QOTD: Robespierre

QOTD: Robespierre

by digby

Reader Stephen Benson sent this in:

"The most extravagant idea that can be born in the head of a political thinker is to believe that it suffices for people to enter, weapons in hand, among a foreign people and expect to have its laws and constitution embraced. No one loves armed missionaries; the first lesson of nature and prudence is to repulse them as enemies."

Robespierre (sur la guerre, a speech to the Jacobin club, 2 January 1792)

Benson archly observed:

"It's a sad commentary on our times when some of the most astute political thought to be found comes from the likes of him."

Indeed it is. But these are sad times.


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