At this point the socialists appear. They charge that the sole
object of political economy is to sacrifice the interests of the
masses and create privileges; then, finding in the law of
expropriation the rudiment of an agrarian law, they suddenly
advocate universal expropriation; that is, production and
consumption in common.
But here socialism relapses from criticism into utopia, and its
incapacity becomes freshly apparent in its contradictions. If
the principle of expropriation for the sake of public utility,
carried to its logical conclusion, leads to a complete
reorganization of society, before commencing the work the
character of this new organization must be understood; now,
socialism, I repeat, has no science save a few bits of physiology
and political economy. Further, it is necessary in accordance
with the principle of indemnity, if not to compensate citizens,
at least to guarantee to them the values which they part with; it
is necessary, in short, to insure them against loss. Now,
outside of the public fortune, the management of which it
demands, where will socialism find security for this same
fortune?
It is impossible, in sound and honest logic, to escape this
circle.
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