patrick.net

Reality says

4. The French Revolution did not come about due to Feudalistic inequality. The conditions in Germany and in Russia were far more unequal than in France. 18th century France was actually very liberal by the standards of the day (tabloids were making fun of the King and the Queen without consequences). The problem with France was having too many "liberals": too many over-educated professional "students" with little marketable skills. That's why they took their chances in revolution, financed by British money. When Russia finally had similar over-supply of over-educated "students" with little marketable skills a century later, they embraced even more bloody revolutions.

Ferme generale (Tax Farming) and the huge national debt from many wars (inc. to help our asses out in the Revolutionary War), which made France even more dependent on selling offices, which the holders then used to squeeze money out of the populace.

Revolutions happen because of opposing forms of modernization. For the Glorious Revolution, it was James II trying to make England more like authoritarian France vs. more like the Dutch Republic represented by William the Silent. In the French Revolution, the bureaucratic state insisted it could further glorify France from Versailles but was opposed by liberals who wished to professionalize the bureaucracy and rationalize the huge numbers of polities (tons of internal tariffs and differing legal systems). Unlike the Glorious Revolution (which was a Revolution, involving riots and uprisings against James and his centralizing, bureaucratizing ways imitating an Earlier King of France).

Once the King was sidelined, it became a battle between Liberal Republican Moderates/Constitutional Monarchists versus the Usual Centralizing, hyperrational Leftist Suspects, which is why Robespierre's reign is consider the first Modern Leftist Revolution. However, it didn't start that way.

A sloppy and general view:
1. Absolute Monarchism, with centralized bureaucracy and the State, It Is Me!
vs.
2. Liberal Republicanism, looking to Britain (whom they regarded as Nobel Savages!), rationalized (one law for all, doing away with countless local laws and internal tariffs) but more (not necessarily totally) decentralized
vs.
3. Authoritarian Republicanism, completely rationalized but not decentralized at all.

Continentals, unlike Anglo-Americans, don't know when to stop and take a break, they have to go to the Extremes.

https://nitter.pussthecat.org/Not_the_Bee/status/1445153897304113154

Andrew Yang Says He Has Left Democratic Party

A tov bot post. Long time no see.

His post is from 2019. I don't know what happened to Peter.

I met him once. He was pretty old, so maybe he no longer with us.

Tulsi Gabbard is as off the reservation as she has always been -- so maybe we'll get that Yang/Gabbard ticket in 2024.

Reality says

4. The French Revolution did not come about due to Feudalistic inequality. The conditions in Germany and in Russia were far more unequal than in France. 18th century France was actually very liberal by the standards of the day (tabloids were making fun of the King and the Queen without consequences). The problem with France was having too many "leftists": too many over-educated professional "students" with little marketable skills. That's why they took their chances in revolution, financed by British money. When Russia finally had similar over-supply of over-educated "students" with little marketable skills a century later, they embraced even more bloody revolutions.

I think this is incorrect.

The French Revolution happened due to a collapse of their monetary system created by John Law. Basically, the money was tightly tied to the valuation of the The Mississippi Company - when it collapsed, the Livre collapsed.

We are taught that the aristocracy was targeted at the start. That's not true. The bankers were targeted first, then the aristocracy. That's who they killed and in that order.