thinking: relating- celebrating :-)

I liked this poem / tribute to Milton Friedman by David Slack (see below) and reproduced by permission. Go to the original source on public address to check for comments and responses to the original.

Linking Friedman with policies followed in Pinochet’s Chile rubbed some people the wrong way. I think it is very difficult to really say how and where theories of economics ( and policy impacts) stop and start.

I also think Friedman was a great man as economics is not an easy area at all. 

Humour is one of the ways that people deal with all of the conflicting feelings around both the unintended consequences of such theories and the positives as well. Even Friedman noted that there had been mistakes.

“In 2003, Milton Friedman renounced many of the policies from the 1980s that were based on quantity targets. In doing so he basically conceded that the demand for money is not so easily predicted. He stood, however, by his central formulations.” (from general link on monetarism.)

Economic theory and political idealogy are closely linked and can be skewed many ways.

Over at Idealog there is a Podcast tribute to economic freedom fighter Milton Friedman in this week’s Idealog podcast, ‘What’s the big idea?’ with Wammo at Kiwi FM. (Also covers some other material as well.) It takes a more positive view of Freidman’s contributions.

Would be interested to know what you all think?
———————

About David Slack’s father was a farmer. His father was a farmer, and his father was a farmer and as far as the records show, it’s farmers all the way back.  It was only a matter of time before one of them became a speechwriter. He runs speeches.com from his home in Devonport.Source http://www.publicaddress.net/default,3716.sm   

So farewell
Then
Milton Friedman

Taken from us by
The invisible
Hand.

Now that you and
Ronnie are
Gone, Maggie is the
Only one from the old gang
Left Unless you count
Pinochet.

As you arrive in
The luxury wing of
Heaven

I wonder if
Ron will
Remember you

And if you will have to pay
for
Lunch.

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