Frederic Bastiat Quote 

"When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men living together
in society, they create for themselves in the course of time a legal
system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it."

by:
Frederic Bastiat
(1801-1850) French economist, statesman, and author. He did most of his writing during the years just before -- and immediately following -- the French Revolution of February 1848
Source:
"The Law" by Frederic Bastiat (1848)
http://liberty-tree.ca/research/TheLaw
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Reader comments about this quote:
Bastiat is the man
 -- Ben, Orem, UT		 
The moral code that glorifies the legal system of plunder has seeped into the people of the nation and it's called greed.
 -- Anon		 
Bastiat's one of my favorites. He should be required reading for anyone who wants to have and intelligent debate about social, political or economic issues.
 -- Bryan Morton, Stuart, Florida		 
Anon, Greed isn't called greed when it's advocated by socialists and corporatists, and perpetrated by government. You should read some Bastiat. His writings are available on line at no cost.
 -- Imanontoo, Calamazoo		 
The biggest batch or plunderers is seated in the US congress, and you ain't seen nutthin' yet. When our new Marxist president , with the aid of Nancy and the gang get through, you won't recognize this country.Change is acommin' but we aren't going to like it.
 -- jim k, austin		 
Frederic Bastiat was a very great man! This should be 'required' reading in gubbermint schools!
 -- libertyjack, Greensboro		 
Imanontoo, I have a twenty five year old copy of 'The Law'. I will correct my statement above to the "IMMORAL code that glorifies..." To put Bastiats truths into different terms it is like this. "Politicians never accuse you of 'greed' for wanting other people's money -- only for wanting to keep your own money." -- Joseph Sobran In toto, legalized plunder based on greed.
 -- Anon		 
Jim K who the hell, I mean heck, is WE. TV yesterday said 70% of the people back the President in his efforts to stimulate the economy. Be careful my friend when you try to infer or lay upon us unsuspecting ones your views and validate it by saying "we are not going to like it". Bastiat just speaks platitudes. While it sounds good and warms our hearts and sounds like fun whatever he is saying what does he really mean. Of course the Europeans who came to North America plundered the Native Americans, the Hawaiians, the Eskimos. All the conquerors plundered and wrote their laws upon society. Is Bastiat talking about the pluderers before the revolution of 1848 or after it. Yes it has fallen to humble man to write the rules as we did after WWII, what else is poor mankind suppose to do live like animals without trying to have some rules.
 -- Waffler, Smith, Arkansas		 
Religion is: real piety in practice, consisting in the performance of all known duties to God and our fellow men. (Bouviers Law Dictionary) That communal group of socialists, with its way of life, puking out moral code to glorify plunder via its new establishment of religion, has as one of its general cannons, entitlements as duties to our fellow men.
 -- Mike, Norwalk		 
Waffler, I can't speak for Jim K but, I bet the WE he is referring to are all those who accept personal responsibility as individual sovereigns, loving liberty and freedom and don't worship at the socialist troff. The WE would also include those that would wish to continue a life style that is understood to be an American standard and better than that for their children. For your claimed 70%, I guess they want ignorance, slavery, and poverty. Bastiat is here speaking of a principle and law. It was as true before, as after 1848.
 -- Mike, Norwalk		 
I would have to assume, since Bastiat wrote "The Law" in 1848 and died in 1850, that the plunder to which he referred was prior to that time. However, the moral principle which he espouses is ageless. Plunder is plunder and should be recognized and treated as such regardless of who the perpetrators are, their numbers, their rationale or their power to legitimize it. "70% of the people back the President in his efforts to stimulate the economy." The US Pravda said it, so it must be true.
 -- Bryan Morton, Stuart, Florida		 
... and an education system that instills it, and a press that propagandizes it, and a populace that is dependent upon it. Waffler is the poster boy for the brainwashed -- "but the TV said that 70% of the people want the stimulus package" -- oh, gee, what was I thinking. First of all, it isn't true about the 'TV' saying it (as if the 'TV' was an independent, unbiased and wise person). Otherwise I wouldn't be getting emails from the Democratic Party and MoveOn to call our representatives to ask them to pass the stimulus bill because there is merely 30% support for it. Secondly, do ANY of you really know what is in that bill? NO. And neither does anyone else (except the lobbyists who wrote it) -- they only know what earmarks THEY are getting. Another reason that direct democracy does not work -- because the people do not know what they are voting for!!! Using only a little bit of logic reveals the scam -- the US is on the verge of bankruptcy (some would say the US has already been in bankruptcy), and the solution is to 'borrow' printed money at interest in the sum of $1 Trillion -- and that is in week 1 of this administration -- the largest sum ever in a single bill that is laden with pork for special interests. "Creating jobs" is not the job of government -- especially government jobs -- this is just make-work projects in which insiders make millions as money passes from one hand to another and the buying of votes. And the country moves another step towards national socialist government. Sound money and private enterprise be damned apparently. This will be a one term president (if that long).
 -- E Archer, NYC		 
Waffler there is no stimulus package. WAKE UP. He is just making it so government will grow at record rates and the Dems will be entrenched in power forever. This is a political pay off. The package is intentionally going to make the economy worse so more will be ready to accept the government as their benefactor. That secures more votes for more handouts. The Obamanation is going to look nothing like freedom or liberty.
 -- warren, olathe		 
 -- Dick, Fort Worth 
Ah, yes...the "swindle-us package" put forth by the Great Swindler Himself, the One, full of Hope and Change. Has buyer's remorse already set in?
 -- Anonymous		 
Well said Archer!
 -- Anon		 
warren, It has crossed my mind a few times that the total humiliation of the Republican Party in the last eight years was a direct attempt to, as you said, "entrench" the socialist philosphy further into the minds of their followers and to get moderate republicans into the fold with the goal in mind of perpetual Democracy. I also think it will have to depend on how Obama performs and how good he looks after his actions. If my theory has any legs to it Obama will be made to look the greatest president since JFK.
 -- Anon		 
Yes he will be a hero. Just like FDR made a mess and caused the depression to get worse while we are being told that he led us out of the depression but government intervention deepened and lengthened the depression. Obama will be praised for all the attacks on our freedom and wealth by the press and all the bad consequences will be credited to Bush. The Obama machine will do what it can to eliminate opposition on the air waves and then they will come for us on the net unless we put the scare of public wrath into them quick.
 -- warren, olathe		 
Always remember: Republicans=Good, Democrats=Bad. Repeat five times daily while prostrating yourself in the direction of, well I cannot think of the correct direction since the Republicans have just kind of disappered everywhere. Wake up Warren, Bush/Cheney did'em in.
 -- Waffler, Smith, Arkansas		 
 -- Anonymous 
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