Fête Nationale

Today, in 1789, The Bastille a fortress-prison was stormed by the people of Paris, France, fearing they would be attacked by the Royal Government which had imprisoned large numbers of critics in The Bastille as France descended into the chaos of total revolution against an inflexible monarchy whose foundation was the antiquated notion of feudalism.  

As the Thirteen British Colonies had shown just a few years earlier, it was possible to wage war against an empire and win. But as Jacques Mallet du Pan once offered, "like Saturn, the Revolution devours its own children." Some slightly cynical historians have suggested if it were a movie, the French Revolution would be rated "O" for the blood type most spilled as battles raged. 

History, it is said, is written by the winners and today, not just in France but in many places across the globe, the anniversary of the storming of The Bastille is celebrated and commemorated while the oft-grisly and gruesome details are treated with a soft focus. 

"For they marched out to Bastille Day. La guillotine claimed her bloody prize. Hear the echoes of the centuries. Well, power isn't all that money buys."
-bill kenny