Milton-freed man

Joining Peter Drucker right up there, Milton Friedman passed away at 94 on 16th Nov 2006, as Nobel laureate José Saramago celebrated his 84th anniversary. What a coincidence that two greats whom I admire have come to share a fateful date.

The year was 1980 and I wouldn't miss an episode of Free to choose for the world. Then I bought the book, necessarily a translation at the time, and sped through it as fast as I could.

I wish to state my appreciation for a man who, togehther with his wife, Rose, forever changed a 13-year-old's views on the State and its role in society and government, welfare, money, free will, self-reliance, free enterprise and trade, and ultimately, freedom.

He was the first to allow me to mentally entertain the words capitalism and freedom at once. Perhaps someday his detractors will get some of the concepts he held dear and self-evident.

So long, master.

Rui Costa
Mon, 11th Dec, 2006
Lisbon, Portugal