"Frederick Bastiat - That Which Is Seen-That Which Is Not" - читать интересную книгу автора (Bastiat Frederick)

relieving the tax-payers of a hundred millions.

If we confine ourselves to this answer -"The hundred millions
of men, and these hundred millions of money, are indispensable to
the national security: it is a sacrifice; but without this
sacrifice, France would be torn by factions, or invaded by some
foreign power," -I have nothing to object to this argument, which
may be true or false in fact, but which theoretically contains nothing
which militates against economy. The error begins when the sacrifice
itself is said to be an advantage because it profits somebody.

Now I am very much mistaken if, the moment the author of the
proposal has taken his seat, some orator will not rise and say
-"Disband a hundred thousand men! do you know what you are saying?
What will become of them? Where will they get a living? Don't you know
that work is scarce everywhere? That every field is overstocked? Would
you turn them out of doors to increase competition, and weigh upon the
rate of wages? Just now, when it is a hard matter to live at all, it
would be a pretty thing if the State must find bread for a hundred
thousand individuals? Consider, besides, that the army consumes
wine, clothing, arms -that it promotes the activity of manufactures in
garrison townsthat it is, in short, the god-send of innumerable
purveyors. Why, any one must tremble at the bare idea of doing away
with this immense industrial movement."

This discourse, it is evident, concludes by voting the
maintenance of a hundred thousand soldiers, for reasons drawn from the
necessity of the service, and from economical considerations. It is
these considerations only that I have to refute.

A hundred thousand men, costing the tax-payers a hundred
millions of money, live and bring to the purveyors as much as a
hundred millions can supply. This is that which is seen.

But, a hundred millions taken from the pockets of the
tax-payers, cease to maintain these taxpayers and the purveyors, as
far as a hundred minions reach. This is that which is not seen. Now
make your calculations. Cast up, and tell me what profit there is
for the masses?

I will tell you where the loss lies; and to simplify it,
instead of speaking of a hundred thousand men and a million of
money, it shall be of one man, and a thousand francs.

We will suppose that we are in the village of A. The recruiting
sergeants go their round, and take off a man. The tax-gatherers go
their round, and take off a thousand francs. The man and the sum of
money are taken to Metz, and the latter is destined to support the
former for a year without doing anything. If you consider Metz only,
you are quite right; the measure is a very advantageous one: but if