TRIGGER WARNING: In which I mention rioters breaking into a fortification to steal guns and ammunition.
For John, BLUF: Each nation has to claim democracy in its own way, some peaceful (Canada) and some not (France). Nothing to see here; just move along.
Today is the 226th Anniversary of Bastille Day, the day the French Revolution began, with the Storming of the Bastille Prison.♠
It has been said that US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger asked Chou En Lai, what he thought of the French Revolution, to which the reply was "It's too soon to tell."
On the other hand, Professor Stephen Russell asks, on his French Revolution Course Final, when do you think the French Revolution ended. When I took the course I responded, as I recall, with the overthrown of Charles de Gaulle in 1969, after the 1968 Summer of Protests.♥
But, the French are proud of their revolution and by the time this posts will be enjoying Europe's oldest and largest regular military parade, as military men, with aircraft overhead, proceed down the Champs-Élysées, to pass in review before the President of the Republic, along with other French officials and foreign guests.
Congratulations to our French Brothers and Sisters.
But, by the storming of the Bastille the US Congress under our new Constitution, had been meeting for four months.
Regards — Cliff
♠ It turns out the only prisoner in the Bastille was the Marquis de Sade. While the Marquis probably should have been locked up, at least for his writings, freeing him was a dubious event. However, the people storming the Bastille were really looking for guns and ammunition. The horror of it all!
♥ If you type "68ers" into Wikipedia it will take you to a page on the German protests, but France also experienced strong protests, led by students. It wasn't all happening in the US.
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