Milton Friedman Quote - Liberty Quotes Blog

"One of the great mistakes is to judge policies and programs by their intentions rather than their results."

by:	Milton Friedman (1912-2006) Nobel Prize-winning economist, economic advisor to President Ronald Reagan, "ultimate guru of the free-market system"
Source:	Interview with Richard Heffner on The Open Mind (7 December 1975)
Rating:
Categories:	Government, Desire, Utopian, Policy, Law
	Tweet

Reader comments about this quote:

Cf. The ends justify the means -- jake, Los Angeles
Friedman was a man of great insight. Everytime the Government does something "for the greater good", it destroys a little more of what makes people free and innovative. The truth is that everything the Government does is for the greater good...of the Government. -- J Carlton, Calgary
The qualifying question here is, does the intention and, the result fall within a strict interpretation of the Constitution and natural law ? -- Mike, Norwalk
When the end justifies the means, perpetual war is the result. Most totalitarian regimes are founded upon this principle -- promise the wealth of others to the poor, and voila... -- E Archer, NYC
-- jim k, Austin