Three Systems of Plunder

by Frédéric Bastiat

　　The sincerity of those who advocate protectionism, socialism, andcommunism is not here questioned. Any writer who would do that mustbe influenced by a political spirit or a political fear. It is to bepointed out, however, that protectionism, socialism, and communism arebasically the same plant in three different stages of its growth.All that can be said is that legal plunder is more visible incommunism because it is complete plunder; and in protectionism becausethe plunder is limited to specific groups and industries.* Thus itfollows that, of the three systems, socialism is the vaguest, the mostindecisive, and, consequently, the most sincere stage of development.

　　 *If the special privilege of government protection againstcompetition -- a monopoly -- were granted only to one group in France,the iron workers, for instance, this act would so obviously be legalplunder that it could not last for long. It is for this reason thatwe see all the protected trades combined into a common cause. Theyeven organize themselves in such a manner as to appear to representall persons who labor. Instinctively, they feel that legal plunder isconcealed by generalizing it.

　　But sincere or insincere, the intentions of persons are not hereunder question. In fact, I have already said that legal plunder isbased partially on philanthropy, even though it is a falsephilanthropy.

　　With this explanation, let us examine the value -- the origin andthe tendency -- of this popular aspiration which claims to accomplishthe general welfare by general plunder.