The Law

This read definitely shows the pitfalls of socialism. We should be careful of things we ask for.

Bastiat is a must read for everyone. Inexpensive and a quick read. Plunder abounds, so buy this book for everyone you know.

If you have no idea what Libertarianism is and would like to understand, this would be a wonderful book for you. I got my mom to read it and she loved it. Its only around 70 pages, so its really short. But there is so much philosophy in here that it will blow your mind. If I could add any one book to the high school curriculum throughout the U.S., it would be this book. The title of the book is called The Law. The title gives away the whole message. Bastiat shares his views on what the function of law should be in any society. Here is the folly that we have committed in this modern day of legislation - Here I encounter the most popular fallacy of our

This short book (about 55 pages) just confirms the old adage that some things never change. King Solomon wrote centuries ago that there is nothing new under the son while in other places it explains selfish self serving politicians cant be trusted. Still other scriptures explain, mankind is inherently selfish, self-serving motivated by greed, fame and fortune. I dont know if the author was a Christian as I have only made it to page 30 with highlighted sections on almost every page. But he was definitely a fan of the freedoms promised to Americans in the US Constitution and Bill of Rights. How little did he know that the southern Democrats would start the US civil war that would prove where ever Socialists get elected into office, its just a matter of time before their elitest Jim Crow like laws will steal citizens liberty. Self serving corrupt politicians believe their intelligence is superior to their subjects and will say anything to convince the masses that with empty promises of equality their edicts will lead to prosperity. Instead it leads to insecurity, oppression, servitude and poverty of the masses. If you dont understand how or why the Socialist agenda always leads to a society of enslaved subjects this book will explain it in plain English. If only it was required reading for every American that was seeking a job at all levels of government and every branch of government. Maybe than Americans liberty would not be vanishing like a sunset over the horizon before your last breath on earth. The timeless truths of scripture of the sinful and corrupt nature of man governing with selfish desire and control were confirmed in biblical times. Again in the 1850s by this author and are today on every MSM news show around the globe. Godless men governing by pride, selfish control and desire seem to infect and destroy every country, and its peoples hope to survive tyranny from dictators around the globe. Sin is a heart condition that is only subdued by an intentional personal relationship with Jesus Christ as mankind learns to love others as themselves and seek what is right, true and honest for all of Gods creation. Partisan politics promoting class warfare, hate, violence, and the Socialist religions based on mans theories (evolution, class warfare, lawlessness, sexual promiscuity, population control, climate change, CRT, etc) in every country around the globe inevitably result in oppression, persecution, depression and death of the people at the hands of dictators and tyrants. Read this book and maybe youll begin to understand why the socialist agenda always creates this vicious cycle of hatred and oppression that kills every nation infected by these socialist poisons promoted to the people while protecting the selfish interests of the wealthy tyrants in charge. If Gods people will humble themselves and pray, and turn from their wicked ways, God will hear their prayers and heal their land.

But how is this legal plunder to be identified? Quite simply. See if the law takes from some persons what belongs to them, and gives it to other persons to whom it does not belong. See if the law benefits one citizen at the expense of another by doing what the citizen himself cannot do without committing a crime. Then abolish this law without delay, for it is not only an evil itself, but also it is a fertile source for further evils because it invites reprisals. If such a law -which may be an isolated case- is not abolished immediately, it will spread, multiply, and develop into a system. The person who profits from this law will complain bitterly , defending his aquired rights. .... The present day delusion is an attempt to enrich everyone at the expense of everyone else; to make plunder universal under the pretense of organizing it. Frederick Bastiat, The Law Profound words from a man who died in the 1850s. The Law remains one of the classics of its age for a reason. People and human nature remain the same, and men are always looking for benefits they didnt work for at the expense of another. Hence the hall mark of socialism is that it steals from one and gives to another. When an individual researches the topic honestly they soon discover this truth: Socialism in any form will always degrade into tyranny and the loss of liberty. Many socialists have nothing but good intentions (Bastiat makes this clear). However, it is important that intentions are only good for the intent of the person, and are absolutely no guarantee for truth. Bastiats common sense and precise logic reveal to his audience what socialism really is. Unmasked are all the twisted logic and slight of hand. In the end anyone who reads this with a pure heart will understand socialism, and why its a poisonous coctail to liberty.

This classic commentary on European Law, especially in France, after the French Revolution had destroyed an oppressive monarchy and the country was faced with another oppressive regime. This little book is an acid commentary on law disguised as social and economic oppression, which in a few years produced another critic of law under royal and aristocratic rule: the founding handbook of Austrian Economics: Carl Mengers Principles of Economics. The mistaken impression is given by the advocates of Austrian Economics that Bastiets The Law is a protest against the State in any form, including the government of the United States and other forms of democratic government. But it is well known that Bastiet admired the government of the United States and praised it for its just laws (except for slavery) and its concern for human rights, including economic rights. The book offers nothing significant in economics, even though advocates of Austrian Economics claim that Bastiets critique of Law would apply to certain laws of the United States. His work is directed to laws under a monarchy, in which laws favor the aristocracy. There is every evidence that he would be quite comfortable in a government of the people, by the prople and for the people. The Foreward to the book by Thomas DiLorenzo is not only deceptive, but positively erroneous. The Foreward is really a diatribe against what the Dilorenzo calls statism, and it is clear that his words are directed at the Congress of the United States, which makes the laws of this country. He hints that the government of the United States is a collectivity, which is another name for Socialism. That certainly was not the view of Frederic Bastiet. Bastiets most virulent accusations are not directed at Thomas Jefferson, the Congress of the United States or the Attorney-General,but against Saint-Just, Robespierre, Lapellitier, all associated with the Reign of Terror that followed the French Revolution. These set up a system of legal plunder and an autocracy that sent ordinary citizens to the guillotine. DiLorenzo gives the impression that Bastiets The Law is directed at the government and laws of the United States. No one could really object to the book as it stands, but its publication by the Ludwig von Mises Institute makes clear the intent of its publication: it is part of a campaign on the part of the Ludwig von Mises Institute, the Acton Institute and the devotees of Austrian Economics to place the economy of the United States solely in the hands of entrepreneurs, unmindful of the fact that it was Entrepreneurs who created slavery, child labor, and other social injustices in this country and were put out of business by Supreme Court decisions in Muller v. Oregon(workers rights), United States v. the Darby Lumber Company(child labor), and Brown v. Board of Education(segregation), and laws that followed upon those Supreme Court decisions - - like the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Bastiets descripion of Law in the last pages of the book is the finest part of the book and it captures in his virile prose what a free government should be. But the Ludwig von Mises Institute does not want the economy of any country regulated by just laws, - - - only by the action and interests of Entrepreneurs. It was to free the economy of the country from an economics decided by Entrpreneurs that this country was founded, and it has taken 200 years to undo the social, economic and political claims forged by several generations of Entrepreneurs, who either created economic monopolies or built their economic advantage on the economic disadvantages of others. The Enron scandal and the Bernie Madoff fiasco are two current examples of a certain kind of Entrepreneurship, but there are others less known that have not hit the headlines. The recent movie The Wolf of Wall Street highlights the methods and intent of entrepreneurship run wild, and how the just laws of a nation safeguard a just economy. The Law is a good book to read, if you ignore the Foreward, which gives the book a twist never intended by its author. One must consult Bastiets Economic Sophisms and his Economic Harmonies to capture his witty and insightful grasp upon the issue of a national economy. His admiration for a government of the people, by the people, and for the people indicates the direction in which his economic genius was going - and certainly not as one of the fathers and founders of a free market economy. Most of his blasts on economic matters came from his exile in England, far from the terror of the Republic of Louis Napolean. Father Clifford Stevens Archdiocese of Omaha

One of the best essays ever on the proper role of government.

Values are timeless...and history repeats itself

The Law is concentrated and opinionated. I throughly enjoyed reading it, even if I disagreed with some of his points (see below). The concepts are simple and elegant, making this an immortal book. However, the values are strongly one-sided, and lacking concrete examples. Read on for my book review. The Law, published in 1850 France, declares the purpose of the law is to protect life, liberty and property. Thus, when the law is used otherwise, it is misused. Frédéric Bastiat calls this “legal plunder.” There are two types of legal plunder. The first type is motivated by “naked greed.” For example, think of lobbying. In theory, lobbying allows direct democratic participation, by you and I. But modern lobbying usually seeks to manipulate the laws to favor selfish economic agendas. Thus, even for-profit businesses are willing to invest in lobbyists. Bastiat says this is an abuse of the law. Modern economists agree, calling this “rent-seeking,” causing “deadweight-losses” and “opportunity-costs.” Indeed, very few support the commodification of politics. However, most support laws that are philanthropic, and for good reason. They believe the government has a duty to provide education, welfare and food stamps. Bastiat disagrees. The second type of legal plunder is motivated by “misconceived philanthropy.” Although pursued with good motives, Bastiat says that philanthropy and justice are mutually exclusive ends of the law. They “contradict each other,” because misplaced philanthropy necessarily infringes on inalienable rights. Bastiat would probably agree that taxation for police and court systems are acceptable, because they exist to protect our rights. Nevertheless, he reaches the extreme conclusion that education should not be provided by the state! Our automatic tendency is to reject him as ridiculous. But ignore that tendency for a moment, and consider Bastiat’s point: if you are against corn subsidies, does that mean you are against affordable food? No. Just because Bastiat is against public education, does not mean he is against education. Bastiat overlooks practical considerations by focusing on theory. If education was not funded by taxpayers, would private education alone be sufficient? I could imagine the free markets organizing more efficient school systems than the government. But I can also imagine illiteracy, crime and child labor rates increasing. It’s not even clear that taxpayers would would save money. That being said, I wonder if Bastiat rewrote the book today, if he would have reached a different conclusion. Today we consider education to be a human right. And remember, when this book was published, education was much less important in society. Although Bastiat is obviously educated, articulate and well-read, the language he chooses is too absolute for compromise. Even though conflicting with modern conceptions of government. Bastiat gives us a simple formula to identify legal plunder. Ask, “if a private citizen did what the government is doing, would it still be legal?” For example, it’s illegal to steal, even to donate the stolen property to the Salvation Army. Therefore, taxation is a type of systematic stealing. Bastiat quotes a few writers at length, including Rousseau. He criticizes them for proposing systems of government that treat humans like manipulable matter. Bastiat decries the superimposition of materialism and political science. He defends human dignity. He says that human rights precede the law, and not vice versa. Finally, Bastiat reminds us, “the safest way to make [the laws] respected is to make them respectable.” We sometimes forget that the laws crumble in revolutions. If people do not respect the laws, they have no power. Even force cannot prop up oppressive laws, as France witnessed in their bloody revolution. Bastiat seems to think the proper role of the law is what the common-law courts do, not the legislature. The courts enforce rights and prevent injustice. The legislature is officious and political. For me, the word “politician” implies flip-flopping and filibusters. Bastiat wrote during a transition. Europe was shedding its monarchies, and replacing them with legislatures. Bastiat realized that dictatorships do not require kings, because the laws can serve the same purpose. The law is always chosen by a few, and those few should not “regulate our consciences, our ideas, our will, our education, our sentiments, our works, our exchanges, our gifts, our enjoyments.” According to him, the happiest, safest societies are the freest ones.

The Law by Frederic Bastiat is perhaps the clearest and most logically founded explanation of the proper role of the law (government) in society I have yet read, and it is clearly in the same constellation of thought in which you will find the luminary ideas of our nations own brilliant founding. Writing on his deathbed and freshly after the events of the 1848 revolutions, although the logic and consequences of his ideas are timeless, appears to have sharpened his mind and imparts this book with a profoundness and sagacity beyond its 106 short pages. The simple central concept that shines throughout, familiar to Americans and certainly inspired by 1776, is that individuals have natural rights to life, liberty, and to property, which is the fruit of their efforts and faculties. Injustice is any violation of these rights, and the only just purpose of the law is their protection. As nature gave us the ability to defend these rights for ourselves, law is only their organized defense in the society. At the core of the logic of his thought is a practical model of human behavior, one clearly developed by his background as an exporter. (The Law is his seminal work, his previous works were on economics.) He states A science of economics must be developed before a science of politics can be logically formulated. Essentially, economics is the science of determining whether the interests of human beings are harmonious or antagonistic. This must be known before a science of politics can be formulated to determine the proper functions of government. Implicit in his reasoning is that once the organized monopoly on force inherent in government is wielded only to protect each individuals naturally endowed rights, human interests are harmonious and no further extension of the law is necessary. Human nature and interests are not inherently nor completely harmonious of course, necessitating the need for law in the first place. The vices he clearly identifies in human nature which must be guarded against are based in mans tendency to live and prosper at the expense of others, or plunder. This vice ranges from the hard vice of illegal plunder, represented by anything from a petty theft conducted by an individual to the expansionist conquest undertaken by a whole people, to the softer sounding vice of legal plunder in which the law has been perverted to take from one class and give to another a positive right (i.e. to education, or health care, or housing) in the name of false philanthropy. Positive rights, which can only be produced by someone elses labor, come only with the destruction of naturally endowed negative rights as the law -force- cannot produce goods, cannot enlighten, cannot heal and cannot clothe by its mere existence. For the law to create these things it is only by use of force to coerce others to do them or take from their labor. This legal plunder sets up war of class against class, union against employer, trade against trade, as each races to beat the other in using the unchecked power of government to favor them. As simple proof of this he points out how no mob or lobbyist has ever rioted a police station in demand for a benefit, instead they storm the legislature where legal plunder can be drafted into law. Socialism is at the heart of trying to provide positive rights and thus perverting the law towards instituting legal plunder. It was also at the heart of the 1848 revolutions, and it is not surprising then that his arguments against it receive the lions share of this work. There are many parallels in his arguments against socialism applicable today, due to the unwavering nature of man over time. Bastiat describes in concise detail the pitfalls, traps, and false assumptions behind socialism, even in its most well intentioned and noble forms. Besides the inability of the law to create positive rights by fiat the largest false assumption is the inertness and malleability of men. That law is needed to create society, to socially engineer a mass of beings that can be formed by force and whom left to their own devices would slide into greed, destitution, and misery. This is at the heart of the Utopian fantasy which is so infectious to mens souls yet so ultimately poisonous. For if the natural tendencies of men are so poor, Bastiat asks us, how is it that the organizers of the law, the legislators, can be relied upon to be of a higher and better nature, pointing out the ironic self contradiction behind socialist and utopian engineering. Men are neither lifeless beings waiting for instruction from the law, man existed and developed before the law was created, nor are they so vile as to need the law to guide them in their lives and build their society for them, otherwise the cruel trick of mans cold nature would leave the development of good civil societies impossible. He shows how contradictions are not only inherent but central to socialism, and how socialism inevitably leads to tryanny and often to dictatorship. He also shows how faith in a free society, one in which government does not extend into providing education, health care, etc. is consistent with religious faith in how God made mans nature, and draws an interesting comparison between how modern secular societies are seeming to ineluctably move away from classical liberty and towards socialism. In another interesting flourish Bastiat also predicted how slavery would threaten to destroy the American republic before the Civil War, perhaps not an earth shattering prediction of the time but one he explains with an elegant degree of logic. An amazing work which should be read by anyone interested in liberty, natural rights, philosophy, and the state of government. Each page rings with insight and reason for which you will be the better for having read.