Why Government Is the Problem (Essays in Public Policy Book 39)

by Milton Friedman

Government actions often provide substantial benefits to a few while imposing small costs on many.

The people who run our private enterprises are people of the same kind as those who run our public enterprises, just

They can argue that the enterprise initially failed only because it was not pursued on a large enough scale. More important, they have a much different and deeper pocket to draw on.

If a private enterprise is a failure, it closes down—unless it can get a government subsidy to keep it going; if a government enterprise fails, it is expanded. I challenge you to find exceptions.