Bastiat’s essence, therefore, was not that he wrote clearly, for audiences of non-economists, about economics. It was not that he used humor frequently and effectively. It was not that he was a master stylist. No. Bastiat’s distinguishing feature was his tireless effort to defend the case for free markets and free trade from the many vulgar misperceptions that prevent people from seeing the full play of market forces – and, likewise, that prevent them from seeing the full play of political interventions into market.
But that is the aspiration.
Better, as some haggis hunter pointed out, to aspire to what you cannot manage than settle for what you can.
7 responses so far ↓
1 Grumpy Old Man // Nov 13, 2011 at 10:12 pm
You make a fair crack at it though, Tim
2 Philip Scott Thomas // Nov 13, 2011 at 10:17 pm
Nay, Uncle Tim. Nay, and thrice nay.
3 Ian B // Nov 13, 2011 at 10:33 pm
Every elementary school curriculum should require study of Bastiat’s writings.
4 Rub-a-dub // Nov 13, 2011 at 11:01 pm
And we come to watch you try.
We are lucky Bastiat didn’t get distracted fisking the Guardian.
5 SimonF // Nov 13, 2011 at 11:27 pm
Your style worked for me and piqued my interest enough to go an buy a few books on the subject.
I should probably add Chris Dillow to that, short, list as well.
6 Surreptitious Evil // Nov 14, 2011 at 7:32 am
Still, at the very least we now know what to call Ritchie’s superficially-attractive-to-the-ignorant prattlings.
7 So Much For Subtlety // Nov 14, 2011 at 10:42 am
Rub-a-dub – “We are lucky Bastiat didn’t get distracted fisking the Guardian.”
I don’t know. I think it is a shame that he was denied the chance to blog.
John Stuart Mill, on the other hand, caught a break there.
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