Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhen Congress Busted Milton Friedman (and Libertarianism Was Created By Big Business Lobbyists)
Libertarianism was a project of the corporate lobby world, launched as a big business ideology in 1946 by The US Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers. The FEEs board included the future founder of the John Birch Society, Robert Welch; the most powerful figure in the Mormon church at that time, J Reuben Clark, a frothing racist and anti-Semite after whom BYU named its law school; and United Fruit director Herb Cornuelle.
The purpose of the FEE and libertarianism, as it was originally created was to supplement big business lobbying with a pseudo-intellectual, pseudo-economics rationale to back up its policy and legislative attacks on labor and government regulations.
This background is important in the Milton Friedman story because Friedman is a founder of libertarianism, and because the corrupt lobbying deal he was busted playing a part in was arranged through the Foundation for Economic Education.
False, whitewashed history is as much a part of the Milton Friedman mythology as it is the libertarian movements own airbrushed history about its origins; the 1950 Buchanan Committee hearings expose both as creations of big business lobby groups whose purpose is to deceive and defraud the public and legislators in order to advance the cause of corporate America.
Full essay: http://www.nsfwcorp.com/dispatch/milton-friedman
The purpose of the FEE and libertarianism, as it was originally created was to supplement big business lobbying with a pseudo-intellectual, pseudo-economics rationale to back up its policy and legislative attacks on labor and government regulations.
This background is important in the Milton Friedman story because Friedman is a founder of libertarianism, and because the corrupt lobbying deal he was busted playing a part in was arranged through the Foundation for Economic Education.
False, whitewashed history is as much a part of the Milton Friedman mythology as it is the libertarian movements own airbrushed history about its origins; the 1950 Buchanan Committee hearings expose both as creations of big business lobby groups whose purpose is to deceive and defraud the public and legislators in order to advance the cause of corporate America.
Full essay: http://www.nsfwcorp.com/dispatch/milton-friedman
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
5 replies, 3108 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (7)
ReplyReply to this post
5 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
When Congress Busted Milton Friedman (and Libertarianism Was Created By Big Business Lobbyists) (Original Post)
salvorhardin
Nov 2012
OP
Very interesting. His views were also used very perniciously by Maggie Thatcher.
LeftishBrit
Dec 2012
#5
abelenkpe
(9,933 posts)1. K&R nt
Odin2005
(53,521 posts)2. Good that it mentions the scam that is the "Nobel" Economics Prize.
Fridays Child
(23,998 posts)3. Excellent article.
k/r
Fridays Child
(23,998 posts)4. I'm kicking this again.
Hopefully, the article will be read by more DUers and shared with others, as well.
LeftishBrit
(41,212 posts)5. Very interesting. His views were also used very perniciously by Maggie Thatcher.