum wage jobs available and low skilled people without jobs proves Friedman's point. Minimum wage laws make it ILLEGAL TO HIRE LOW SKILLED PEOPLE. It has nothing to do with suppressing jobs.
TheTrueLiberal 2 years ago 2
Actually look at cliffKemp's comments too. He supports Milton and even he acknowledges it has to do with suppressing jobs. Or, do a search on youtube "milton friedman minimum wage" and he talks about how it hurts job creation.
I think YOU MISSED the point
pdynamics1 2 years ago
cliffKemp's comments carry as much weight as yours or all028 (or mine for that matter!) I didn't say the job suppression claim is false. It's just not the point. There are many videos (watch?v=Rls8H6MktrA "or" watch?v=JfdRpyfEmBE to name a few) which Friedman talks about minimum wage, the main point is never about job suppression. It is about how the GOV'T set out to help the poor by instituting a minimum wage. The result of that good intention was the poor are hurt not helped.
TheTrueLiberal 2 years ago
Ok, well our conversation was about job losses until you intervened. That was the MAIN POINT of our discussion...
pdynamics1 2 years ago
I like how they boo what Friedman said about women and the prohibition even though it's absolutely true. The biggest proponents of the prohibition were women and the KKK.
Vodka2389 2 years ago 5
Can you explain why the KKK wanted prohibition? Sorry, I'm uninformed on this particular subject.
silentthriller 2 years ago
It's something about their morality and values. I know it sounds ridiculous, but apparently that was the case.
Vodka2389 2 years ago
Friedman had balls. Who on TV these days would defend heroin legalization or say anything remotely "negative" about women (that they passed Prohibition while men were off at war)?
WelfareRobot 2 years ago 82
@WelfareRobot what so you want people saying negative things about women on tv? what kind of argument is that!?!
direwolf661 2 years ago
@WelfareRobot Only John Stossel.
wheelzwheela 1 year ago
@wheelzwheela
And Judge Napolitano
rmccay88 1 year ago
@wheelzwheela I read Free to Choose a few months ago (prompted by Stossel) and discovered where John Stossel got much of his material for his programs. Which of course is a good thing.
EvilDandy 1 year ago
@WelfareRobot Morally, I absolutely agree with Friedman on that point about heroin; In practice though, I don't see how it won't lead to a decrease in productivity. I mean, China had opium and in the U.S now it's other illicit drugs.
Goodatconnect4 1 year ago
@WelfareRobot indeed =)
mmamolina 1 year ago
@WelfareRobot John Stossel
ab1tchslap 1 year ago
@WelfareRobot I love the follow-up statement. "Neither good or bad, just historical fact". I wonder what those who boo'd reacted to the follow-up thought.
Shrunkenhead61 11 months ago
@WelfareRobot
A man who is currently running for President did just that in a NATIONALLY televised debate a week and a half ago. Not to mention he holds the exact same FREE market economic and personal responsibility beliefs that Friedman holds. Ron Paul 2012! Research him
iLitka 9 months ago
@WelfareRobot : Ron Paul
codefims 8 months ago
@WelfareRobot I don't think that is even true.The 18th amendment was ratified in january of 1920 and the 19th was ratified in august of 1920. They couldn't have possibly passed prohibition.
ryan84160 7 months ago
@WelfareRobot
"say anything remotely "negative" about women (that they passed Prohibition while men were off at war)?"
The real question needs to be, why is stating that fact "negative". He wasn't assigning a negative attitude to it, he was simply stating the fact that prohabition was passed while most of the men were away, and so the idea was supported by the women who were left behind.
We have to grow some thicker skin, and get over ourselves and quit being so damn sensitive.
EchoMike03 7 months ago
@WelfareRobot Ron Paul has and would, but yes you make a good point. Too many people don't understand freedom
johnsurs22 6 months ago
@WelfareRobot Ron Paul
mastercloud977 6 months ago
Yep. The War on Drugs has been an utter failure and turned Mexico and Afghanistan into basket cases.
Funny what he said about Prohibition being passed by women while the men were off at war.
silikon2 2 years ago 4
Right, the war on drugs is a massive failure. Eight years ago, Portugal legalized possession of drugs. Everything got better, not worse. Drug use declined, HIV infections from sharing needles decreased & the # of people seeking treatment for drug addiction doubled. People using marijuana in Portugal is less than every country in the EU & the US. $ saved on enforcement allowed for increased funding of drug-free treatment.
rayme4raw 2 years ago
This is some royally brilliant shit!
M. Friedman is an intellectual badass, I wish their were more like him.
TimeWarp66 2 years ago 57
Isn't it amazing how there are literally ZERO intellectuals anywhere in the public eye these days? We don't need talking head or pundits to understand what is going on these days, we simply need to look to the past for truth and to read the works of those who have already provided the answers to our problems.
jcapcik 2 years ago 5
The closest we have is John Stossel lol.
TimeWarp66 2 years ago 2
Thomas Sowell is much closer. And much smarter.
lakedawg 2 years ago 2
@TimeWarp66
John Stossel. Thomas Sowell. And many more from the Cato Institute. The Milton Friedman Institute. And in politics, we have Ron Paul. There's still hope, my friend!
LogicalFlawDetector 1 year ago
@TimeWarp66 yeah his thought process is so clear ... its amazing
mintoo2cool 1 year ago
@TimeWarp66 straight up mayne
mmamolina 1 year ago