Trade Barriers Constitute Isolation; Isolation Gives Rise

Slavery, Protection, And Monopoly Find Defenders, Not Only In Those Who Profit By Them, But In Those Who Suffer By Them.

It Is Not True That The Legislator Has Absolute Power Over Our Persons And Property. The Existence Of Persons And Property Preceded The Existence Of The Legislator, And His Function Is Only To Guarantee Their Safety.

We Disapprove Of State Education. Then The Socialists Say That We Are Opposed To Any Education. We Object To A State Religion. Then The Socialists Say That We Want No Religion At All. We Object To A State-enforced Equality. Then They Say That We Are Against Equality. And So On, And So On. It Is As If The Socialists Were To Accuse Us Of Not Wanting Persons To Eat Because We Do Not Want The State To Raise Grain.

[socialists Claim] That We Reject Fraternity, Solidarity, Organization, And Association; And They Brand Us With The Name Of Individualists. We Can Assure Them That What We Repudiate Is Not Natural Organization, But Forced Organization. It Is Not Free Association, But The Forms Of Association That They Would Impose Upon Us. It Is Not Spontaneous Fraternity, But Legal Fraternity. It Is Not Providential Solidarity, But Artificial Solidarity, Which Is Only An Unjust Displacement Of Responsibility. Socialism . . . Confounds Government And Society.

Ah, You Miserable Creatures! You Who Think That You Are So Great! You Who Judge Humanity To Be So Small! You Who Wish To Reform Everything! Why Don't You Reform Yourselves? That Task Would Be Sufficient Enough.