Property and Plunder, circa 2010

As if to demonstrate the Bastiat thesis in American human terms is this news of a Federal Air Marshal who (allegedly) raped an escort in between looking for terrorists on domestic air flights. After he (allegedly) misrepresented his government position, wielded his government-issued handgun, and raped the working girl, he then took back the [fiat] money he had paid her for the original transaction, which he had also misrepresented. Whether it is in state-sanctioned murder, or a general beat-down of local innocents, or a one-on-one violent exploitation because one side assumes a monopoly of both authority and violence, government is truly a gang of thieves, pirates and criminals—due not one iota of respect, awe, or even fear. Just disgust.