JOHAN NORBERG also nails it writing on the stupidity -found everywhere in the liberal and European media- on the alleged link between Milton Friedman and the dictatorship of Pinochet:

But Friedman condemned dictatorship and contrary to many other economists he pointed out the necessary link between economic and political freedom. He said that one of the reasons to advocate economic liberal reforms in Chile was so that it would create a foundation for rebuilding democracy (and he also happened to be right). He also promoted economic liberal reforms in China, and that doesn´t make him a Maoist.

To explain this in a way that even those who disagree with economic liberalism should understand: If a scholar holds a few lectures in Myanmar or Libya, and explains that an impartial judiciary or a free media is good and will build a foundation for democracy, that doesn´t make this scholar a supporter of the dictatorship in Myanmar or Libya. Ok?

And if an apolitical scientist tells the Chinese leaders that they must deal with its environmental problems not even this makes him a supporter of China´s dictatorship. Or is he? In that case there are a lot of supporters of tyranny out there.

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