Frederic Bastiat wrote a book titled The Law (La Loi) in 1850. Each of us has an inherent right - from God - to protect his person, writes Bastiat in The Law. To protect this right, the State substitutes a common force for individual forces. When the rights of the person are violated, the law is twisted. when it violates one's ability to protect oneself from attempts by others to pass legislation that steals his money or property.Socialism muddles the line separating the state from society. According to Bastiat, a government has no lawful authority beyond what each person would have individually since it solely consists of the individuals who are part of it or who give it its authority. The protection of life, liberty, and private property is the primary goal of the government. The justice that law was intended to uphold has been destroyed via its application. Unprincipled people who desire to exploit the person, liberty, and property of others without danger now have access to the collective force. And in order to penalize justifiable defense, it has turned it into a criminal.
