Anna Wetsell posed the question " Frederic Bastiat mentions that to avoid pain, most people choose to indulge in plunder. Labor is pain, but it is how you can obtain what you want and how to live. How have the leaders of today influenced the amount of people choosing to not work anymore because it is 'easier'?"
In the modern age, there are many factors that have influenced people's choice to plunder rather than labor. Some of these factors include technology, government welfare programs, gambling, and other illegal means. Ways people or organizations plunder include hacking, falsifying welfare claims, embezzling, or other fraud.
It is my belief that many people in the labor force get disheartened from working when there are those receiving lasting benefits from the government. While the intents of these programs come from a good nature and are to help people out of work stay on their feet, these programs are subject to abuse. The implementation of these programs of any amount will have this effect. If people have no other option than to work to provide for themselves, they will have to do so.
Other choices by leaders have led to more people choosing to embezzle, steal, or take advantage of others' money. Embezzling money, engaging in fraud (especially those in the financial sector), or accepting bribery often are not punished to the full extent of the law. This tends to be the case because the investigating authorities believe there is always a bigger fish to fry. This has led to many plea deals given for cooperation. The reduction of charges for these crimes continues to incentive plunder of this sort.
Any sort of stealing is often seen as easier, especially noted in Bastiat's "The Law". Those with large followings on social media on platforms such as TikTok or Twitter can rapidly influence people's decision to plunder. A recent trend on TikTok called 'Devious licks' promoted school students to destroy and steal school property. While this is plunder, it is not really an instance of students not wanting to work. Rather this is an example of the power those on social media have.
A more noteworthy of this would be the January 6th 'riot' on the Capitol Building. Many point fingers at President Donald Trump for inciting this event through his Twitter page.