What Milton Friedman represented ...

... is clearly and surprisingly eloquently discussed in this 'sales pitch' by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for a US television series featuring the economist talking about Free to Choose, a 'personal statement' he published in 1990:

(thru Andrew Sullivan)

I particlularly like a few of his comments and wish that our own dear Government would ditch the socialist nonsense that has plagued our national affairs for far too long, all of my life in fact:

Arnie on Milton Friedman, Socialism and Communism "Being free to choose means being free to make your own decisions, free to live your own life, pursue your own goals, chase your own rainbow, without the Government breathing down on your neck ..." "I came from a socialistic country [Austrial] where the Government controls the economy..." "Individualism [like that] is incompatible with Socialism ..." "the more [the] Government interfered and interfered and inserted itself into the free market the worse the country [his adopted homeland, the USA] did , but when the Government stepped back and let the free enterprise system do its work, then the better we did, the more robust our economy grew, the better I did and the better my business grew ..." "I think it's crucial that we all keep moving in the same direction, away from socialism and towards greater freedom and opportunity." "... the miserable failure of communism ..."

Yes, that is indeed a very fair sampling of what Milton Friedman represented. My own small tribute to him is here.