But Friedman’s consistent anti-statism also led him to embrace positions that ran afoul of many conservatives’ political sensibilities, underscoring the intellectual honesty that was the hallmark of his career. For example, his opposition to governments’ authority to prohibit or regulate human behavior extended to licensing requirements for doctors and car drivers, as well as to anti-drug laws, which he believed operated as a subsidy to organized crime.
但是，弗里德曼一贯的反政府干预也导致他采取令众多保守派政治敏感不悦的立场，突出了作为其事业特征的学术诚实。例如，他反对政府禁止或者调节人类行为的权力的立场扩展到对于医生和汽车司机的执照要求，以及反毒品法律。他认为反毒品法律实施实际上成为了有组织犯罪的补贴。同样，他大力反对美国的征兵制度。