--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Only government can take perfectly good…" description: "\"Only government can take perfectly good paper, cover it with perfectly good ink and make the combination worthless.\" — Milton Friedman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/milton-friedman-616_government_only-government-can-take-perfectly-good_1368547.png" --- # Only government can take perfectly good paper, cover it… ![“Only government can take perfectly good paper, cover it with perfectly good ink and make the combination worthless.” quote by Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/milton-friedman-616_government_only-government-can-take-perfectly-good_1368547.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/milton-friedman-616_government_only-government-can-take-perfectly-good_1368547.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/milton-friedman-616_government_only-government-can-take-perfectly-good_1368547.png) > “Only government can take perfectly good paper, cover it with perfectly good ink and make the combination worthless.” [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Government can render valuable assets worthless through regulation. **In simple terms:** Regulation can destroy value. Key Takeaway Question the impact of regulation. Themes economics politics freedom Mood critical analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - tax policy - business strategy - environmental law Key Concepts public policy market dynamics Questions to Reflect On - Is all regulation harmful? - What balance is needed? A Different Perspective Regulation sometimes protects public interest despite economic loss. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [My life looked good on paper - where, in fact, almost all of it was being lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/my-life-looked-good-on-paper-where-in-fact-almost-all-of-it-was-being/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [For a while, I was drawing on good paper, but now I've gone back to the bad stuff. 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