The series proceeds something like a classroom, with a thirty minute lecture followed by thirty minutes of discussion with experts of differing opinions on Friedman's presentation. It's interesting to put the discussions into historical context thirty years later.
A socialist professor from Boston University, for example, kept bringing up Chile, which had recently become more free market-oriented despite the rule of a thuggish junta, as a bad example of free markets. A young UCLA professor, Thomas Sowell, pointed out that socialist countries in Africa were even worse off. Thirty years later, Chile has become a poster child for what is possible for South America.
On the Travel Channel this week I watched Samantha Brown visit Santiago, Chile, and like her, I was quite surprised by the prosperous, bustling city she discovered. The citizens seem happy, and the streets are quite clean. It turns out that today Chile rates as one of the freest countries in the world. African countries continue to live in squalor and have far less freedom than the rest of the world.
As a great example of free enterprise in action, the cruise industry hires people from all over the world, providing jobs that allow crew members to support their families and share a larger vision of what is possible with their villages back home.
We are free to choose the cruise we want from many amazing choices. Perhaps you want to see the economic miracle of the aforementioned Chile or Estonia, a former Soviet state that used Friedman's principles to become a peaceful, free and prosperous country after ominously starting with 1000% inflation and 35% unemployment. Or perhaps you just want to visit a beautiful Caribbean beach. Regardless of your intention, the invisible hand of the free market will improve the lots of others because you are pursuing your personal best interests. In fact, I would argue that free market capitalism, in which we make money by providing valuable goods and services in order to buy goods and services from others, does far more to improve the world than altruism and philanthropy.
Some argue for limiting our expectations and waiting for the government to solve our problems, but the miracle of America is caused by each of us fully embracing our God given rights including "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
This week I also watched "Forest Gump." While it is fiction, this excellent movie reminds us that anything is possible for Americans who are open to the opportunities afforded by freedom. Don't wait for ideal conditions. Make your life work right now. Part of the motivation for working hard and getting ahead is to enjoy the fruits of your labor, and as Friedman explains, pursuing your happiness enriches others.
In a free market, there are many choices. I appreciate the fact that you choose to book your cruises and other vacations through me, because you understand that "Better service leads to better trips!" Share that with your friends.
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