Friedman Facts.com

In the latest of a series of anti-Friedman events at the University of Chicago, CORES, Students for CORES and some other statist groups are hosting independent U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders for a lecture on how the lack of regulation contributed so heavily to the current financial situation. Check out the details below, and print out flyers (“Who Was Milton Friedman?” and “Defaming Milton Friedman”) to hand out if you end up going to the event. They were received well at the Klein event in October.

A coalition of student and faculty groups at the University of Chicago proudly announces:

“Milton Friedman’s Legacies: On the U.S. Economic Crisis.”  featuring Senator Bernie Sanders

Tuesday, December 2 at 7:30 PM, at Kent Hall, 107

Senator Sanders (I-VT), a 1964 graduate of the College, will address questions about the contemporary economy, such as: is the current economic crisis part of Milton Friedman’s legacy?  Will ongoing revelations about the failure of the market to regulate itself–to protect the goods it holds and the people it serves–change how the public and the government think about what constitutes a strong economy and a strong society? 

Senator Sanders’ talk is the third in a series of events responding to the creation of the Milton Friedman Institute for Research in Economics: the first having been Naomi Klein’s October 1 lecture, “Disaster Capitalism: Milton Friedman and the Chicago Boys”; the second, the October 14 roundtable discussion featuring supporters and opponents of the Institute.  This event is sponsored by The Committee for Open Research on Economy and Society (CORES), Students for CORES, Chicago Society, Students for a Democratic Society, and Stand-Up for Progress.  It is funded in part by Student Government.

People with disabilities who think they may need assistance should contact Luis Brennan (631-664-5779). Further inquiries about this event may be addressed to Lauren Berlant (773-493-6202) and Andrew Yale (773-288-9006).

To be fair, Sen. Sanders opposed the Wall Street bailout (both times). This is good (although he may have voted for some of the wrong reasons). A question to ask Sen. Sanders when he comes to Chicago: What financial regulations have actually been lifted in the past few years?

And if he admits that none were lifted and gives the “asleep at the switch” answer, kindly ask him if any government or bureaucracy can truly ever be aware of all of the intricacies of a complex, “free” economy such as ours.