This is my Berserk Button.

[runespoor]

This brought to you by one too many American Internet commenter armchair-historianing on the French Revolution:

The Revolution was not worse than the regime it replaced. The crimes committed by the Revolution were not worse than the statu quo that existed before.

Wanna know why?

Because nothing is worse than denying that human beings are equal. No system is worse than one claiming that the leader is the leader because he has a god-given, hereditary mandate to it.

Comments

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

I blame the Scarlet Pimpernel. At least that's the only way I can make sense of Americans, of all people, going all aristocrats are awesome and revolutions are bad!! -_-;

[shiny-glor-chan.livejournal.com]

Pffft, you think they read. >>;; I don't think a majority of Americans read for pleasure (maybe if it was forced in school, but I got around school reading a lot, and still got good grades, so). Hell, I only read Scarlet Pimpernel this year. :/ Now, if it were a TV show you were blaming, I'd agree there.

I have a such a disconnected with fellow Americans a lot of the time. >>;;

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

... I was thinking of the Americans playing internet commenter armchair-historian in geek forums. That sort definitely reads.

[shiny-glor-chan.livejournal.com]

Ah. Then that's true. :/ And that makes me sad.

[runespoor7.livejournal.com]

Royals = cool, glamorous and exotic. French revolutionaries = scary extremists.

That's the only way I can make sense of it, at least. And pop-culture is not helping.