Socialism Is Legal Plunder

by Frédéric Bastiat

　　Mr. de Montalembert has been accused of desiring to fightsocialism by the use of brute force. He ought to be exonerated fromthis accusation, for he has plainly said: "The war that we must fightagainst socialism must be in harmony with law, honor, and justice."

　　But why does not Mr. de Montalembert see that he has placedhimself in a vicious circle? You would use the law to opposesocialism? But it is upon the law that socialism itself relies.Socialists desire to practice legal plunder, not illegal plunder.Socialists, like all other monopolists, desire to make the law theirown weapon. And when once the law is on the side of socialism, howcan it be used against socialism? For when plunder is abetted by thelaw, it does not fear your courts, your gendarmes, and your prisons.Rather, it may call upon them for help.

　　To prevent this, you would exclude socialism from entering intothe making of laws? You would prevent socialists from entering theLegislative Palace? You shall not succeed, I predict, so long as legalplunder continues to be the main business of the legislature. It isillogical -- in fact, absurd -- to assume otherwise.