Frederic Bastiat (1801-1850) was a French economist, statesman and classical writer. He wrote most of his writings in the years before and after the Revolution of February 1848. This was the period when France was rapidly transforming towards full socialism. As a member of the Legislative Assembly, Bastiat studied and explained every socialist error as it arose. And he explained how socialism must inevitably degenerate into communism. But most of his countrymen chose to ignore his logic. The fight against socialism drained Bastiat's already waning energy, and by 1850 – just six years after his first published article and only two since his election to the National Assembly – he was on his deathbed. But far from being a flash in the pan, Bastiat's influence went far beyond his sphere. Jodie Gilmore, writer of "The New American," says Bastiat's seven volumes (all easily readable) and his ideas about freedom are as applicable today as they were two centuries ago. The current threat of not just a national dictator, but a global cadre of dictators, under the auspices of the United Nations, should give us pause. We would do well to listen to Bastiat and apply his principles to our government before we lose our freedom. "The Law", a book that presents the situation when France was seduced by the false promises of socialism in 1848, Bastiat was concerned with the law in the classical sense; orients his reason to discover the principles of social organization most suitable for human beings. The same socialist-communist ideas and plans then adopted in France are now sweeping America. Some ideas may have been created long ago and can still be used today, but not many… middle of paper… crime. "The Law" is a book that approaches purity, power and almost poetic quality. Bastiat would be saddened by what America has become. He warned us. He identified the indispensable principles for a good human society and made them accessible to all. In the fight to end the legalized plunder of statism and defend individual freedom, how much more could you ask of a man? The collapse of communism, technological innovations, and the accompanying robust free market organizations promoting Bastiat's ideas are the most optimistic things we can say about the future of freedom in the United States. Americans share an enormous burden and moral responsibility. Greater familiarity with Bastiat's clear ideas about freedom would be an important step in reviving respect and love and allowing the resurrection of the spirit of freedom among our fellow Americans..