Socialism: Legal Plunder Premised on False Philanthropy

19th-centurty economist, Frédéric Bastiat, was destroying socialists in debate long before it was cool to do so. But he did so with a keen eye towards the underlying contradictions of a growing statism, which is now the prevailing attitude towards big government and vast welfare systems which have become ubiquitous for a few generations.

In his most famous work, The Law, Bastiat defines socialism and the plans for organizing it as “Legal Plunder” (the modern definition of socialism had yet to be agreed upon). Legal plunder is identified, quite simply, as when “the law takes from some persons what belongs to them, and gives it to other person to whom it does not belong”.

“Under the pretense of organization, regulation, protection, or encouragement, the law takes property from one person and gives it to another; the law takes the wealth of all and gives it to a few”

Of course if any old crook was to take the wealth of some and give it to another, he would be punished. That's why legal plunder is, to Bastiat, a dangerous contradiction and outright hypocrisy. Law is meant to defend property and punish plunder, not to steal property and engage in plunder itself.

“The law has been used to destroy its own objective: It has been applied to annihilating the justice that it was supposed to maintain; to limiting and destroying rights which its real purpose was to respect.”

The seduction of legal plunder is that it is premised not only on human greed, but on a “false philanthropy”, the idea that because the law can organize justice, it must also be able to organize labor, education and welfare. According to the socialist (re: statist) The law should not just maintain justice; it should also be philanthropic. But if the law were to organize labor, education and welfare, it wouldn’t be able to maintain justice any longer, because it would also have to enforce fraternity and engage in plunder, all of which is inimical to justice and to the natural rights of property, liberty and individuality.

***

Nearly 170 years later, Bastiat’s criticisms of socialism, big government, and statism still ring true. We all know how unjust the socialism was because we lived through its oppression and tyranny. Yet statism, despite being from the same plant in a different stage of its growth—legal plunder— is still the regnant ideal among the majority of western populations. Since then, we have adopted “legal plunder” and “false philanthropy” as the unjust foundation upon which to perch our governments and societies.

In so doing we have reared entire generations of state worshippers, men and women who use this unjust application of law to engage in the plunder of their fellow citizens so as to supplement and subsidize their own lack of philanthropic endeavors with plundered wealth and property.

According to Bastiat the result of this perversion of justice is manifold, but he recalls two of the most striking.

One, it erases from everyone’s conscience the distinction between justice and injustice. One could tie this to the obfuscatory term “social justice”, which seems to depend on, and has likely grown out of, the application of this very perverted sense of justice and legal plunder.

Two, law and morality will come to contradict each other, and the citizen “has the cruel alternative of either losing his moral sense or losing his respect for the law”.

“The nature of law is to maintain justice. This is so much the case that, in the minds of the people, law and justice are one and the same thing. There is in all of us a strong disposition to believe that anything lawful is also legitimate. This belief is so widespread that many persons have erroneously held that things are “just” because law makes them so. Thus, in order to make plunder appear just and sacred to many consciences, it is only necessary for the law to decree and sanction it. Slavery, restrictions, and monopoly find defenders not only among those who profit from them but also among those who suffer from them.”

Bastiat’s warnings seem to me to accurately describe the prevailing mentality and big government systems of today. If only we had heeded his warnings back when we still had the chance.

a reply to: TheSteppenwolf

Could not agree more and I wish Bastiat's writings were a part of our American school curriculum.

Well, and a little John Locke.

We know why there are not...

Well done and S&F for a well thought out OP.

there is a level of socialism that is necessary, it must be balanced and kept in check.
Public hospitals for the poor, welfare for those who need support in the short term, education, a long list
We live in a community
Forms of Socialism kept in check is not a bad thing

originally posted by: Raggedyman
there is a level of socialism that is necessary, it must be balanced and kept in check.
Public hospitals for the poor, welfare for those who need support in the short term, education, a long list
We live in a community
Forms of Socialism kept in check is not a bad thing

Socialism is a bad thing for the reasons Bastiat stated.

Socialism or statism isn't required for any of those, and it is a fallacy to suggest otherwise. Bastiat predicts in the same book this fallacy.

"Socialism, like the ancient ideas from which it springs, confuses the distinction between government and society. As a result of this, every time we object to a thing being done by government, the socialists conclude that we object to its being done at all. We disapprove of state education. Then the socialists say that we are opposed to any education. We object to a state religion. Then the socialists say that we want no religion at all. We object to a state-enforced equality. Then they say that we are against equality. And so on, and so on. It is as if the socialists were to accuse us of not wanting persons to eat because we do not want the state to raise grain."

a reply to: TheSteppenwolf

When the law has made it legal for large corporations to monopolize industuries and take advantage of poverty wages internationally for the benefit of the few over the many, it is only a matter of time before the many demand a better system that redistributes the wealth from the few too the many.

Income is derived from taking advantage of the many. When those at the top take too much they will always be overthrown by the many and a new system will be implimented.

Socialism happens as a result of Capitalism. It does not grow from it's own desires. Fascism that lables itself as Socialism grows from self but despite it's claims of being Social it is simply a forced Facism.

originally posted by: Raggedyman
there is a level of socialism that is necessary, it must be balanced and kept in check.
Public hospitals for the poor, welfare for those who need support in the short term, education, a long list
We live in a community
Forms of Socialism kept in check is not a bad thing

There is no such thing as socialism "kept in check".

See... History.

a reply to: TheSteppenwolf

Meh, who is Bastiat, some bounce with an alternative opinion like yours
I dismiss it and I see value in some socialism in society

What do you think when returned wounded soldiers can’t get operations, stuff them or society should chip in?
Tax is a form of socialism

a reply to: TheSteppenwolf

"People can vote their way into socialism, but they'll always have to shoot their way out."
-Cliché Guevara.

originally posted by: Isurrender73
a reply to: TheSteppenwolf

When the law has made it legal for large corporations to monopolize industuries and take advantage of poverty wages internationally for the benefit of the few over the many, it is only a matter of time before the many demand a better system that redistributes the wealth from the few too the many.

Income is derived from taking advantage of the many. When those at the top take too much they will always be overthrown by the many and a new system will be implimented.

Socialism happens as a result of Capitalism. It does not grow from it's own desires. Fascism that lables itself as Socialism grows from self but despite it's claims of being Social it is simply a forced Facism.

Paraphrasing Karl Marx doesn't make it true.

In your case, it doesn't even adequately describe Capitalism.

It merely describes Crony Capitalism... a perversion of companies getting into bed with the government to achieve a result favorable for the government and the companies.

So no... just no.

a reply to: Lumenari

Your country is semi socialist as is mine
All communities have a degree of socialism at their core

You really need to educate yourself. Welfare, education, hospitals are at their heart based on socialism. Obviously

originally posted by: Raggedyman
a reply to: TheSteppenwolf

Meh, who is Bastiat, some bounce with an alternative opinion like yours
I dismiss it and I see value in some socialism in society

What do you think when returned wounded soldiers can’t get operations, stuff them or society should chip in?
Tax is a form of socialism

Tax is not a form of socialism as we know it today, but Bastiat might agree. It's legal plunder nonetheless. But he explicitly names a progressive tax, so maybe he isn't against taxes in general.

Socialists would not chip in because you premise your statism on legal plunder and false philanthropy. Socialists believe that stolen wealth should be used to subsidize and supplement their failure to help others.

originally posted by: Raggedyman
a reply to: Lumenari

Your country is semi socialist as is mine
All communities have a degree of socialism at their core

You really need to educate yourself. Welfare, education, hospitals are at their heart based on socialism. Obviously

No, all communities do not need a degree of socialism.

As far as educating myself, you should possibly look in a mirror...

Because you don't even understand what socialism is.

a reply to: TheSteppenwolf

The Definitive Definition of Socialism in America Today Is ...... " Over My Dead Body or Yours , Bring It On ! " .........

a reply to: TheSteppenwolf

Unfortunately you seem serious
It’s tragic, socialism is a necessity and if used properly benefits our society greatly




You know government supported public transport is socialism in action, helps unclog the streets and helps pensioners and the young people get around
Socialism is a tool and can be utilised



Just so you know, I am not a socialist but I can see how we can utilise some of its capacity

There is something wrong with a society when the top 1% own 90% of the wealth

originally posted by: Raggedyman
a reply to: TheSteppenwolf

Unfortunately you seem serious
It’s tragic, socialism is a necessity and if used properly benefits our society greatly

You know government supported public transport is socialism in action, helps unclog the streets and helps pensioners and the young people get around
Socialism is a tool and can be utilised

Just so you know, I am not a socialist but I can see how we can utilise some of its capacity

There is something wrong with a society when the top 1% own 90% of the wealth

That's all false. Public transportation has existed long before socialism, and does not require a government.

Wealth does not work like that. Wealth is not fixed, meaning when someone acquires more wealth it doesn't mean he took it from others. That's known as zero-sum thinking, which is a common cognitive bias, especially among socialists. We are not doomed to be poor because 1% are ultra wealthy.

"A general belief system about the antagonistic nature of social relations, shared by people in a society or culture and based on the implicit assumption that a finite amount of goods exists in the world, in which one person’s winning makes others the losers, and vice versa [...] a relatively permanent and general conviction that social relations are like a zero-sum game. People who share this conviction believe that success, especially economic success, is possible only at the expense of other people’s failures." (pps. 526–528).

a reply to: TheSteppenwolf

Ok, that’s all right, (slowly steps back), good boy/girl, you enjoy your thread, your beliefs and what ever
Good luck with that


www.thebalance.com...

Incredibly write an op on socialism and doesn’t understand it

a reply to: Raggedyman

" Unfortunately you seem serious
It’s tragic, socialism is a necessity and if used properly benefits our society greatly "


You Need a Real Job Boy ? I'll Accommodate you . You Give me an Honest Days Work , I Pay you U.S. Cash . That's How it " Works " here in the Good Ole U.S. Freakin' A. Son . If not , Move the Hell on ......

a reply to: TheSteppenwolf

I'm voting for Bernie. I like the idea of strengthening this country by getting rid of college debt. I rather get rid of college debt than continue dropping 30,000 bombs in the Middle East every year. Do you honestly think dropping 30,000 bombs per year in the Middle East is going to bring peace to the ME? I predict 10 years, 20 years, 30 years, 50 years, and 100 years from now people will be killing each other in the Middle East. At least getting rid of college debt does something positive for change.

originally posted by: Raggedyman
a reply to: TheSteppenwolf

Ok, that’s all right, (slowly steps back), good boy/girl, you enjoy your thread, your beliefs and what ever
Good luck with that


www.thebalance.com...

Incredibly write an op on socialism and doesn’t understand it

Incredible that you think your IQ means you understand a word that was said to you in this thread. Move along please. Socialism is the 1st step to Communism according to your apparent hero Marx. Some of us here came from Cuba and other Socialist dictatorship, not me but some here. They will let you know you are under the assumption, bad thing to assume, the YOU can understand how to use Socialism the RIGHT way. No, I think NOT.

originally posted by: Zanti Misfit
a reply to: Raggedyman

" Unfortunately you seem serious
It’s tragic, socialism is a necessity and if used properly benefits our society greatly "


You Need a Real Job Boy ? I'll Accommodate you . You Give me an Honest Days Work , I Pay you U.S. Cash . That's How it " Works " here in the Good Ole U.S. Freakin' A. Son . If not , Move the Hell on ......

Hey Zanti, I am in the top 1%, I wouldn’t work for you, doubt you could afford to pay me, I probably wouldn’t even offer you a job
Probably drop a note or two in your coffee cup when you hit hard times

It’s clear to see what’s wrong with the US