Bad thing Quote by Milton Friedman
“You will find that hardly a soul who will say that it was a bad thing. Almost everybody will say it was a good thing. 'But what about today? Do you think we should have free immigration?' 'Oh, no,' they'll say, 'We couldn't possibly have free immigration today. Why, that would flood us with immigrants from India, and God knows where. We'd be driven down to a bare subsistence level.'”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Interview on Immigration Policy, 1970s
People often claim past immigration was beneficial and fear current free immigration would overwhelm resources.
In simple terms: Past seen as good, present feared as bad.
Key Takeaway
Consider evidence over assumptions.
Themes
economics
immigration
public opinion
Mood
skeptical
analytical
Type
argumentative
informative
When to use this quote
- policy debate
- media analysis
- public forums
Key Concepts
free market
population dynamics
political rhetoric
Questions to Reflect On
- What data supports or refutes these claims?
- How do economic conditions differ now?
A Different Perspective
Assumes past conditions directly apply to today.
