"Review of Bastiat's The Law": If Only This Were Written Today

Some problems hang, like a dim light, suspended in time, dangling over the sea of history to cast dreary reflection on the every epoch. "Frederic Bastiat's The Law" addresses one such timeless problem...

The question of good government and the paradoxes of its involvement in the private sector have boggled politicians and philosophers for ages... In an era much like ours--an era of technologically-empowered government surveillance, complex social struggle, decreased personal privacy, and rising cries for government economic intervention--Bastiat attributes all policy problems to a common root... The timeless problem, he says, is a misinterpretation of the place of the Law in the lives of the citizens.

Unlike his more famous contemporaries, Bastiat insists that the only place of law is to uphold justice, protecting people, their liberty, and their property. Injustice and tyranny, keep the people down: as long as the Law prevents injustice, people can manage social engineering, religion, welfare, education, or labor on their own.

Heartless? Not really. Despite his stunning sarcasm, Bastiat displays remarkable charity towards his opponents, even arguing that all his opponents have philanthropic aims at heart. Long passages, in context, from his opponents comprise nearly half of his book. Granted, he uses those quotes to expose the arrogant view of man that ultimately leads to tyranny and government micromanagement--nevertheless, his open-hearted attitude towards disagreement shines.

Bastiat's argument against "the white man's burden" and his critique of classical elitism alone makes him a must read... He quips that if the legislators spent nearly as much time trying to improve themselves as they spent reorganizing other cultures, they would find the task difficult enough to keep them busy. No legislator has the right to force improvement on someone else... No rights would be infringed upon so no disadvantaged would need to vote--Bastiat ranks foremost among the progressives, despite his insipid argument against universal suffrage--that in a perfect society.

I did not want to jump on the bandwagon of hype surrounding Bastiat's nearly libertarian dissertation... I actually avoided reading the book because I didn't want to join his intellectual groupies; reading through it caught me on a river of livid prose that washed into an ocean of happiness and confidence in thought and soul... I, too, want liberty, and in an era filled with clamor for government to get out of our lives, you could not find a more timely or beautiful work than Bastiat's to translate the reasoning behind those cries...

Jen Veldhuyzen
UVA History BA
http://thehownotto.blogspot.com/

Freemason Symbols - How to Succeed in Life

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FEAR NOT WHAT MAN CAN DO UNTO YOU

"In God have I put my trust: I will not be
afraid what man can do unto me."

Ps. 56:11

The first word uttered by a candidate for Masonic degrees upon entering a Masonic Lodge declares his faith in God. Without that declaration the form and beauties of a lodge would be forever concealed from him. So, too, would be the hidden beauties of Freemasonry. That declaration also professes the candidate's undying trust in God - a trust that is symbolically tested during the ritual used in each of the three degrees of Masonry.

In the First Degree, the candidate is released to the custody of a person whom he cannot see and in a sightless condition is caused to be led in paths he has never before traveled. His conductor is merely identified to him as a true and trusty friend upon whose fidelity he can, with the utmost confidence, rely. The candidate is taught a most important lesson about Freemasonry - it is safe to trust a brother Mason; as safe as trusting in God.

During the Second Degree, the candidate is taught the importance of the symbolic Middle Chamber of King Solomon's Temple, which he may only enter by demonstrating his worthiness and knowledge. Here, Masons learn that knowledge is the gift of God and that the benefits we receive from knowledge are to be shared with every man, woman and child with whom they come into contact. That is so, because Divine Wisdom is at the root of all we can ever hope to learn and know, the comforts from which are not be denied any of God's creatures.

Yet, it is during the Third Degree that the candidate learns how to rely upon God - how to fear not what man can do unto him. During the ritual, the candidate learns that he will no longer have someone to pray for him. He must do so by himself. The true and trusty brother who had previously served as his guide is replaced with the invisible presence of the Deity. Here, Masons are prepared for traveling abroad, or in the social and professional circles in his life outside of a Masonic Lodge.

When we reflect upon the progression of the Masonic lessons about trusting in God, we are reminded about the parallel lessons taught during the natural state of human existence. A child is born into the world unable to care for itself. Throughout its early years, it receives the loving care of its nurturing parents and thereby learns how to trust in someone to make it feel safe, secure and very much loved. There comes a time when the child must leave that safe environment and journey alone into the world. It is then that the child truly learns in whom to place its trust.

Throughout the history of mankind, nothing has rendered men more powerless than fear. Those who either assumed authority over others, or embarked on a path toward doing so quickly learned that the imposition of fear upon men made them easy to subjugate and manipulate. Monarchs, legislatures, churches and employers have at various times used fear to gain power, hold power and gain compliance with their different demands. In so doing, they acted as enemies of freedom, for men who act or fail to act out of fear are never truly free.

What is it that causes you to fear? Is it ill health or the steps you must take to keep good health? Could you withstand the humiliation and pressures of losing your job? Does your religion make unreasonable demands upon your behavior and emotions so that you fear falling from God's grace? Or, do you fear that others do not like you? Such disordered thinking can also give way to anger and resentment - two products of fear - and result in the loss of friends and the loss of peace of mind.

Albert Pike wrote about how essential it is for man to embrace virtue and honor in their lives. He wrote that good men were made better by so doing and that others around them also greatly benefited from the resulting acts of kindness, charity and goodwill. He also wrote about how quickly virtue and honor vanish when fear is allowed to creep into man's consciousness. A kind word is often quickly and irrationally replaced with an unwarranted harsh criticism. The helping hand is suddenly withdrawn replaced with a vacant uncaring air. Those who ordinarily rushed to instill harmony where bickering once reigned now look over their shoulders to see who is spying on them and who will report them to those who can harm them.

With such consequences clearly in focus, it becomes easier to fully comprehend the importance of fearing not what man can do unto you. As Masons, we learn to pray as though everything depends upon God and to act as though everything depends upon us. Thus, Freemasons have acknowledged from time immemorial that prayer and action are two very well known secrets to aid in achieving good mental and physical health. It is essential to know that both must act together. Prayer without action by he who prays is as useless as faith is without acts.

Fear is a natural reaction to that with which we are unfamiliar. When pain is potentially involved, it is most natural to, at least, feel a great deal of trepidation. Imagine for a moment the plight of the Grand Master Jacques De Molay as he awaited certain torture, most clearly already having been told precisely which instrument would hurtfully probe which delicate parts of his body. Without doubt, he felt fear. Yet, as we are informed by ancient history, he eventually overcame that fear, declared that he would not profess the misdeeds attributed to him and his Knights Templar and was subsequently burned alive at the stake.

What is it that enables men to overcome fear? The heroic efforts of the soldiers at Iwo Jima, or those who stormed the cliffs at the Normandy invasion stand out to generations as examples of unflinching bravery. To the military man the answer is clear - he fights because of his comrades in arms. But, why do we resist fear? Most of us are not in combat and thus not at war. The answer is that we have so conditioned our faith and our minds that we know that we, like all men, will die. Our passing from this material life was ordained before we were born. It matters not so much how we die, but how we live.

Freedom is a gift of God. We can accept it, or reject the entire premise. Fear forces us to make a choice. Many select slavery and yield. Others believe that freedom is a matter of choice and therefore choose to act free, even though they may be in a horrendous state of fear. Man is but of little time here on earth. Yet, his spirit lives forever. We ought not to care so much about our welfare here on earth as to sacrifice the great gift of freedom God has given us.

Men of courage are men of freedom. Men in fear are men in bondage. The Holy Writings is replete with allegories about deliverance from bondage - not submission to slavery. We have been created to become men of God, not men subjugated to the will of those who would use fear to strip us of our natural born spirit of freedom,

When ill health strikes, fear not. You will live. You may even live awhile longer here on this plane. If you do not, it matters not, for you have always been and always will be a life force.

When your fortune fails and you are worrying about how to live one month to the next, fear not. No one has guaranteed you a life without turmoil. However, you have been guaranteed that God will give you strength. Pray and act as though you will succeed. Should you feel threatened, whether by an employer, a priest or holy man, or a bully, fear not. No man has been empowered by God to impose his own selfish desires upon any other man. The only manner in which that succeeds is when the man allows it to succeed.

My brethren, Masonry offers us a plan for how best to succeed in life. That plan is centered upon the four cardinal virtues of temperance, fortitude, prudence and justice. None of those virtues may be successfully practiced by a fearful man. Thus, Masonry admonishes us to be steadfast - not fearful. Had Hiram Abif feared death, he would have quickly revealed the secrets of a Master Mason when first assailed by the ruffian at the south gate.

How quickly do you surrender?

Mr. Heisner is the author of several masonic books about Freemason Symbols [http://masonicbooks.heisner.info/category/masonic-symbolism/freemason-symbols/]. He has been a Master Mason since 1968; served as Chaplain, Senior Deacon, Junior Warden, Senior Warden and Worshipful Master of Amity Lodge No. 442 in San Diego, California, and serves presently as an Inspector for Division IX of the Grand Lodge of California. He has written two Masonic Symbolism Books [http://masonicbooks.heisner.info/category/books-about-freemasons/masonic-symbolism-book/].; is a member of Scottish Rite Freemasonry in San Diego, where he currently serves as an officer in the Lodge of Perfection and has thrice been awarded the Albert Pike trophy for excellence in the performance of Scottish Rite ritual; a member of Al Bahr Shrine since 1976; a member of the York Rite Bodies, Knights Templar, Allied Masonic Degrees, York Rite College and the Knights of the Red Cross of Constantine. Mr. Heisner is also a member of the Societas Rosicruciana in Civitibus Foederatis.

Mr. Heisner has also been a practicing attorney in the State of California since 1973 and is currently a partner and trial specialist in a San Diego law firm where he emphasizes complex business litigation, trade secret litigation, real estate and probate litigation. He formerly served as an Assistant District Attorney, Deputy District Attorney and Special Assistant United States Attorney. As a criminal prosecutor, Mr. Heisner investigated and prosecuted organized crime, public official corruption and major fraud matters.

In his professional capacity, Mr. Heisner has also chaired several committees for the San Diego County Bar Association and been a member of various criminal justice committees.

Within his community, Mr. Heisner has served as president and director of his homeowner's association, participated in the immigrant nationalization process as a member of Kiwanis. He is married, father to four adult children and grandfather of five young children.

Ayn Rand's Novels

Ayn Rand's novels have inspired generations of readers to live their lives with greater integrity, passion and joy. Nearly seventy years after her first novel was published, Rand's fiction continues to stand out as a vivid and seldom-heard salute to the independent, creative spirit-to the rational, thinking mind-and to total competence in the realm of productive work.

We the Living

Ayn Rand began her formal career as a novelist with the publication of We the Living (1936)... Set amidst the Bolshevik Revolution in St. Petersburg, Russia, this novel tells the story of Kira, a passionate young heroine who risks everything to pursue the future she desires-and save the man she loves.

"As close to an autobiography as I will ever write Rand said We the Living was," and the novel itself is a bristling revelation of communism's deleterious effects on the human spirit. It was later adapted for the screen in Italy, in 1942, as the two-part movie Noi Vivi and Addio, Kira... The original, luscious footage from this screen adaptation was recently restored and re-released by American producer Duncan Scott.

Anthem

RAND's second oeuvre is a novella penned while she was doing research for The Fountainhead.

Set in the distant future, crushing the very notion of individualism, Anthem (1938) is the story of a collectivist society where the word "I" has been eradicated from the language...

One bright young scientist, however, sets himself free from this new form of slavery, and discovers the joy and pride of individualism-of the self... His brief, stark story is an apt prelude to the introduction of Howard Roark.

The Fountainhead

With its famous opening line, "Howard Roark laughed," The Fountainhead (1943) follows the creative path of innovative architect Howard Roark as he struggles to make a career for himself in the midst of a mediocrity-laden architectural establishment. Roark's consecration to his work, his dedication to his aesthetic values, and his unwavering belief in his own worth enable him to ultimately succeed in his creative mission.

The Fountainhead dramatizes the importance of independence, and extols the individual, creative man as the fountainhead of human progress.

Howard Roark's struggle is amplified through his interaction with a host of colorful sub-characters, including the young architect Peter Keating, who is driven by a need to please others; the platinum-haired journalist Dominique Francon, who shares Roark's basic values but not his belief in their real-world viability; the powerful newspaper magnate Gail Wynand, a man of superlative competence and productive power who uses his gifts to coddle and placate the lowest common denominator; and the novel's arch-villain, arts reviewer Ellsworth Toohey, whose envious disdain for Roark rivals only his passionate desire to take over the world.

Atlas Shrugged

Published in 1957, Atlas Shrugged was Ayn Rand's magnum opus. The novel's heroine, railroad executive and Dagny Taggart, is a driven businesswoman struggling to keep her railroad alive in a society increasingly overrun by government bureaucrats, and marked by the mysterious, the progressive disappearance of the country's great leaders-its scientists, artists, bankers, philosophers, and businessmen.

Dagny is surrounded by heroes who equal her in character: the brilliant copper tycoon, Francisco d ' Anconia; Hank Rearden, the masterful industrialist; the man who threatened to stop the motor of the world-and succeeded, and John Galt.

Through its gripping story of romance, mystery, science fiction, and intrigue, Atlas Shrugged dramatizes Ayn Rand's bold ethics of rational selfishness, providing an artistic tribute to the power of reason in human life. The novel also illustrates the moral basis of laissez-faire capitalism, painting a chilling picture of the damaging consequences, materially and psychologically, of governmental incursions upon economic freedom. The novel is known for its suspense-filled plot, its breadth of integrative scope, and the evocative acuity of its literary style. Whereas The Fountainhead's theme concerns independence, Atlas Shrugged dramatizes the crucial role of the rational, creative mind in modern society.

Atlas Shrugged continues to sell more than a hundred thousand copies per year, and in 1991 "second most influential book for Americans today was rated the," after the Bible, according to a joint survey conducted by the Library of Congress and the Book of the Month Club... In addition, the Boston Public Library has named Atlas Shrugged one of the "100 Most Influential Books of the 20th Century."

Ayn Rand's novels possess a freshness of literary approach that makes their appeal as timeless as their psychological and philosophical themes. They have changed career paths, brought people together, broken others apart, and inspired and influenced men and women of all persuasions and professions.

For some, the novels are life-long sources of insight and inspiration. For others, they mark a single moment of impact. Ayn Rand's novels are clearly among the most provocative and influential books of the Twentieth Century.

Joshua Zader is the founder of the Atlasphere, a social network for Ayn Rand admirers. You can read about the upcoming Atlas Shrugged movie there.