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Our thanks go to Sam and the others for the full citation on Friedman's 
cant.  If he thinks avoiding pollution is socialism then it confirms what 
many of us have always thought--that Friedman knows less economics (or at 
least less about economic systems) than he thinks he does. And if I am not 
mistaken this is the same fellow who opposes government regulation of 
pollution. If businesses cannot fail to pollute because to do so would 
represent socialism, and if governments cannot stop it because to do so 
would be to "interfere" with the "rightful" domain of business, where does 
Friedman wish for us to turn? The answer, apparently, is that we have to 
pay them to stop poisoning us. And if the victims cannot raise sufficient 
revenue to effect this bribe, I guess we are destined for air not fit to 
breath, water not fit to drink, and poisons on most of our food.  This 
libertarian Nirvana sounds like a rather grim prospect to me. 
 
Dan Bromley 
 
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