Is not liberty the destruction of all despotism - including, of

Hear now the voice of Frédéric Bastiat, the French statesman and thinker, who in the midst of the nineteenth century cried out with a fire for justice: “Is not liberty the destruction of all despotism—including, of course, legal despotism?” These words pierce the ages, for they remind us that the chains which bind mankind are not always forged by tyrants who seize power with the sword. Often they are clothed in laws, enacted with pomp and ceremony, yet still unjust, still oppressive, still contrary to the sacred flame of freedom.

When Bastiat speaks of liberty, he does not mean the hollow freedom that is granted only in word, but the living, breathing force that breaks down all forms of oppression. Despotism, whether it comes from kings or parliaments, whether from brute force or gilded law, is the enemy of liberty. True freedom, he teaches, cannot rest until every kind of despotism is undone, including the most dangerous of all—the one that hides behind legality and pretends to be justice.

The phrase legal despotism is a warning of subtle tyranny. A people may be told, “The law is the law; therefore it is right.” But if the law robs the worker of his wages, silences the voice of the poor, or denies the dignity of the weak, then it is nothing but despotism draped in official robes. To confuse legality with justice is to mistake the mask for the face. Bastiat, who lived in a France torn between monarchy, revolution, and empire, had seen firsthand how laws could be twisted into instruments of exploitation.

Consider the tale of apartheid South Africa. The rulers claimed their laws were legitimate, passed through courts and parliaments. Yet these laws stripped millions of their humanity—barring them from land, schools, and citizenship. It was legal despotism, tyranny disguised as law. But liberty, in time, rose up against it. Through the courage of Nelson Mandela and countless others, the false justice of apartheid crumbled, and with it, a whole edifice of legalized oppression. Here we see Bastiat’s truth: liberty cannot coexist with despotism, however lawful it may appear.

The meaning of Bastiat’s words is not merely political but eternal. They remind us that liberty is not passive; it is active, vigilant, and unyielding. It does not bow to tradition, nor does it accept injustice simply because it is written in statutes. Liberty is the spirit that looks at every law and asks: does this uplift human dignity, or does it enslave? Does it protect the weak, or does it strengthen the chains of the powerful? If it is the latter, then liberty demands its destruction.

This truth carries both power and responsibility. To wield liberty is not to live without rules, but to live with laws that are just, righteous, and born of respect for all. Where laws are corrupted, liberty calls for reform; where laws are oppressive, liberty calls for defiance. The fight is never-ending, for despotism ever seeks new disguises, and liberty must ever rise to tear away its veil.

Children of tomorrow, let this teaching be carved upon your hearts: do not mistake legality for morality. Question the laws that govern you, and hold them to the higher standard of justice. When you see despotism hiding beneath the robes of legality, expose it; when you see oppression cloaked in law, resist it. Support leaders who defend liberty, and be vigilant against those who would trade your freedom for their power.

And so, let Bastiat’s wisdom endure: that liberty is the eternal destroyer of despotism, whether crowned, armed, or legalized. Guard this flame within you, nurture it with courage, and pass it on to those who come after. For only in liberty does the soul of man find its full stature, and only in the destruction of all despotism can the human spirit truly be free.