http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/22/AR2010092206643.html
On Oct 12, 10:36 am, MJ <[email protected]> wrote: > At 09:52 AM 10/12/2010, you wrote: > > >maybe this time, they'll get it right - if they don't change anything. > > Can you provide some specifics. Thanks in advance. > > Regard$, > --MJ > > And is not this the point that we have now > reached? What is the cry going up everywhere, > from all ranks and classes? All for one! When we > say the word one we think of ourselves, and what > we demand is to receive an unearned share in the > fruits of the labour of all. In other words, we > are creating an organized system of plunder. > Unquestionably, simple out-and-out plunder is so > clearly unjust as to be repugnant to us;but > thanks to the motto, all for one, we can allay > our qualms of conscience. We impose on others the > duty of working for us. then, we arrogate to > ourselves the right to enjoy the fruits of other > men's labour. We call upon the state, the law, to > enforce our so-called duty, to protect our > so-called right, and we end in the fantastic > situation of robbing one another in the name of > brotherhood. We live at other men's expense, and > then call ourselves heroically self-sacrificing > for so doing. Oh, the unaccountable folly of the > human mind! Oh, the deviousness of greed! It is > not enough that each of us tries to increase our > share at the expense of other; it is not enough > that we want to profit from labour that we have > not performed. we even convince ourselves that in > the process we are sublime examples of > self-sacrifice;we almost go so far as to call our > unselfishness Christlike. We have become so blind > that we do not see that the sacrifices that cause > us to weep with admiration as we contemplate > ourselves are not made by us at all, but are > exacted by us of others. -- Frédéric Bastiat -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more.
