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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