Essay What is seen and what is not seen is Bastiat's greatest contribution to the economic concept of costs. By comparing the immediate and visible effects of government intervention in the allocation of economic resources with the more distant and hidden consequences, Bastiat showed the invalidity of the idea that government spending can create jobs and wealth. Using typical examples, Bastiat convincingly showed that the short-term results of economic policies are often radically different from the long-term consequences they cause, which may be the opposite of what was expected. According to Bastiat, the difference between a bad and a good economist is that the first adheres only to the consequences that are visible, while the second takes into account both what is visible and all those consequences that must be foreseen.