If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there'd be a shortage of sand.

— Milton Friedman

I have been enormously impressed by the role that pure chance plays in determining our life history. I was reminded of some famous lines of Robert Frost:Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. As I recalled my own experience and development, I was impressed by the series of lucky accidents that determined the road I traveled.> From "Lives of the Laureates" pg.67

— Milton Friedman

Indeed, a major source of objection to a free economy is precisely that it... gives people what they want instead of what a particular group thinks they ought to want. Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself.

— Milton Friedman

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

— Milton Friedman

Inflation is taxation without legislation.

— Milton Friedman

I think that nothing is so important for freedom as recognizing in the law each individual’s natural right to property, and giving individuals a sense that they own something that they’re responsible for, that they have control over, and that they can dispose of.

— Milton Friedman

I think that the Internet is going to be one of the major forces for reducing the role of government.

— Milton Friedman

Many people want the government to protect the consumer. A much more urgent problem is to protect the consumer from the government.

— Milton Friedman

Most of the energy of political work is devoted to correcting the effects of mismanagement of government.

— Milton Friedman

Nothing is so permanent as a temporary government program.

— Milton Friedman