Where human rights is concerned, there is a double standard applied to left-wing vs. right-wing regimes. This is a high-level example of the double standard applied to liberals and conservatives. Not only is there a double standard, but the labels of "liberal" and "conservative" are meaningless. Friedman uses his experiences in Chile as an example. He questions the effect of this double standard on intellectual discourse. By being aware of the existence of liberal McCarthyism, Friedman hopes to reduce its damage.

Friedman's biography includes: Professor of economics, University of Chicago, 1946-77; recipient, Nobel Prize in economics, 1976; senior research fellow, Hoover Institution, 1977-2006.