A Direct Quote from Yale's President's Graduate Speech

Yale’s President Peter Salovey appears to be defending Prof Erika Christakis  and Prof. Nicholas A. Christakis in this graduation talk.   All University of Chicago trained economists might find this direct quote from his talk to be amusing;

HIS QUOTE:

“Let me personalize the dynamic I have been describing just a bit. I have a close friend; let’s call him Allan. Allan’s view of the world differs from my own as much as any friend I have. He is opposed to considering race, ethnicity, or economic class in any way when admitting students to Yale. He does not think the law should establish a minimum wage. He thinks in a free society you should have the right to sell your kidney. Or for that matter, your vote. These are opinions I find strange, even in some cases simply wrong.

And yet we are friends. We talk a lot, and we listen carefully. Neither of us dismisses the other’s suggestions or passes judgments on motivations. Generally we don’t succeed in changing each other’s beliefs, though sometimes we do. But we both leave our discussions, and yes, even our most difficult arguments, better informed and more able to appreciate a divergent perspective. We are also able to value and sustain our friendship while differing, sometimes sharply, in our views.”

Does Allan = Milton Friedman or Richard Posner or Sherwin Rosen or Gary Becker or Ed Glaeser or Casey Mulligan or John Cochrane or xxx?

So, the President of Yale is an open minded progressive?  Convenient and thought provoking?