For John, BLUF: Happy Birthday to the French Republic.
Today is Bastille Day, the day the French "Occupy Wall Street" crowd stormed the prison in Paris and freed seven prisoners and killed the Bastille's governor, Bernard-René de Launay. The crowd was looking for gunpowder. Among the prisoners was the Marquis de Sade, who agitated the crowds outside by shouting at them. (It took the crowd a few days to work itself up to taking on the guards.)
All that said, the fall of the Bastille was the beginning of the French Revolution in 1789. A Revolution that has not yet ended. While we managed to end our Revolution, with the help of the French, and then have another war with the Mother Country (1812) and then a Civil War, and helped liberate French territory, twice, in the 20th Century, the French Revolution still festers. The problem is, with Liberté, égalité, fraternité (liberty, equality and fraternity) you get any two, but you can't have all three.
Happy National Holiday to the French.
Regards — Cliff
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