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whole system. In fact, this has already occurred. The present-
day delusion is an attempt to enrich everyone at the expense of
everyone else; to make plunder universal under the pretense of
organizing it.
Legal Plunder Has Many Names
Now, legal plunder can be committed in an infinite number
of ways. Thus we have an infinite number of plans for organizing
it: tariffs, protection, benefits, subsidies, encouragements, pro-
gressive taxation, public schools, guaranteed jobs, guaranteed
profits, minimum wages, a right to relief, a right to the tools of
labor, free credit, and so on, and so on. All these plans as a
whole—with their common aim of legal plunder—constitute
socialism.
Now, since under this definition socialism is a body of doc-
trine, what attack can be made against it other than a war of doc-
trine? If you find this socialistic doctrine to be false, absurd, and
evil, then refute it. And the more false, the more absurd, and the
more evil it is, the easier it will be to refute. Above all, if you wish
to be strong, begin by rooting out every particle of socialism that
may have crept into your legislation. This will be no light task.
Socialism Is Legal Plunder
Mr. de Montalembert has been accused of desiring to fight
socialism by the use of brute force. He ought to be exonerated
from this accusation, for he has plainly said: “The war that we
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must fight against socialism must be in harmony with law, honor,
and justice.”
But why does not Mr. de Montalembert see that he has
placed himself in a vicious circle? You would use the law to
oppose socialism? But it is upon the law that socialism itself
relies. Socialists desire to practice legal plunder, not illegal plun-
der. Socialists, like all other monopolists, desire to make the law
their own weapon. And when once the law is on the side of
socialism, how can it be used against socialism? For when plun-
der is abetted by the law, it does not fear your courts, your gen-
darmes, and your prisons. Rather, it may call upon them for
help.
To prevent this, you would exclude socialism from entering
into the making of laws? You would prevent socialists from
entering the Legislative Palace? You shall not succeed, I predict,
so long as legal plunder continues to be the main business of the
legislature. It is illogical—in fact, absurd—to assume otherwise.
The Choice Before Us
This question of legal plunder must be settled once and for
all, and there are only three ways to settle it:
1. The few plunder the many.
2. Everybody plunders everybody.
3. Nobody plunders anybody.
We must make our choice among limited plunder, universal
plunder, and no plunder. The law can follow only one of these
three.
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Limited legal plunder: This system prevailed when the right
to vote was restricted. One would turn back to this system to
prevent the invasion of socialism.
Universal legal plunder: We have been threatened with this
system since the franchise was made universal. The newly
enfranchised majority has decided to formulate law on the same
principle of legal plunder that was used by their predecessors
when the vote was limited.
No legal plunder: This is the principle of justice, peace,
order, stability, harmony, and logic. Until the day of my death, I
shall proclaim this principle with all the force of my lungs (which
alas! is all too inadequate).*
The Proper Function of the Law 
And, in all sincerity, can anything more than the absence of
plunder be required of the law? Can the law—which necessarily
requires the use of force—rationally be used for anything except
protecting the rights of everyone? I defy anyone to extend it
beyond this purpose without perverting it and, consequently,
turning might against right. This is the most fatal and most illog-
ical social perversion that can possibly be imagined.  It must be
admitted that the true solution—so long searched for in the area
of social relationships—is contained in these simple words: Law
is organized justice.
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*Translator’s note: At the time this was written, Mr. Bastiat knew that he
was dying of tuberculosis. Within a year, he was dead.
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Now this must be said: When justice is organized by law—
that is, by force—this excludes the idea of using law (force) to
organize any human activity whatever, whether it be labor, char-
ity, agriculture, commerce, industry, education, art, or religion.
The organizing by law of any one of these would inevitably
destroy the essential organization—justice. For truly, how can
we imagine force being used against the liberty of citizens with-
out it also being used against justice, and thus acting against its
proper purpose?
The Seductive Lure of Socialism
Here I encounter the most popular fallacy of our times. It
is not considered sufficient that the law should be just; it must be
philanthropic. Nor is it sufficient that the law should guarantee
to every citizen the free and inoffensive use of his faculties for
physical, intellectual, and moral self-improvement. Instead, it is
demanded that the law should directly extend welfare, educa-
tion, and morality throughout the nation.
This is the seductive lure of socialism. And I repeat again:
These two uses of the law are in direct contradiction to each
other. We must choose between them. A citizen cannot at the
same time be free and not free.
Enforced Fraternity Destroys Liberty
Mr. de Lamartine once wrote to me thusly: “Your doctrine
is only the half of my program. You have stopped at liberty; I go
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