. . . you're going to find these angels who are going to organize society for us?"
Liberals and progressives believe they are these angels. They're not, of course.
Enjoy Milton Friedman's 1979 takedown of Phil Donohue:
Phil Donohue: When you see around the globe the maldistribution of wealth, the desperate plight of millions of people in underdeveloped countries, when you see so few haves and so many have-nots, when you see the greed and concentration of power, did you ever have a moment of doubt about capitalism and whether greed's a good idea to run on?
Milton Friedman: Well, first of all, tell me, is there some society you know that doesn't run on greed? You think Russia doesn't run on greed? You think China doesn't run on greed?
What is greed? Of course none of us are greedy. It's only the other fellow who's greedy. The world runs on individuals pursuing their separate interests. The great achievements of civilization have not come from government bureaus. Einstein didn't construct his theory under order from a bureaucrat. Henry Ford didn't revolutionize the automobile industry that way.
In the only cases where the masses have escaped from the kind of grinding poverty you're talking about, the only cases in recorded history are where they have had capitalism and largely free trade.
If you want to know where the masses are worst off, it's exactly in the kinds of societies that depart from that. So that the record of history is absolutely crystal clear that there is no alternative way, so far discovered, of improving the lot of ordinary people that can hold a candle to the productive activities that are unleashed by a free enterprise system.
Phil Donahue: But it seems to reward not virtue so much as ability to manipulate the system.
Milton Friedman: And what does reward virtue? . . . I think you're taking a lot of things for granted. Just tell me where in the world you would fine these angels who are going to organize society for us?
(Phil Donohue, Interview, "Milton Friedman," ______, 1979, quoted in Notable & Quotable, "Milton Friedman," Wall Street Journal, June 14, 2015)
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