When supporting a bad cause, what needs to be prevented the most, is that light be shed.

Frédéric Bastiat
Complete Works, Volume 2, pages 200 to 205 (in French)
January 29th, 1848

Here is a new article from Frédéric Bastiat about Great-Britain arming itself in response to the Moniteur Industriel newspaper, which he accuses to live upon the fear of an imminent war. The latter sees the escalation as proof of the bad intentions by the supporters of free-trade across the Channel when Frédéric Bastiat only sees that, in a democracy, there are often two schools at odds against each other and that it is not always the same of which the ideas prevail.

Today’s quote is of a much wider reach than the said topic – it is about nothing less than free speech. In one sentence, he shows why it is absolutely necessary. Indeed, the only way to reach the truth is to allow anybody and everybody to express their opinion, either because it will be possible to expose their mistakes or because they say the truth. Here is a criticism of censorship, which in most cases aims only at preventing the truth to be told for the simple reason that it is established by those who support a bad cause.

In these times when governments keep attempting to enhance censorship under the guise of fighting against “misinformation”, it is wise to remember that they are probably trying to hide their own deception.