Milton Friedman on wasteful government spending

The United States today is more than 50% socialist in terms of the fraction of our resources that are controlled by the government. Fortunately, socialism is so inefficient that it does not control 50% of our lives. Fortunately, most of that is wasted. People worry about government waste; I don’t. I just shudder at what would happen to freedom in this country if the government were efficient in spending our money.

Milton Friedman, 1991

This might partially explain why US conservatives seem to find government funding for essential social services and much needed infrastructure more objectionable than a $750 billion war of choice.


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