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Monday, March 12. 2012

Another QQQ

"People have a great misconception in this way, they think way they solve things by electing the right people. It's nice to elect the right people, but that isn’t the way you solve them. The way you solve things is by making it politically profitable for the wrong people to do the right things!"


Milton Friedman

Posted by Bird Dog in Quotidian Quotable Quote (QQQ) at 19:04 | Comments (6) | Trackbacks (0)

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Let's try that quote again, shall we?
#1 Appleby on 2012-03-12 20:38 (Reply)
Well, here is the video tape of the quote. Does that satisfy you?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ac9j15eig_w
#1.1 JKB on 2012-03-13 09:28 (Reply)
If you read it carefully, you can see what Milton Friedman meant. The world is unevenly divided between good people and selfish ones. And there are lots more selfish ones than good ones. So you have to provide the un-good with sufficient motivation to be better than they usually are.
Then you can stave off at least some of the bad stuff. And if you get lucky, right will triumph over evil. For awhile.

Marianne
#2 Marianne Matthews on 2012-03-12 21:34 (Reply)
It's of the same spirit as Robert Heinlein's quote about appealing to someone's self-interest instead of their "better nature". They may not have a "better nature" but they certainly have self-interest.
#3 Tom on 2012-03-13 08:00 (Reply)
It took me a minute, but i figured it out. Brilliant as usual, Mr. Friedman.
#4 Park Slope Pubby on 2012-03-13 13:19 (Reply)
The reverse is equally true, to make it profitable for good people to do the wrong thing.
#5 JimGl on 2012-03-13 13:49 (Reply)

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