There's no such thing as a free birthday cake

Authors: Lana Harfoush & Anne-Marie Dao

Saturday marks what would have been Milton Friedman’s 98th birthday. What gift would you give a man of so many achievements? A Nobel Prize recipient in Economics, an inspiring force for many nations’ leaders, and a beloved professor at the University of Chicago, Friedman personally touched the lives of many people. But the number of those folks who knew him pales in comparison to the countless others whom he will never know, yet who will still be inspired by his work. Four years after his death, we write today to honor his legacy.

Rather than give another detailed summary of his many contributions to economics and liberty throughout the world, we thought we would share several quotes and videos, which prove that Friedman was not just an academic but also a man of humor and humanity.

Many know Friedman as the man who popularized the phrase, "there’s no such thing as a free lunch."

Throughout his life, Friedman made many poignant and pithy observations about government and the world around him. Here at PLF we consistently fight regulatory agencies and expanding government power. These Friedman quotes embody the horrors and hilarity of big government.

"Governments never learn. Only people learn."

"Only government can take perfectly good paper, cover it with perfectly good ink and make the combination worthless."

"Nothing is so permanent as a temporary government program."

"Hell hath no fury like a bureaucrat scorned."

"History suggests that capitalism is a necessary condition for political freedom. Clearly it is not a sufficient condition."

"If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there'd be a shortage of sand."

"Inflation is taxation without legislation."

But why don’t we let him speak for himself?

Happy Birthday, Milton Friedman.