The Law
Thursday, June 14th, 2007
As a bit of an introduction, I’d like to bring attention to a book (first published as a pamphlet) that has helped to shape my political views. The Law, by Frederic Bastiat was the first serious political document that caused me to look at modern politics the way I do now. It helped me to understand why the framers built into the Constitution such stringent limitations on the federal government, and why it is so important to enforce these restrictions. It became very clear, after reading it, that we have strayed a great distance from the principles held by the founders of our nation.
Bastiat was a French economist in the early to mid nineteenth century, and an outspoken advocate for the free market economy. Though he praised the United States (circa 1850) for the unmatched protection of liberty, he did not hesitate to criticize two “issues” where he felt the U.S. had “assumed the character of plunderer.” These two issues, Bastiat asserted, were slavery and tariffs.
The Law provides a brief defense of classical liberal principles as the foundation for not only a morally superior form of government, but also one in which peace and prosperity flourish. This relatively short document can be read in its entirety here, as well as many other sites on the internet.