76K views · Jan 24, 2017 · 2:29 · 0 HN recommenders · 3 mentions · discussed 2022–2026
A two-minute clip from a 1979 Phil Donahue interview in which Milton Friedman makes the free-market case for taxing pollution. He treats pollution as an externality that can be given a price.
Why Hacker News points people here: HN commenters use it to show that even the best-known free-market economist supported putting a price on pollution.
“Even Mr. Free Market himself, Milton Friedman, thought a price on pollution was a good idea”HN comment, 2026
“Here's a video of Milton Friedman on the topic”
Friedman on handling externalities such as pollution.
AFAIK, Mises.org is generally well regarded among libertarians. Libertarians generally argue that externalities should either be illegal or taxed, when there are no other practical solutions. Here's a video of Milton Friedman on the topic: this video
“Even Mr. Free Market™ himself, Milton Friedman, didn't have a problem with putting a price on pollution”
Friedman accepted pricing pollution as an externality.
Even Mr. Free Market™ himself, Milton Friedman, didn't have a problem with putting a price on pollution as it is a form of externality: * this video Greenspan, Volcker, Bernanke, Yellen, etc , also endorsed a price on carbon (which revenue would be refunded to people): * link
“Even Mr. Free Market himself, Milton Friedman, thought a price on pollution was a good idea”
Friedman thought a price on pollution was a good idea.
> Agreed. The market should decide if beef consumption is viable. Until The Market™, especially in the US, starts dealing with externalities (like climate change), it should not. Something like carbon pricing (per Greenspan and Volcker): * link * link Even Mr. Free Market himself, Milton Friedman, thought a price on pollution was a good idea: * this video
