That Which is Seen, and That Which is Not Seen

By: Bastiatarian

On my drive down to campus today, I was listening to a report on the radio regarding the enormous damage done by the "bailouts," "stimulus" packages," "Cash for Clunkers" program, and other recent scams perpetrated by the federal government under the guise of aiding in economic recovery. The report included a statement by the administrator of TARP that little attention was paid to the likely effects of the program. (You may also remember that in July 2009 Joe Biden admitted the obvious--that the administration did not understand the state of the economy when TARP and the stimulus were passed.)

The report brought to mind a short work published by Frederic Bastiat in 1850, That Which is Seen, and That Which is Not Seen. Bastiat writes:

In the economy, an act, a habit, an institution, a law, gives birth not only to an effect, but to a series of effects. Of these effects, the first only is immediate; it manifests itself simultaneously with its cause--it is seen. The others unfold in succession--they are not seen; it is well for us if they are foreseen. Between a good and a bad economist this constitutes the whole difference--the one takes account both of the effects which are seen and also of those which it is necessary to foresee. Now this difference is enormous, for it almost always happens that when the immediate consequence is favorable, the ultimate consequences are fatal, and the converse. Hence it follows that the bad economist pursues the small present good, which will be followed by a great evil to come, while the true economist pursues a great good to come, at the risk of a small present evil.
In fact, it is the same in the science of health, arts, and in that of morals. It often happens, that the sweeter the first fruit of a habit is, the more bitter are the consequences. Take, for example, debauchery, idleness, prodigality. When, therefore, a man, absorbed in the effect which is seen, has not learned to discern those which are not seen, he gives way to fatal habits, not only by inclination, but by calculation.

Real adults understand this principle, that for true growth and progress to be achieved, one must sacrifice immediate pleasure. There must be foresight. There must be self-discipline. Real adults understand that there are consequences that are seen immediately, and those that are seen later.

Our federal government has behaved as an irresponsible, short-sighted adolescent for many years, of course, but such reckless behavior has multiplied to a shocking degree under the current effete fop desecrating the office of President of the United States. As is typical of totalitarian collectivists and other delusional Utopian schemers, the actual results (including those that can be effectively deduced based on many centuries of history), are of little meaning. The forerunners of the American liberal destroyed Germany, Russia, Cuba, and China, and their contemporaries are in power in garbage holes such as Venezuela, North Korea, and South Africa (the crime capital of the world, thanks to Nelson Mandela, et al). Their policies have brought chaos to Greece and are leading the rest of Europe down the same path.

Socialism can give the illusion of success and prosperity in the short term, but in the long term has always failed. It will always fail, because it is in direct opposition to true principles of liberty and prosperity.

Barack Obama and the rest of his thuggish administration have no interest in those things which are not seen. They are irresponsible adolescents who are absorbed by pleasure and reward right here, right now, regardless of the cost to the nation, and to the world.

Those who understand and love the principles of liberty know that we must abolish almost every program currently foisted on us by the federal government. There would, of course, be pain involved with discontinuing the uncountable number of welfare and "entitlement" programs, the intrusive and oppressive regulation, the coddling of individuals who wish to live off the work of others. Adults are willing to endure that pain, though, because they have the foresight to understand that it will lead to greater freedom and greater prosperity for all who chose to work hard, make wise decisions, and not give up, as well as a greater ability of the individual, private citizen to help his fellow man when there is a legitimate need. Adults are willing to set aside a quick band-aid, because they know that there are things that are more important.

Isn't it time for the adults to stand up and give the misbehaving children a good spanking?