Great Book:
 

I'd like to give a holler about a great book. It's titled, The Law, by Frederic Bastiat.

You can download .pdf copies of the book if you Google it.

Re: Great Book:
 

what is it about?

Re: Great Book:
 

The role of government with relation to taxation and social benefits. Bastiat basically lays a philosophical foundation that counters Socialism and assails the benefits of freedom of capital. For example, if the government is taking what is yours through taxation, to give it to another, Bastiat calls it "legal plunder". Bastiat extensively explains the evils of such a system and why, even though it may appear to be done out of compassion (as with Welfare), it's a vile evil and a threat to liberty.

Here's an exerpt from The Law, by Bastiat (Victims of Lawful Plunder):

Men naturally rebel against the injustice of which they are
victims. Thus, when plunder is organized by law for the profit of
those who make the law, all the plundered classes try somehow
to enter—by peaceful or revolutionary means—into the making
of laws. According to their degree of enlightenment, these plundered
classes may propose one of two entirely different purposes
when they attempt to attain political power: Either they
may wish to stop lawful plunder, or they may wish to share in it.
Woe to the nation when this latter purpose prevails among
the mass victims of lawful plunder when they, in turn, seize the
power to make laws!

Re: Great Book:
 

I know that it might seem an unusual recommendation for a treatise on small government, but I would recommend Machiavelli's The Prince for reading also. In it he makes the statement that a government should not hand out money to its citizens, for eventually it must either raise taxes (which causes revolts) or cut back on the handout (which causes revolts). This is a lesson that it would benefit all who wish to be in government to learn.