--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Legal plunder can be committed in an…" description: "\"Legal plunder can be committed in an infinite number of ways; hence, there are an infinite number of plans for organizing it: tariffs, protection, bonu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/391/frederic-bastiat-2151_bonus_legal-plunder-can-be-committed-in-an-inf_2857854.jpg" --- # Legal plunder can be committed in an infinite number of… ![“Legal plunder can be committed in an infinite number of ways; hence, there are an infinite number of plans for organizing it: tariffs, protection, bonuses, subsidies, incentives, the progressive income tax, free education, the right to employment, the right to profit, the right to wages, the right…” quote by Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/391/frederic-bastiat-2151_bonus_legal-plunder-can-be-committed-in-an-inf_2857854.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/391/frederic-bastiat-2151_bonus_legal-plunder-can-be-committed-in-an-inf_2857854.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/391/frederic-bastiat-2151_bonus_legal-plunder-can-be-committed-in-an-inf_2857854.jpg) > “Legal plunder can be committed in an infinite number of ways; hence, there are an infinite number of plans for organizing it: tariffs, protection, bonuses, subsidies, incentives, the progressive income tax, free education, the right to employment, the right to profit, the right to wages, the right to relief, the right to the tools of production, interest free credit, etc., etc. And it the aggregate of all these plans, in respect to what they have in common, legal plunder, that goes under the name of socialism.” [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Legal plunder describes policies that transfer wealth under the guise of public good, often labeled socialism. **In simple terms:** Policies that redistribute wealth can be called legal plunder. Key Takeaway Scrutinize policies for hidden wealth transfers. Themes economics politics social justice taxation public policy Mood critical analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - tax reform - public subsidies - welfare programs - regulatory frameworks Key Concepts wealth redistribution government intervention social welfare Questions to Reflect On - What distinguishes fair redistribution from legal plunder? - How can transparency prevent abuse of policy? A Different Perspective Not all redistribution is unjust; some address inequality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Credit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/credit/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Employment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/employment/) [Free education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-education/) [Incentives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incentives/) [Income](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/income/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Profit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profit/) [Protection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protection/) [Relief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relief/) [Socialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/socialism/) [Subsidies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subsidies/) [Tariffs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tariffs/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) [Tools](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tools/) [Wages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wages/) ## Related quotes > [Now, legal plunder can be committed in an infinite number of ways. Thus we have an infinite number of plans for organizing it: tariffs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/now-legal-plunder-can-be-committed-in-an-infinite-number-of-ways-thus/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [The law commit legal plunder by violating liberty and property.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-law-commit-legal-plunder-by-violating-liberty-and-property/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [“When a portion of wealth is transferred from the person who owns it -- without his consent and without compensation, and whether by force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/when-a-portion-of-wealth-is-transferred-from-the-person-who-owns-it/) [Frédéric Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [No legal plunder: This is the principle of justice, peace, order, stability, harmony, and logic. Until the day of my death, I shall proclaim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/no-legal-plunder-this-is-the-principle-of-justice-peace-order/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [But how is this legal plunder to be identified? Quite simply. See if the law takes from some persons what belongs to them and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/but-how-is-this-legal-plunder-to-be-identified-quite-simply-see-if/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [This question of legal plunder must be settled once and for all, and there are only three ways to settle it: (1) The few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/this-question-of-legal-plunder-must-be-settled-once-and-for-all-and/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [The politician attempts to remedy the evil by increasing the very thing that caused the evil in the first place: legal plunder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-politician-attempts-to-remedy-the-evil-by-increasing-the-very/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [Legal plunder has two roots: One, as we have just seen, is in human selfishness; the other is in false philanthropy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/legal-plunder-has-two-roots-one-as-we-have-just-seen-is-in-human/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [No legal plunder: This is the principle of justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/no-legal-plunder-this-is-the-principle-of-justice/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [If government goes beyond securing liberty and instead violates it through regulation, redistribution, and planning, then citizens are victims of legal plunder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ebeling/if-government-goes-beyond-securing-liberty-and-instead-violates-it/) [Richard Ebeling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ebeling/) > [As proof of this statement, consider this question: Have the people ever been known to rise against the Court of Appeals, or mob a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/as-proof-of-this-statement-consider-this-question-have-the-people/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [The mission of the law is not to oppress persons and plunder them of their property, even though the law may be acting in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-mission-of-the-law-is-not-to-oppress-persons-and-plunder-them-of/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [“When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men in a society, over the course of time they create for themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/when-plunder-becomes-a-way-of-life-for-a-group-of-men-in-a-society/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [There are people who think that plunder loses all its immorality as soon as it becomes legal. Personally, I cannot imagine a more alarming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/there-are-people-who-think-that-plunder-loses-all-its-immorality-as/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [Sometimes the law defends plunder and participates in it. Sometimes the law places the whole apparatus of judges, police, prisons and gendarmes at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/sometimes-the-law-defends-plunder-and-participates-in-it-sometimes/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) ## More by Frederic Bastiat > [The politician attempts to remedy the evil by increasing the very thing that caused the evil in the first place: legal plunder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-politician-attempts-to-remedy-the-evil-by-increasing-the-very/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [The law is the collective organization of the individual's right to lawful defense of his life, liberty and property. When it is used for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-law-is-the-collective-organization-of-the-individual-s-right-to/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [If every person has the right to defend - even by force - his person, his liberty, and his property, then it follows that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/if-every-person-has-the-right-to-defend-even-by-force-his-person-his/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [Sometimes the law defends plunder and participates in it. 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