Jeremy Arendt: Milton Friedman- Free To Choose: 'The Tyranny of Control (1980)'

Source:Jeremy Arendt- Donald Rumseld: former U.S. Representative (Republican, Illinois) and Secretary of Defense (President Gearld R. Ford) 

"Government planning and detailed control of economic activity lessens productive innovation, and consumer choice. Good, better, best, are replaced by "approved" or "authorized." Friedman shows how "established" industries or methods, seek government protection or subsidization in their attempts to stop or limit product improvements which they don't control. Friedman visits India, Japan and U.S."

From Jeremy Arendt

If you look at the Federal Government in America and its size post-World War II, we've generally spent around 20% of our GDP on the public sector. Defense, law enforcement, foreign affairs, social welfare, etc. 

And then you add state and local governments, government total in America at all three levels have spent around 30-35 of our GDP on the public sector. 

And then you go to the Federal, or national government's in Europe, except for the United Kingdom, which basically has basically unitarian government without much if any provincial or local governments, they generally spend around 50-60% of their GDP on their public sectors. And thats just as their national level. 

So the the role of government has gotten bigger in America than it was before the Great Depression, but if you're someone who believes in individual freedom and freedom of choice, which I do, I still rather live in America, than anywhere else even in the developed world.  

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