What makes the future frightening, is ignorance.

Frédéric Bastiat
Complete Works, Volume 7, pages 401 to 403 (in French)
Undated

Frédéric Bastiat seems to be surprised of having been elected in parliament in May 1849. He thanks Bernard Domenger who must have campaigned in his favour in the Landes constituency because himself was in Paris at the time (members of parliament then were not travelling from one end of France to the other as frequently as they do today!).

In this letter, he throws a few considerations about the responsibilities that the new parliament will have and one of his fears is revealed by today’s quote. It is of universal reach and the current times show us everyday how accurate it is. Ignorance of economics is such that one has to be frightful! Be it the rise of mercantilism and the daily unheard of protectionist announcements in the United States or the ignorance of the French people who keep on believing that employers’ contributions are a cost to their employer rather than themselves, it is hard to see the start of a solution to the major economic issues we are confronted to.

On a particular aspect concerning taxes, Frédéric Bastiat asked the following question: “But how can we get men to understand, when they question the very principle of property?” This question is still valid today in France, which makes the future as frightening as it was in 1849 (and let’s not forget that three Franco-german wars separate us from this date).