On Liberty (and economics and a bit of government I suppose)

"If socialists mean that under extraordinary circumstances, for urgent cases, the state should set aside some resources to assist certain unfortunate people, to help them adjust to changing conditions, we will, of course, agree. This is done now; we desire that it be done better. There is however, a point on this road that must not be passed; it is the point where governmental foresight would step in to replace individual foresight and thus destroy it."



Frédéric Bastiat, Justice and fraternity, in Journal des Économistes, 15 June 1848,