Original Article can be found at Brand Eins magazine online, and was published in June of 2003. The article was reprinted in CASH, a weekly newspaper in German-speaking Switzerland. The below was automatically translated from the German by Google, and is imperfect in a quite amusing fashion, but the gist should be clear. I've done some extra translation by hand as well. Quotation marks are missing.

Family Friedman

Its theories are extreme: He dreams about a completely uncontrolled free-market economy. Its children are more extreme: They live in communities, play Poker and want Anarchy. An attendance with Nobelpreistraeger Milton Friedman, his children and a grandchild.

Text and photo: Thomas Jahn

Patri Forwalter Friedman parks its become baggy combination. Its long hair is colored purple. The livrierte portier looks indigniert. Patri goes through the enormous marble reception hall and drives with the golden elevator in the 20. Stick to the dwelling of its grandparents. Those live since a quarter century in one of the few multistoried buildings on the Russian Hill in San Francisco. The external walls are whole from glass, with wonderful view of the golden gate bridge, Alcatraz and the financial quarter. The apartment is modern furnished, with glass table and right-angled seat set. The carpet is so soft that one sinks nearly up to the knoecheln in it.

Rose and Milton Friedman are frightened. Already grandchild Rick spoiled the conception of his new friend, because he carried a ohrring. But Patris appearance with the family meeting is a shock. Against what wants if it only protestieren?, grandparents ask her son David, the father of Patri. That laughs only and says that one revolted with so an appearance a quarter century ago today is only a fashion. Patri cannot understand the excitement: Das nevertheless only aesthetics is, it means me nothing.

When Patri explains its plan for a Anarchisten project to grandparents, he nds still fewer understandings. From concrete and steel he wants to build a kind raft, which offers to a half dozen humans on 900 square meters place. The raft looks a Toblerone reected from above like and can be connected with other rafts. The raft community Seastead is to be fastened six nautical miles before Gibraltar. There due to a gap in the international maritime law in ships, not from rafts the speech is would develop a right-free area. No police, no court. The rules are to apply, set up those from the inhabitants no matter whether they permit Russian of roulette or to clones of humans. Das project is my Dream, says Patri excited, which wants to be its whole inheritance into Seastead. Rose and Milton vibrate the head. Das is crazy.

Is for the Nobelpreistraeger Milton Friedman the state actually likewise an enemy. The founder of the monetarism and one the Vordenker of the Chicagoer school preaches capitalism as the best of all economic systems. Monetary political instruments like the inuence of the interest rates are therefore just as despicable as the entire keynesianische welfare state. In its published hauptwerk Kapitalismus and Milton preached 1962 to Freiheit the return to 19. Century: Taxes drastically lower, subsidies abolish, schools and social security denationalize. Ronald Reagans and Margaret Thatchers economic policy were strongly coined/shaped by this thinking: Der action area for the government must be limited. Their major task must be to protect our liberty to ensure order and private contracts as well as competitive markets too foerdern, writes Milton Friedman.

Family Friedman: three generations in the fight for liberty, reason and personal success


With its ore liberals Milton the world did not however only change theories, but also its family more than him being dear might. The contrast is strong: Milton and rose were involved 70 years long in the white house in and out and advised governments in the whole world. They hold much of their own home, conservative clothes and clean ngernails. Their children and child children against it create Patchwork families, live in communities and are Anarchisten however without left Gluecksfantasien. Ich are Anarchist, but I believe in no Utopie, say Miltons son David. Milton is a right professor and sent its children into a school, in which they could select themselves, which they learn. Patri made straight its master OF computer Science, makes money with Pokern and works on its Ultra anarchy project Seastead.

Also Miltons daughter Janet thinks nothing from the state and found in former times as attorney and Steuerberaterin for its customers of tax loopholes. Its son Rick followed the group of skirts of Phish as a fan by the country and worries now about the sound system the local Pop skirt volume Mumbo Gumbo.

Since the mentioned attendance some years ago grandparents did not see Patri very frequently. The Friedman clan does not meet anyway too often Sie lives its life, and we live unseres, say rose. Although the old persons of the children pulled because of from Chicago to San Francisco. Now the Friedmans distributes itself over north California, lives close together, and is nevertheless unverrueckbar separate with rose and Milton in the center. Nearly each day sits the 90-jaehrige Milton in the ofce and works particularly on education questions. more Frueher I needed libraries, today have I Google, say he 1996 called he the Milton & rose D Friedman Foundation in the life, which supports parents with the training of their children and whom privatisation of schools promotes. US central bank head Alan Greenspan and its wife go past with their friends gladly with the breakfast or dinner. And also different high-ranking representatives of the American high nance are regular to attendance.

The roads around the Russian hill are steeply, nevertheless go the two daily walking. Gestern I was at union the Square, tell rose the way to the purchase mile might for a 91-Jaehrige the ascent to the Mount Everest resemble. Despite its age Milton bought recently a new Lexus. A BMW Cabrio is located likewise in the underground parking. When daughter and Miltons secretary Gloria Valentine suggested Janet some time ago adjusting a driver the old person looked not even from the desk up and grummelte: Get off my back.

It is a hard bone. In interviews he says gladly things how: Ich believes, the question is not not reasonable. the large scar over its oberlippe as a child ew it by the windshield of the car of his father, a Ford T lends to its face a martial note. In the course of the decades it put on itself with the American issuing bank, left student, conservative senators and the Nobelpreiskomitee. Even his academic pulling father Arthur Burns it vergraetzte. The two reconciled itself only decades later. Diplomatie is not my Staerke, writes Milton Friedman in its Biograe.

And a large friendliness is nevertheless in it. It shows those its family, friends and students. Affectionately it told in former times invented fairy tales to its children on long drives themselves. Still today its daughter Janet remembers the zirkusdirektor Gazookis invented by the father, which visits a family with its animals and kindists and whose daughter and son with all kinds of feats maintains.

At the University OF Chicago in the course Oekonomie 301, price and Verteilungstheorie of the national economy Koryphaee Jacob Viner met rose and Milton 1932 for the rst time still today kichern both with the question, which they found together at that time. Rose considers one while, Milton wants dearest the room to leave. Mich its attentive and considerationful kind pulled an, nally says it. Surely you impressed that he found an error with Viners derivatives. The professor gave the Schnitzer only after end to the lecture too Sie was very attractive and is it today noch, says Friedman. for my economic work, at least it was mistaken Sie interested it vor.

Often until late into the night rose and Milton in the faculty sat at tables and calculations for statistic demand curves. But nothing happened between them. The sign with the fence stake by the Swedish assistant Sune Carlson, which schubste the two after the work into an elevator and disappeared in the stair corridor, did not use anything. Well-behaved the two, rose said good-bye even refused a parting kiss. Up to the Haendchenhalten years passed. Also after it one was to be only thought reasonably supplies itself kann, thus rose of marriage, wenn. 1938 were so far it. The two married in New York in the small circle, parents for sake after Jewish tradition sake with Chupa and zerschmetterten weinglaesern. By the way: Carlson decreased/went back to Sweden, became there a restaurant economics and sat 1976 in the committee of the Nobelpreis committee, which awarded Milton the price.

Rose and Milton Friedman: Two refugees become Americans and a waiter Nobelpreistraeger


Rose and Milton have much together. Both are children of immigrant, those before the Jew-hostile tendency in Eastern Europe at the beginning 20. Century to America ed. Still in Polish later Russian, today Ukrainian village born, spent rose the rst two lebensjahre in the chaos. Their father hid himself several-day-long and was afraid for his life, when a Russian in the corn mill with the coat, supervised of him, came and died into the raederwerk. Dull/musty Antisemitismus met on age-old superstition. Rose remembers that with difculties with a birth all unmarried women had to cut themselves the hair briey. When Roses sister at Diphterie got sick, the nut/mother with their two had to stay overnight days in a cemetery corner.

Rose wanted to become Konzertpianistin, followed however its brother Aaron to Chicago, in order to study there as one of the few Mrs. Wirtschaftswissenschaften. Their doctor work for the history of the capital theory did not terminate it however. Ich Milton wanted to make rank never on vocational level contentiously perhaps, because I was intelligent enough to see that I no chance hatte, says they Sie had an unbelievably high portion to my Arbeit, says he.

Milton Friedman was born in Brooklyn. Its parents were Jewish emigrants from Hungary. The nut/mother worked as a sewer under inhuman conditions, but it did not deplore itself over the exploitation. In the opposite, she was grateful for the money and the chance to learn English. At home they spoke Hungarian, jiddisch and English. The father died early. In the new house in new jersey the family of ve family opened a stuff shop. An ice-cream parlor failed pitifully. With much work and sense for the money Friedman struck itself by the study: If Roselles sold hats in the department store, Nachhilfe kellnerte in the restaurant for a lunch, verscherbelte re works, gave.

Their origin coins/shapes a thinking of the two strongly. Their families and also they had to work hard. But they feel that as a favour, not as load. Exactly the same they expect from others, without getting along assistance. America gonif, Roses said nut/mother to always hit a corner. That is Jiddisch and means about: Everything is possible in America. Milton Friedmans ascent from the waiter is actual to the Nobelpreistraeger an American dream. To its 90. Birthday scarcely one year ago gave president to George W. Bush a festessen in the white house. Rose and Milton came that were a favour testifying. Solche Dinner is sterbenslangweilig, says he Alles depends on it, beside whom one supplements set wird, her. Therefore they strike the frequent invitations from Washington the journey in the private airplane are anyway a condition so well always out.

An abortion met the Friedmans hard. Only the birth of Janet 1943 changed everything. was Janet like a gift from the sky. Nothing other interested mehr, rose says me. To its way also Milton showed its father love: With the utmost care he noted weight and meal of Janet, in order to make from it statistic tables and curves. Just as conscientiously it listed rst words to Janets. When the baby at a gastrosis suffered, Milton ran by New York, over despite economy of lack of war the bananas recommended by the physician too ergattern. During the day it gruebelte for the Statistical Research Group of the Columbia University over the ballistics of the Flak defense or the airworthyness of the bomber B-29. The work for the US army was not secretly, even its wife was allowed it a word of it to tell.

After the end of the Second World War David was born. Rose was erleichert, because it had lost a boy with the abortion and these it in certain way was shown. There was however still another further reason to the joy. Als Milton me said, it was a boy, proclaimed I: God is thanks! I need to bring no more children to the world. We intended never, a large family too gruenden.

The children Janet and David: A Anarchist the Middle Ages and an attorney loves the tax saving


The entrance of Janet Friedmans house is hardly to be found. A path ueberwucherter of grass and owers leads to the rear to the door. The two rst numbers of the house number 2400 disappeared. Over the garage the framework of a basketball basket hangs. There is no bell, only meadow east width unit a bell play. The house is large, but in the living room one feels despite the high cover as in a cave. The tiles are brown, furniture dark. Despite large windows and terrace door much light does not penetrate into the inside: The trees and a summer-house lock the sun out. Janet sits here gladly in a black armchair with footrest and writes on its Apple laptop, listens to hearing books or plays with chip, its man, Bridge.

The house of David Friedman is nearly hundred years old. Two age-old spruce giants block the view of the road. In the garden it grows wildly and multicolored. On the Holzveranda stand chairs and a cradle even tinkered, which built David after medieval designs. For eight years he lives here with his second wife and two children. David sees similarly, a round face with Halbglatze and a large nose astonishing to his father. But Milton Friedman would not dress in such a way: David carries a kurzaermeliges shirt with Mexican ornaments and old-fashionable black sport shoes.

Brothers and sisters are entirely different. if we had Erst to do a little with one another, then we allied against the Eltern, say ourselves David. The introvertierte Janet hesitates while speaking, hands and nger leads an independent existence, it underlines the saying. David does not know shyness, quoted free-handles from poems and smiles without omits. Janet is organized and will strong. It thinks like a Anwaeltin, says the father. David is extroverted and original. It needs the Abwechslung.

Like all Friedmans also Janet fought against the state only in pragmatic and civil way. Ich revolted against my parents, by for politics interessierte, not saying itself her. As an attorney of a kanzlei in San Francisco it represented enterprises against compensation complaints. Later she advised wealthy customers when tax saving. more Frueher the control items lay extremely hoch, say Janet. Da it made still, slip holes in the law too nden. the work their for fun father led during the term of ofce of Ronald Reagan dramatically lower taxes particularly for good-earning. Today Janet worries only about its three horses and Dressurreiten. And naturally around Bridge. Its man chip became ve times world champion, in the past year was Janet captain of the victorious crew. Beim Poker think humans to injustice the fact that luck says importantly sei, they Bei to Bridge thinks it, luck does not play a role. But is also correct nicht.

David Friedman loves poems from the Middle Ages. It did not only translate as the rst the Hildebrandslied into English, but invented also an end for the 1200 years old old-German fragment. At present it tries to sell its fantastischen novel Harald to a publishing house. The idea developed from good eight-stories for its children. As its father, who told Gazookis in former times in the car of the zirkusdirektor, invented David for his daughter and its son a king legend around the medieval Icelandic people Northvales. It for a long time, according to its opinion prevailed there nearly anarchy fascinates. Es gave courts and Anwaelte, says David, more aber no police or army. The penetration of the right was completely private organisiert.

David Friedman is own. Early it read books, as a dte rodent in large amounts thought it serious over the world. Why does one need judges and policemen? They would be powerless, if the majority did not adhere to laws. David was disconcerted and decided provisionally lawly-abiding to live, because otherwise the society could break down. The today's Anarchist David obeyed exemplarily all laws. He refused even buying to a friend under age a glass wine. Alle thought, I spinne, say David. Ich are a little begriffstutzig, but it fell sometime me like sheds of the eyes: Nobody feels morally obligated, to the laws too halten. the history of the Sience Fiction author Robert Heinlein Der moon is a herbe Geliebte, in which Heinlein describes a society on the moon without state, but with vested titles, opened for it nally the eyes: David became Anarchist.

A dispute between father and son: Does the state have to withdraw itself, or does have it to be abolished?


with David we have much herumgepfuscht, say rose Friedman. Praktisch since its birth it thinks like an economist, goes like an economist and breathes like a Oekonom. parents pushed it nevertheless to a physics study, from fear before the long shade of the father. David added itself for a long time. Only as a freshly baked doctor of physics it published 1973 the book Das raederwerk of the liberty manual to the radical Kapitalismus. In the today's Anarchistenklassiker it schwaermt from a society, which frees itself slowly from national obligations. With the book it relieved of the pressure of parents and began themselves with 28 years the study of the economic science. Einige saw me in me not, but mean father. That was not einfach.

Today David Friedman in the legal department of the Santa Clara University teaches, where he concerns himself with the economic theory of the juridical system. It argues for instance with incentive structures for policemen, criminals or judges. In a weekly seminar discusses David in addition revolutionary inventions in the nano or biotechnology and their possible legal and economic consequences. Mein father changed the world 20. Century, I worry about 21. he says Jahrhundert smiling.

Father and son are carved from same wood. Wir argue us, since then I think kann, say David. Nachdem I Milton know had learned, could I only half so much sagen, remembers rose. Nachdem David was born, did not come I any longer to Wort. Milton Friedman represents conservative liberal opinions. The state is to withdraw itself and to only ensure security inward and outside. Its son continues and demands the abolishment of the state. Ich nd it morally wrong, to humans umzubringen, say David. more Aber why it is to be wronger, if a legislator says to me that it wrongly ist?

The way to the anarchy is to take place evolutionary, step for step. David: Revolutionen and force lead only to more Staat. across it turns out he regularly into the hair with left Anarchisten. Like also over the role of the market, from which there is its opinion after not too much, but too little. In his dream company the inhabitants pay private, decentralized and prot-oriented protection agencies, which guarantee their security. There are not a juridical system, but several, which in competition to each other. Its concept of Anarcho capitalism reminded strongly of the Middle Ages from coincidence does not fascinate David this epoch.

The grandchild Patri lives in a community, works as Pokerspieler and plans a anarchistische settlement


All call the terrace door Darwin Rampe. Who does not watch out and steps after outside, falls into the depth. In former times was there a wood terrace, but those ate the termites. With parties Patri Forwalter Friedman places good a table before the door, so that nobody is actually sifted out by the evolution. The probability would be quite high, because besides those stands bar with innumerable bottles. On the bar stool co-inhabitant Rob sits in the brown bathrobe and solves a tricky question from the qualication for the final round of the US mystery championship. It is in the stress, the answer must to noon by InterNet be returned. Down before the pool community member Andy in the white bathrobe holds small square notes in the sunlight. That is also a mystery, a three-dimensional as it were, for the logic championship. Man scissors may utilize, explain Patri, what something special is probably.

The house is not noticeable from the outside. Over the garage a blue wood sign with a white butterfly, the indication of Alpine Butterfly, hangs the name of the community. The butterfly is out mountain climber-hurries cut: Butterfly is knots often used by mountain climbers, which secure themselves with mountain pastes mutually with a rope before the crash. The seven community inhabitants see themselves similar. Before the door Patris hone the haven car stands. Characteristic: Frrreak.

The two wall closets in the living room are from the inside painted with blue circles and yellow prisms. A compromise. In the intoxication of the establishment of community before ve years a resident wanted to paint the entire house in such a way. The others resisted communities are today also not more what they were in the sixties times. In the house is not much place. Under the spiral stair an InterNet server hangs on nylon belts. The belt construction saves place and symbolizes the Seastead project, explains Patri: Der server swings like a raft in the Ocean.

Patri resembles his father David. Patri is Brain, says Gloria Valentine, which works since more as 30 years than secretary for Milton. Like father and grandfather and thinks the grandchild with a merciless logic speaks and is curious like a newspaper reporter. Ich the Friedman Gen has, says Patri. It buildup at the US east coast with his nut/mother Diana Forwalter, who let itself be separated early from David. Patri was popular with grandparents. When Milton 1988 received the liberty medal from president Ronald Reagan, he was allowed Ueberall was the Logo of the white house along abgedruckt, remembers Patri the banquet. Ich me fully plugged the bags with the napkins and in the school thereby angegeben (?boasted?).

Although it was separate from the father for a long time, developed Patri the same anarchistischen inclinations. In the school it argued with teachers, who wanted to forbid carrying aufmuepger t-Shirts or hearing music to it in the Cafeteria. Early it developed an inclination to the computer and knew themselves at all well with technology out. Thus he found a trick, with which he could telephone in vain from telephone boxes. With friends it converted the cable box of the television in a hotel room, so that they could see paying lms in vain. Was easy, says he is whole. When he spent more time with his father as a dte rodent, an intimate relationship developed. Wir viel, say Patri argue, to 95 per cent are more but we agree. not united are them itself about the hurt vested titles of the hotel and the phone company. Das of us used satellite signal cost the TV enterprise to no Cent, defends themselves Patri. To what would he say hotel keeper, if that would get her? Wir close only the sales contract, if we to the declaration of consent on the screen klicken, answers he more but because we never on it-click, break we also no Contract.

Patri's area is painted purple. Also its tongue Piercing is purple. Purple one is its favourite color, with one its rst Poker world championship before ve years in read Vegas played it with a purple mohawk. A mistake, says to the 26-Jaehrige, which carries now short dark-brown hair. Ich were noticeable and knew me to focus on. once the week does not plug it 5000 to 10000 dollar too much into the jacket pocket and drives themselves with the Honda to the Casinos of the environment. Patri does not play with Walkman on the ears and baseball cap in the forehead with sun glasses sees it enough deep. It pokert for ve years, against chief executives, Zockerpros and Florida pensioners. Sometimes it loses everything, more frequently wins it much. According to its calculation he earned the hour so far on average 50 dollar. With the Pokern it comes at short notice on luck and long-term on ability to Der trick is not to take up many hands and step out with bad cards consistently. Around then with a good hand much money to place.

Recently Patri locked its study of the computer sciences. It has the idea for Seastead already for years. Now it wants to carry out it. Differently than Freedom Ship or other Anarchist fantasies, which landed in the garbage pail of history, are the rafts according to Patri a realistic thing. The costs would not lie with 400000 dollar per raft highly, more cheap than a house in Kalifornien, and which would know rafts so are interconnected that the project grows slowly. Only times he wants to build prototypes in the bay of San Francisco with two partners to end of 2004. The Trio expects thereby attention by the press, money of wealthy silicon Valley residents and the support of environmentalists on the raft is recycling ideas, solar energy and lasting techniques to be used. Later, before Gibraltar, hotels, which drugs la carte serve, are to make the marketing gambling Seastead forbidden by coverage right and protabel.

In each generation the consequence grows. And the old persons think about the last consequence


Mr., the emergency is large! Which I called, the spirit, werd I now not loosely! The poem of Goethe's magician's apprentice could go to Milton Friedman through the head, if it would love poems in such a way like his son David. The liberal teachings strengthened in the course of the generations in his family in amazing way. The ore liberalism of the father was kept turning from the son to Anarcho capitalism. David is no dangerous Anarchist, says Milton. Wenn one the today's circumstances considers, wants David and I same it places themselves only the question, as far one goes will. the arguments between father and son going according to rose undecided out Wenn stimmt, says David, dann is that a Weltrekord.

Patri against it does not want to discuss it wants results to see. Its grandfather and father do not demand the release of drugs he take they more but only after thorough information in the Internet. Patri want gradual change of the entire society, but its dream with few humans to immediately carry out. Ich on the raft leben. expects it however no paradies there. Like its father it is materialist, a gun it already bought. Its grandfather says: Patri jung. Anarchisten projects are such as Patris Seastead it already many still gave. Und all are washed-up. Patri cannot that not from the concept bring. I accept that really reluctantly, but my grandfather is simply too old for such Ideen.

A shade actually draws up. Aaron Director, the 101-jaehrige brother and promoter of rose, begins, to diminish physically and mentally. It often repeats questions and sentences. Rose and Milton Friedman look with its attendance there into a terrible pulling mirror of their future. 25 June was their 65-jaehriger wedding day, but they did not celebrate. From the 75-jaehrigen they only quite nothing want to know anniversary: Das we experience not mehr, say Friedman. So for a long time we do not hold durch.