--- title: "6 Illegal Quotes By Milton Friedman" description: "6 Illegal quotes by Milton Friedman. Plus more from Milton Friedman and more Illegal sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dc/milton-friedman-616_action_by-encouraging-men-to-spy-and-report-on_604636.png" --- > [By encouraging men to spy and report on one another, by making it in the private interest of large numbers of citizens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/by-encouraging-men-to-spy-and-report-on-one-another-by-making-it-in/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dc/milton-friedman-616_action_by-encouraging-men-to-spy-and-report-on_604636.png) > [A minimum-wage law is, in reality, a law that makes it illegal for an employer to hire a person with limited skills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/a-minimum-wage-law-is-in-reality-a-law-that-makes-it-illegal-for-an/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e84/milton-friedman-616_employers_a-minimum-wage-law-is-in-reality-a-law-t_1425203.png) > [That's an interesting paradox to think about. Make it legal and it's no good. Why? Because as long as it's illegal the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/that-s-an-interesting-paradox-to-think-about-make-it-legal-and-it-s/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/689/milton-friedman-616_benefits_that-s-an-interesting-paradox-to-think-a_2085293.jpg) > [I'm in favor of legalizing drugs. According to my values system, if people want to kill themselves, they have every right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/i-m-in-favor-of-legalizing-drugs-according-to-my-values-system-if/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b1/milton-friedman-616_harm_i-m-in-favor-of-legalizing-drugs-accordi_2439146.png) > [So long as large sums of money are involved - and they are bound to be if drugs are illegal - it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/so-long-as-large-sums-of-money-are-involved-and-they-are-bound-to-be/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cf/milton-friedman-616_bounds_so-long-as-large-sums-of-money-are-invol_2764962.jpg) > [Look, for example, at the obvious, immediate, practical example of illegal Mexican immigration. Now, that Mexican immigration, over the border, is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/look-for-example-at-the-obvious-immediate-practical-example-of/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/031/milton-friedman-616_borders_look-for-example-at-the-obvious-immediat_3182008.jpg) ## Other authors on Illegal ## More by Milton Friedman > [The government solution to a problem is usually as bad as the problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/the-government-solution-to-a-problem-is-usually-as-bad-as-the-problem/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [I believe the role that people like myself have played in the transformation of public opinion has been by persistently presenting a different point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/i-believe-the-role-that-people-like-myself-have-played-in-the/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [To really understand something you've got to reduce it to its principles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/to-really-understand-something-you-ve-got-to-reduce-it-to-its/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [It is a mark of how far we have gone on the road to serfdom that government allocation and rationing of oil is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/it-is-a-mark-of-how-far-we-have-gone-on-the-road-to-serfdom-that/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [Economic freedom is an essential requisite for political freedom. By enabling people to cooperate with one another without coercion or central direction, it reduces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/economic-freedom-is-an-essential-requisite-for-political-freedom-by/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [“The people in one district can choose not to reelect their member of Congress, but that will not change the composition of the government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/the-people-in-one-district-can-choose-not-to-reelect-their-member-of/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [When you have a time of crisis what happens depends on what ideas are floating around, and what ideas have been developed, and thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/when-you-have-a-time-of-crisis-what-happens-depends-on-what-ideas-are/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [The government doesn't have any money. The only power it has is to take from some and give to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/the-government-doesn-t-have-any-money-the-only-power-it-has-is-to/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [What would the people who sold us goods do with the money? They'd get dollars. What would they do with the dollars? Eat them?!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/what-would-the-people-who-sold-us-goods-do-with-the-money-they-d-get/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [World trade depends on differences among countries, not similarities. Different countries are in different stages of development. It is appropriate for them to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/world-trade-depends-on-differences-among-countries-not-similarities/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [Is there some society you know of that doesn't run on greed? You think Russia doesn't run on greed? You think China doesn't run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/is-there-some-society-you-know-of-that-doesn-t-run-on-greed-you-think/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [Well first of all, tell me, is there some society you know of that doesn't run on greed? You think Russia doesn't run on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/well-first-of-all-tell-me-is-there-some-society-you-know-of-that/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [I think almost every economist would agree that government gets itself in trouble when it tries to interfere with voluntary behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/i-think-almost-every-economist-would-agree-that-government-gets/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [It is most attractive about the US to people and countries with wealth is that it can provide security, insurance really, against political instability.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/it-is-most-attractive-about-the-us-to-people-and-countries-with/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [Hong Kong is the bellwether. If the Chinese stick to their agreement to let Hong Kong go its own path, then China will also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/hong-kong-is-the-bellwether-if-the-chinese-stick-to-their-agreement/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illegal/milton-friedman/#itemlist", "name": "6 Illegal Quotes By Milton Friedman", "numberOfItems": 6, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "By encouraging men to spy and report on one another, by making it in the private interest of large numbers of citizens to evade the controls, and by making actions illegal that are in the public interest, the controls undermine individual morality.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Milton Friedman" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/by-encouraging-men-to-spy-and-report-on-one-another-by-making-it-in/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dc/milton-friedman-616_action_by-encouraging-men-to-spy-and-report-on_604636.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dc/milton-friedman-616_action_by-encouraging-men-to-spy-and-report-on_604636.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dc/milton-friedman-616_action_by-encouraging-men-to-spy-and-report-on_604636.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“By encouraging men to spy and report on one another, by making it in the private interest of large numbers…” — Milton Friedman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A minimum-wage law is, in reality, a law that makes it illegal for an employer to hire a person with limited skills.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Milton Friedman" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/a-minimum-wage-law-is-in-reality-a-law-that-makes-it-illegal-for-an/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e84/milton-friedman-616_employers_a-minimum-wage-law-is-in-reality-a-law-t_1425203.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e84/milton-friedman-616_employers_a-minimum-wage-law-is-in-reality-a-law-t_1425203.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e84/milton-friedman-616_employers_a-minimum-wage-law-is-in-reality-a-law-t_1425203.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A minimum-wage law is, in reality, a law that makes it illegal for an employer to hire a person with limited…” — Milton Friedman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "That's an interesting paradox to think about. Make it legal and it's no good. Why? Because as long as it's illegal the people who come in do not qualify for welfare, they don't qualify for social security, they don't qualify for the other myriad of benefits that we pour out from our left pocket to our right pocket. So long as they don't qualify they migrate to jobs. They take jobs that most residents of this country are unwilling to take. They provide employers with the kind of workers that they cannot get. They're hard workers, they're good workers, and they are clearly better off.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Milton Friedman" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/that-s-an-interesting-paradox-to-think-about-make-it-legal-and-it-s/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/689/milton-friedman-616_benefits_that-s-an-interesting-paradox-to-think-a_2085293.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/689/milton-friedman-616_benefits_that-s-an-interesting-paradox-to-think-a_2085293.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/689/milton-friedman-616_benefits_that-s-an-interesting-paradox-to-think-a_2085293.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“That's an interesting paradox to think about. Make it legal and it's no good. Why? 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