Sunday, September 25, 2011

Friedman's Argument Strikes Me As Akin To Churchill's

Apocryphal or not, it's a great story:

At a dinner party Churchill says to his dinner companion, "Madam, would you sleep with me for five million pounds?"
The woman responds, "My goodness, Mr. Churchill. I suppose I would."
Churchill replies, "Would you sleep with me for five pounds?"
She answers, "Mr. Churchill, what kind of woman do you think I am?"
Churchill answers, "Madam, we've already established that. Now we are haggling about the price."
Similarly, Milton Friedman debates with a young man, saying that we put prices on people every day, and that the young man is arguing not from a position of principle but rather from a position of price and value.

1 comment:

Steve USMA '85 said...

I give the kid credit for continuing to try to get his perceived point home. I also give the crowd of young adults credit for listening politely to the banter back and forth.

As to Friedman's point, I agree totally.