The works of Frédéric Bastiat have withstood the tests of time, and still hold value today. Although he was a French man and was writing his opinions and critiques of the newly created French republic, the ideals of the French citizens at that time, and his concern of the inherent corruption and double standard that exist within most governments, his opinions still echo those of politicians and citizens today, all the way across the ocean in America. I found his writings interesting, and enjoyed his criticalness of the government, and its innate desire for self-preservation. Although I found some of his ideals to be extreme, and lacking empathy and regard for his fellow citizens, some of his points I enjoyed reading, and I thought, were constructed in compelling ways.

Government

Reading through the passage of Government was interesting, although I must confess that I found it hard to stay focused and digest what was being said. By reading this short excerpt, it is apparent that it was written in a time of transition, where people of all walks of life desired more. A newly established government was a glimpse of hope for all walks of life for the French. He recognizes this by beginning the writing listing off many desires of the French, but quickly brings to attention the idealist scenario that would have to be our reality to make all these wishes come true. While it is human nature for people to want more and better for themselves, it takes much more effort to create the programs to achieve these goals, and it is next to impossible to have these programs function true to plan. I must agree with Bastiat here. Living in America, a country with immeasurable funds, intelligence, and problems, it is hard to take care of every issue that plagues the many citizens of the country. Trying to tackle small issues in communities may require larger funding than what the community currently has and will need to be agreed upon in elections. If this problem is passed along to a larger government, such as the state or federal government, it may fall to the wayside to large issues at hand or take a very long time to accomplish. I do not think though that all complaints should be seen as frivolous and should be seen as a form of stealing, as Bastiat argues. Bastiat argues that to fund these programs that people desire government help in, it inherently means that the taxes that will fund these programs were taken unjustly. His argument includes all government-funded programs, including public schooling. I think that this is an unfair assessment, and I even believe that this government program should have more funds more equitably given to it. I went to public school my entire life in Texas, which is notoriously known for controversial schooling legislation. Texas is a very diverse state, with many different income groups, ethnic groups, and religious groups spread throughout the state. Because public school education is funded by local taxes, the quality of education can vary widely depending on the wealth of the area. Students living in small, middle of nowhere towns, or impoverished areas of large cities, will not get the same quality of education that those who grew up in wealthy areas. Private schooling is often not an option, as they may not be available in the area, or families may not be able to afford schooling outside of their public school. Texas is a wonderful state, and where I call home, but issues such as public education can show the difficulties a government faces in adequately providing for its citizens.

The Law

I thought that a lot of what was said in this text was very compelling and can be seen as an issue in the American government today. I could not help but agree with what Bastiat had to say about the law being used to protect the desires of the few, including writing laws and becoming a politician to protect themselves and their assets, and having the power of force to protect their ideals. When he wrote, how “it is easy to understand how law, instead of checking injustice, becomes the invincible weapon of injustice,” this made me think of how many America laws in the past have been used to justify injustice, such as segregation, not allowing women to vote, and so many other examples. I also found it interesting when he wrote about politicians joining the government only for their own good, not to serve the public. He shared how marginalized groups “may propose one of two entirely different purposes when they attempt to attain political power: Either they may wish to stop lawful plunder, or they may wish to share in it.” I found this interesting, because it seems that many people are disappointed in politicians nowadays and recognize the unfair power that many politicians hold. Discussions about politicians having inside stock exchange information, and being immensely wealthy, rang true to Bastiat’s sentiments.

Image source

Petition

I thought that the construction of this argument was entertaining to read and was thought provoking. While I did think that his use of showing the absurdity of the argument of banning all foreign trades is effective, I do think that the idea of allowing all foreign competition, unrestricted is also absurd. In today’s world, the abuse that was prevalent during slavery is very similar to the abuse that factory workers face to make cheap and mass-produced items abroad, primarily for America’s and Europe's consumption. That said, just because items imported are cheaper does not mean they are better, and these cheap items are doing a disservice to our world.