--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You want to prove that Milton Friedman is…" description: "\"You want to prove that Milton Friedman is a fascist? It's easy. Quote him.\" — Arthur Laffer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/edb/arthur-laffer-19877_easy_you-want-to-prove-that-milton-friedman-i_94492.png" --- # You want to prove that Milton Friedman is a fascist? It's… ![“You want to prove that Milton Friedman is a fascist? It's easy. Quote him.” quote by Arthur Laffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/edb/arthur-laffer-19877_easy_you-want-to-prove-that-milton-friedman-i_94492.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/edb/arthur-laffer-19877_easy_you-want-to-prove-that-milton-friedman-i_94492.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/edb/arthur-laffer-19877_easy_you-want-to-prove-that-milton-friedman-i_94492.png) > “You want to prove that Milton Friedman is a fascist? It's easy. Quote him.” [Arthur Laffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-laffer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. To label Friedman as a fascist, one can simply quote his own words as evidence. **In simple terms:** Quoting Friedman can be used to argue against him. Key Takeaway Quotes serve as proof in ideological debates. Themes political rhetoric argumentation misuse of sources ideological labeling Mood skeptical critical Type controversial analytical When to use this quote - debating economic policy - online political threads - academic critique Key Concepts political discourse citation ethics Practical Applications - critical analysis of source material - media literacy training Questions to Reflect On - What makes a quote a valid counterargument? - When does quoting become a straw‑man tactic? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fascism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fascism/) [Fascist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fascist/) [Fascists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fascists/) ## Related quotes > [When you grow up in the Soviet society under the communists you heard about the one man who is especially dangerous, especially crazy, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mart-laar/when-you-grow-up-in-the-soviet-society-under-the-communists-you-heard/) Mart Laar > [Any country that has Milton Friedman as an adviser has nothing to fear from a few million Arabs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/any-country-that-has-milton-friedman-as-an-adviser-has-nothing-to/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [In terms of companies, they must stand for something bigger. They must be dedicated to something larger than financial results. I reject the Milton…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/srikumar-rao/in-terms-of-companies-they-must-stand-for-something-bigger-they-must/) [Srikumar Rao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/srikumar-rao/) > [Even as I pursued a doctorate in the history of ideas in my native Denmark, I realized I had neither the encyclopedic training nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-fortier/even-as-i-pursued-a-doctorate-in-the-history-of-ideas-in-my-native/) [Anne Fortier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-fortier/) > [In the early 1970s, Milton Friedman argued that corporations should not be socially responsible because they had no mandate to be; they existed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/in-the-early-1970s-milton-friedman-argued-that-corporations-should/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [While no inference is intended here, it is worth noting, in connection with Milton Friedman's comment that "Kelso just turned Marx upside down," that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-o-kelso/while-no-inference-is-intended-here-it-is-worth-noting-in-connection/) [Louis O. Kelso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-o-kelso/) > [I took the obligatory economics classes in school, but I've long been a fan of the Milton Friedman philosophy and its libertarian bent: One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-trotter/i-took-the-obligatory-economics-classes-in-school-but-i-ve-long-been/) [Charlie Trotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-trotter/) > [Milton Friedman had the grace and good sense to recognize that he wanted to talk to the general public. He wasn't going to just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-h-meltzer/milton-friedman-had-the-grace-and-good-sense-to-recognize-that-he/) [Allan H. Meltzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-h-meltzer/) > [ When the economy was going up, \[Milton Friedman and I\] both gave the same advice, and when the economy was going down, we gave… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-samuelson/when-the-economy-was-going-up-milton-friedman-and-i-both-gave-the/) [Paul Samuelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-samuelson/) > [A money-financed tax cut is essentially equivalent to Milton Friedman's famous 'helicopter drop' of money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bernanke/a-money-financed-tax-cut-is-essentially-equivalent-to-milton-friedman/) [Ben Bernanke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bernanke/) > [The myth of the inevitability of economic globalization is based largely on the work of Milton Friedman, and easily the most underreported story of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/the-myth-of-the-inevitability-of-economic-globalization-is-based/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [Milton Friedman’s misfortune is that his economic policies have been tried.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/milton-friedman-s-misfortune-is-that-his-economic-policies-have-been/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [Take Milton Friedman, he sits at his desk pontificating about such bunk as the monetary system being the answer to our problems. The monetary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-o-kelso/take-milton-friedman-he-sits-at-his-desk-pontificating-about-such/) [Louis O. Kelso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-o-kelso/) > [All great economists are tall. There are two exceptions: John Kenneth Galbraith and Milton Friedman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stigler/all-great-economists-are-tall-there-are-two-exceptions-john-kenneth/) [George Stigler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stigler/) > [I don't think that much change comes from economists. I think it comes more from political realities. Probably the two giants of the 20th…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-davidson/i-don-t-think-that-much-change-comes-from-economists-i-think-it-comes/) [Adam Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-davidson/) ## More by Arthur Laffer > [You know, without China there is no Wal-Mart and without Wal-Mart there is no middle class and lower class prosperity in the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-laffer/you-know-without-china-there-is-no-wal-mart-and-without-wal-mart/) [Arthur Laffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-laffer/) > [We are having the single worst recovery the U.S. has had since the Great Depression. I don't care how you measure it. The East…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-laffer/we-are-having-the-single-worst-recovery-the-u-s-has-had-since-the/) [Arthur Laffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-laffer/) > [The tax rate increases reduce economic growth; they shrink the pie; they cause more poverty, more despair, more unemployment, which are all things government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-laffer/the-tax-rate-increases-reduce-economic-growth-they-shrink-the-pie/) [Arthur Laffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-laffer/) > [The zero-income-tax-rate states have far faster growth in tax revenues than did the states with highest income tax rate over this period.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-laffer/the-zero-income-tax-rate-states-have-far-faster-growth-in-tax/) [Arthur Laffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-laffer/) > [It has always amazed me how tax cuts don't work until they take effect. Mr. Obama's experience with deferred tax rate increases will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-laffer/it-has-always-amazed-me-how-tax-cuts-don-t-work-until-they-take/) [Arthur Laffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-laffer/) > [The trade deficit is the capital surplus and don't ever think of having a capital surplus as being a bad thing for our country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-laffer/the-trade-deficit-is-the-capital-surplus-and-don-t-ever-think-of/) [Arthur Laffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-laffer/) > [People can also change the timing of when they earn and receive their income in response to government policies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-laffer/people-can-also-change-the-timing-of-when-they-earn-and-receive-their/) [Arthur Laffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-laffer/) > [It is not true that Congress spends money like a drunken sailor. Drunken sailors spend their own money. Congress spends our money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-laffer/it-is-not-true-that-congress-spends-money-like-a-drunken-sailor/) [Arthur Laffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-laffer/) > [Sound money is the sine qua non of a prosperous society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-laffer/sound-money-is-the-sine-qua-non-of-a-prosperous-society/) [Arthur Laffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-laffer/) > [I mean, everyone agrees with stress tests for banks. I mean that's clear. But banks should do that on their own. And they should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-laffer/i-mean-everyone-agrees-with-stress-tests-for-banks-i-mean-that-s/) [Arthur Laffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-laffer/) > [And just remember, every dollar we spend on outsourcing is spent on U.S. goods or invested back in the U.S. market. That's accounting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-laffer/and-just-remember-every-dollar-we-spend-on-outsourcing-is-spent-on-u/) [Arthur Laffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-laffer/) > [What I'm not saying is that all government spending is bad. It's not - far, far from it, but there is no free lunch,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-laffer/what-i-m-not-saying-is-that-all-government-spending-is-bad-it-s-not/) [Arthur Laffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-laffer/) > [If you like the post office and the Department of Motor Vehicles and you think they're run well, just wait till you see Medicare,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-laffer/if-you-like-the-post-office-and-the-department-of-motor-vehicles-and/) [Arthur Laffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-laffer/) > [Which would you rather have, capital lined up on your borders, trying to get into your country or trying to get out of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-laffer/which-would-you-rather-have-capital-lined-up-on-your-borders-trying/) [Arthur Laffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-laffer/) > [Let's take the nine states that have no income tax and compare them with the nine states with the highest income tax rates in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-laffer/let-s-take-the-nine-states-that-have-no-income-tax-and-compare-them/) [Arthur Laffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-laffer/) [Explore all 32 Arthur Laffer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-laffer/) ## More Easy quotes > [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. It's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/public-infrastructure-around-the-world-is-facing-unprecedented-stress/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [I don't want easy success. It's boring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sudeep/i-don-t-want-easy-success-it-s-boring/) [Sudeep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sudeep/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [she got a reputation for an easy smile and a sharp tongue, and using one to balance the other, she seemed friendly but distant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/she-got-a-reputation-for-an-easy-smile-and-a-sharp-tongue-and-using/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [People think that the Club World Cup is an easy competition, but it's not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keylor-navas/people-think-that-the-club-world-cup-is-an-easy-competition-but-it-s/) [Keylor Navas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keylor-navas/) > [New York is large, glamorous, easy-going, kindly and incurious, but above all it is a crucible - because it is large enough to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/new-york-is-large-glamorous-easy-going-kindly-and-incurious-but-above/) [Ford Madox Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/) > [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/) [Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/) > [Sometimes life can suck and not be fair ,but we have to deal with it,because we feel we cant do anything but,we can.We have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-life-can-suck-and-not-be-fair-but-we-have-to-deal-with-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Mortals are such fragile things. Just tender feelings walking around exposed in their delicate shells...Easy to crush.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-marr/mortals-are-such-fragile-things-just-tender-feelings-walking-around/) [Melissa Marr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-marr/) > [Certainly these are not easy times. But history does not contain very many easy times. Years from now, we will look back at this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingraham/certainly-these-are-not-easy-times-but-history-does-not-contain-very/) [Laura Ingraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingraham/) > [I don't know why, but I'm an easy target. And I don't do anything to dispel it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-mcginley/i-don-t-know-why-but-i-m-an-easy-target-and-i-don-t-do-anything-to/) [Ted McGinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-mcginley/) > [I know that I'm going to have to work hard, keep working hard, and not because of this victory think, "I'm back." I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-clijsters/i-know-that-i-m-going-to-have-to-work-hard-keep-working-hard-and-not/) [Kim Clijsters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-clijsters/) > [It's easy to make mistakes. It's living with the consequences of them that's the hardest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/it-s-easy-to-make-mistakes-it-s-living-with-the-consequences-of-them/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [In business, as in politics, it is never easy to go against the beliefs and attitudes held by the majority. The businessman who moves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-paul-getty/in-business-as-in-politics-it-is-never-easy-to-go-against-the-beliefs/) [J. Paul Getty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-paul-getty/) Browse all 14,306 Easy quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You want to prove that Milton Friedman is a fascist? It's easy. Quote him.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Arthur Laffer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-laffer/you-want-to-prove-that-milton-friedman-is-a-fascist-it-s-easy-quote/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Easy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-laffer/you-want-to-prove-that-milton-friedman-is-a-fascist-it-s-easy-quote/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/edb/arthur-laffer-19877_easy_you-want-to-prove-that-milton-friedman-i_94492.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/edb/arthur-laffer-19877_easy_you-want-to-prove-that-milton-friedman-i_94492.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/edb/arthur-laffer-19877_easy_you-want-to-prove-that-milton-friedman-i_94492.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You want to prove that Milton Friedman is a fascist? It's easy. Quote him.” — Arthur Laffer", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Arthur Laffer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-laffer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You want to prove that Milton...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-laffer/you-want-to-prove-that-milton-friedman-is-a-fascist-it-s-easy-quote/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-laffer/you-want-to-prove-that-milton-friedman-is-a-fascist-it-s-easy-quote/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```