Hey @bkm, I think your blog provided a thorough overview of some of the different sections in "The Bastiat Collection". I really enjoyed that you highlighted the author's ideas on law, government, and petition and provides their own insights and opinions on the topics. I also think you accurately summarized Bastiat's thoughts on the origin of law, the definition of man and property, and the role of government as a group of people who take and give.
The language you used in the review is clear and concise, making it easy to follow Bastiat’s thought process. Your blog provides a good balance of summarizing Bastiat's ideas and your own thoughts, giving me a well-rounded understanding of the book. You also cite specific page numbers from the book to support their claims, adding credibility to their review, I appreciate it. One thing I have to disagree with is your stance on government, I, like you, don’t trust the government all too much. However, I will say we need to hope that we are not getting screwed as much as we may think. The government provides much more than we think and I would just like to believe that we aren’t being led astray.“In addition, the government are just people who put “laws” in place to keep their status above everyone else. In other words, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.”You & Bastiat agree that government is a source of illusion, with its actions and decisions often serving to benefit the ruling class rather than the general public. You also mention the concept of plunder, referring to the ways in which the government enacts wars, taxes, and restrictions that often harm the common people rather than help them. I’d like to be able to trust the captain of this ol ship so that we all don’t sink but I can understand your mistrust. This is an odd stance to take and I can’t quite figure out why I feel this way. The only explanation is I’ve got faith, that if I put faith into the world, it’ll come back to me.
Overall, this is a well written and insightful essay that provides a good understanding of the content of "The Bastiat Collection". You did a great job of summarizing Bastiat's ideas and providing your own thoughts and opinions, making the review informative and engaging.