Friedman invoked human rights while praising Pinochet’s authoritarian rule

Evidence

In 1992 Friedman was asked about the original purpose of the Mont Pèlerin Society. There was ‘no doubt’, he replied, that its original purpose was ‘to promote a classical, liberal philosophy, that is, a free economy, a free society, socially, civilly and in human rights’. Coming from a thinker who described the authoritarian regime of Chile’s General Pinochet as an economic and political ‘miracle’, this invocation of human rights appears out of place. After all, human rights NGOs came to prominence in the 1970s precisely for contesting the torture and disappearances that accompanied neoliberal shock treatment in the Southern Cone. — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market, 39

Categorization

• XREF: The Pinochet-Friedman link connects to broader literature on neoliberalism’s embrace of authoritarian imposition — complementing Naomi Klein’s Shock Doctrine. — connects to: Pinochet’s regime co-opted depoliticized human rights language into its own constitution — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market: Human Rights…, 371; Pinochet’s junta permitted human rights groups while exterminating the left — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market: Human Rights…, 307; Friedman argued property rights are the foundation of all human rights — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market: Human Rights…, 324 (+9 more)

Broader Connections

• Hayek and Friedman personally advised and legitimized the Pinochet dictatorship. #expands (0.90) — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market, 305
• Hayek actively defended the Pinochet regime against human rights criticism. #expands (0.90) — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market, 304
• Hayek repeatedly praised Pinochet, Salazar, and Suharto’s dictatorships as liberty-preserving #expands (0.90) — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market, 363
• Mont Pèlerin members silently accepted Pinochet’s authoritarian rule at the 1981 meeting #expands (0.90) — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 1589
• Hayek directly legitimized Pinochet’s dictatorship as more liberal than unrestricted democracy. #expands (0.90) — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 1592
• Friedman argued property rights are the foundation of all human rights #expands (0.85) — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market, 324
• Pinochet’s 1980 constitution embedded human-rights language to legitimize a repressive market order #qualifies (0.85) — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market, 366
• German scholars documented the Mont Pèlerin Society’s defense of Pinochet’s dictatorship. #expands (0.85) — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 1729
• Even allied neoliberal media refused to publish Hayek’s defense of Pinochet #responds-to (0.80) — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 1618
• Pinochet’s regime co-opted depoliticized human rights language into its own constitution #responds-to (0.75) — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market, 371
• Pinochet’s junta permitted human rights groups while exterminating the left #responds-to (0.75) — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market, 307
• A German pro-market economist excused Pinochet-era repression while resenting traffic lights at home #responds-to (0.75) — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 344