The Free Lunch Myth

April 06, 2011 JBudget & Spending

By: R.J. Moeller

Everyone wants to live at the expense of the state. They forget that the state wants to live at the expense of everyone.
-Frederic Bastiat

We’ve heard it said many times that there is no such thing as a “free lunch.” But what does that really mean? Any time this line is uttered everyone simply nods in agreement, but as soon as matters of public policy and congressional spending arise, many Americans quickly forget the truism they nodded in agreement with before.

The late economist Dr. Milton Friedman spoke often about the dangers and flaws of a “free lunch” mentality among the citizens of a free nation. In the clip below, Dr. Friedman describes in some detail what exactly is meant by this cliche.

Share this video with a friend or family member! We need to utilize the wisdom of those who came before us to make the case for free markets to this generation.

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