"If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there'd be a shortage of sand."
by:
Milton Friedman
(1912-2006) Nobel Prize-winning economist, economic advisor to President Ronald Reagan, "ultimate guru of the free-market system"
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Reader comments about this quote:
 -- Maria Carreira, Manhattan Beach       
 -- P.M.      
Well, there is always thr Great Gobi Desert for them to have as a back-up.
 -- john-douglas, nassau     
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     -- Rick Pritchett, South Bend      
    yes, yes, yes; that Kodak moment brought to you by the Obamunist nation planners. Stay tuned for ( as john stated it) tomorrow's Gobi sequel.
     -- Mike, Norwalk     
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    LOL! Too bad it comes from a guy who still thought the government should be in charge of printing money. Oh well, everyone is allowed one deviation as Rothbard used to say.
     -- Ben, Orem, UT     
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    Typical cynicism from a man whose ecomonic philosophy helped Reagan start this nation down the slope to economic disaster. A man always seen smiling as dozens of his devotees became fabulously wealthy while bringing poverty, despair and death to millions throughout the world.
     -- Dan, Owings Mills, MD     
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    They could use the Gobi to "bail out" the Sahara. Or the Mojave to "bail out" the Arctic? That would make more sense, being government and all....
     -- J Carlton, Calgary     
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    And the price of sand would go sky high. Dan, are you nuts. Socialism brings poverty,despair, and death to millions of people. The notion that Milton Friedmans policies caused this is preposterous.
     -- jim k, austin     
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    What a fraud!
     -- al, DC     
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    Government is the enemy of the people. If you wish more despair, poverty, homelessness, helplessness, then depend on government to "solve the problem". They are not the solution, they are the problem!
     -- Dr. D., Datil     
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    What an awesome quote! Dan your a nut!!!
     -- Wrecker, Meridian, MS     
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    ...and then we could all bail out the sand-short dessert by robbing a couple of bags of sand from our kids' and grandkids' sandboxes and sending it in with our tax returns....
     -- Iva Mae, Payson, UT     
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    Now that I agree with - what a brilliant idea! Is it true that 75% of most corporations don't pay hardly any tax? Perhaps we should should hire those corporations to run the country. P.s. We are all the problem while the problem exists
     -- RBESRQ     
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    Being 'put in charge' is all the government wants. Every year it continues to grab more and more 'control' over our lives. Even we know that it doesn't work, but the fact is that we cannot stop them. Weapons bans, nationalized industries, interest-bearing fiat, mandatory government/military service, property taxes, income taxes -- the government has no limits, the Constitution is completely ignored and in fact turned on its head from a rule book for the government into a rule book for the people. We have lost control of our government -- all they do now is implement whatever part of their totalitarian plans the people can be tricked into. This entire economic crisis is due to TOO MUCH DEBT and the iniquitous banking system that is able to 'loan' us money at interest that it simply created out of thin air (they don't even have to print it). The goal is simple: complete and utter control of the world. So many people think the government is screwing up and can't understand why. That is because the government is not screwing up -- everything is going according to plan. A++ all around for the new world order. Will we ever wake up and DO SOMETHING?!
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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    God love Libertarians!!!
     -- M.Brown, Florida     
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    The Feds did manage to go to the moon, invent the atomic bomb, build the Panama Canal, win WWI, and WWII, save the world from Hitler etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Friedman is a jerk for being so shallow.
     -- Waffler, Smith     
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    I could have put it more delicately and said the Fed led the American People in doing these things. It has been a pretty good Fed when we really pause to think about it.
     -- Waffler, Smith     
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    Once again Waffler, you demonstrate your worship of power no matter what the expense of treasure and blood of the people. It is simply 'might makes right' and 'the ends justify the means.' Sychophantic babble.
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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    If you put the federal government in charge of the Atlantic ocean and the Sahara desert at the same time, the ocean would be a bog and the Sahara a swamp. That is the result of government "spreading the wealth" and equalizing outcome rather than opportunity.
     -- Ken, Allyn, WA     
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    Anyone the thinks Reagan put the country on the road to economic disaster is a moron.
     -- warren, olathe     
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    Take note that at least two of the three negative comments are from in or around Washington. Well, duh....
     -- albert, berkeley, CA     
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    Great!!!! People who listen to one sided stories dont see the real picture, always listen to both sides.Investigate whats behind some ones news. I was a liberal for many years, I saw the lite, and started to find out what other people were saying. I vote for the person who stands for the people, not for their own agenda. Ask what you can give back to our U.S. of America.
     -- Sue Scott, Anderson Mo.     
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     -- Greg, not DC!      
     -- wserd      
    With this attitude you're simply not properly using all your government facilities.
     -- Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown     
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    Sillik, lololol — hahahaha, are you saying the proper use of all our government facilities would make a shortage of sand in 3 years
     -- Mike, Norwalk     
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    No, Mr Mike Norwalk, you and this Friedman fellow are making a mockery of our government. This is the prevailing attitude. A significant maturation attitude change and we could make very substantial reparations. Socialism is the challenge of social abilities to create good government. 
     -- Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown     
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    "The nothing wrong with America that can't be cured with what's right with America." 
                  President Bill Clinton 
     -- Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown     
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    Sillik, I agree with your Clinton quote. A theocratic socialism (America's prevailing attitude) is what is currently wrong with America. The original individual sovereignty, inalienable rights, and liberty at nature's law was/is what is right with America
     -- Mike, Norwalk     
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    Mike Norwalk, a psychotic, antisocial criticize, while having no alternative attitude, is what's wrong with America. The Socialist is what is right about America and has the solutions.
     -- Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown     
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    Sillik, socialism (especially your/the current theocratic socialism) is a psychotic duality that is antithetical to any substance of reality (physical, mental, etc.) individual sovereignty, inalienable rights and liberty at nature's law. You once said you can prove anything you've said. So far, that hasn't occurred. With out a circular word salad, please give real examples proving Socialism is what is right about Amerika and what solutions (to what problems) have been wrought.
     -- Mike, Norwalk     
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    Mike, Norwalk, kindness and decency is the attitude of Socialism. 
     -- Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown     
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    Correction: a psychotic, antisocial criticism, having no alternative attitude is what's wrong with America. 
     -- Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown     
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