[quote]FightinIrish26 wrote:
It was this line that did it.
“however true this is, it was the people who chose to have the monarchy and chose to be lorded over. Even in the US, tell me that the presidency is as it was once conceived, and not a new form of Kingship PUT IN PLACE by the people in order that we can be Lorded over.”
Because of this very forum, people who open up with things like this immediately make me roll my eyes, especially the line about the President being a new king - when in fact, that is NOT how it was conceived, and our country doesn’t function like that at this point. And also - the people of France were born into that system, as the people of America were born into the English one, and had to violently break free. The paths they took from there are not so similar, but the initial struggle and the ideals that drove them both absolutely were.
Edgy, for some reason I thought you were one of the lunatic fringe that regularly posts on this forum, hence my reactionary reply when you came onto that thread. For that I am sorry. My mistake.[/quote]
No, he rapidly approaches an elected dictator. That is indeed not very kingly.
Also, whereas the American revolution was heavily influenced by Locke, common law and a general distrust for authority, as is to be expected from smugglers, slaveholders and and general misfits, the French revolution was heavily influenced by Rouseaus idea of the souvereignty of the people who, in a mystical moment, joined their minds and created THE NATION (read as in THE BORG, resistance is futile) which could do no wrong, given that it was the embodiment of the peoples will.
Unfortunately, the French had no sufficient supply of smugglers, slaveholders and assorted ilk who would have laughed at the absurdity of all this but learned lawyers who were above, lets say, libertarian leaning ideals, so obviously a few massacres were in order.