Frédéric Bastiat：Economic Sophisms, Excerpt 14

In as far as we are producers, it must be allowed that the desire of every one of us is anti-social. Are we vine-dressers? It would give us no great regret if hail should shower down on all the vines in the world except our own: _this is the theory of scarcity_. Are we iron-masters? Our wish is, that there should be no other iron in the market but our own, however much the public may be in want of it; and for no other reason than that this want, keenly felt and imperfectly satisfied, shall ensure us a higher price: this _is still the theory of scarcity_. Are we farmers? We say with M. Bugeaud, Let bread be dear, that is to say, scarce, and agriculturists will thrive: always the same theory, _the theory of scarcity_.

Source： https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/44145
Locator：Excerpt 14 · Verified：2026-10-19 · Verification：Short excerpt

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