Wake Of Liberty: 4 – Bon Appétit, Bon Voyage
Cooley sets up the story with a few mind-blowing delicacies
“La terreur n’est autre chose que la justice prompte, sévère, inflexible.”
What does that mean, Cooley?
“Terror is nothing other than prompt, severe, inflexible justice. Robespierre’s own words during his ascendancy to absolute power.”
What did the French Revolution have to do with absolute power? Wasn’t it waged to defeat despotism in the first place?
“Indeed it was. But things got complicated. And Robespierre became progressively inflexible, his views somewhat extreme. He ended up advocating liberty through violent means. His style of management can be summed up in a quote from a speech, where he stated that the government in a revolution is the despotism of liberty against tyranny.”
Sounds like a great recipe for trouble.
“It was. Things took an ugly turn during that time and many suffered. The revolution cracked down on its own people and many heads rolled. In the end it caught up with the culprits, and Robespierre, executioner supreme, paid the price for his out-of-control patriotism. But for a while he was making sense to people, commanding the support of the masses and the obedience of his opponents.”
Maximilien Robespierre
How did it get to that stage?
“Maximilien Robespierre was a bright, well educated lawyer, sharp as a scalpel and eager to distinguish himself in the political arena of Paris. He was also a firebrand ideologue, perhaps the most ardent advocate of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. He had studied the Social Contract, Rousseau’s most influential and controversial book on republicanism and government, and, like many others, had taken it quite literally, embracing the notion that virtue was the act of belonging to civil society, and that freedom meant creating laws that guaranteed one’s liberty to act virtuously.
“But laws could not be written by ordinary men because ordinary men were prone to corruption. Legislation needed to be devised by lawgivers held separate from executive and administrative bodies in order to guarantee their impartiality as well as their virtuous nature, according to the book.
“Robespierre embraced the rule of law. Referred to as general will in Rousseau’s work, it was a morally righteous and right institution, which, when used responsibly and with conviction, could free man from all injustice. In order to be effective, of course, it was supposed to be exercised by a state where no single person ruled, thus where no master existed, and where everything was dictated by bodies governed by the people themselves.
“In other words, Robespierre believed that the rule of law – as devised by representatives of the people and upheld by state authority – was, in fact, supreme.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, author of The Social Contract
“To sum it up, this lawyer from Aras was pure nitroglycerin. He was a person well versed in a controversial and contradictory political discourse, idealistic, uncompromising, ambitious, and on his way to applying his interpretation of the Social Contract in the name of greater good. Putting its propositions into effect according to how he understood them was something he was very eager to do – and liable to get wrong.
“Wrong is exactly how he got it. He applied his newfound insights with a zeal bordering on fanaticism, upping the stakes, jumping the gun and skipping the formalities of virtuous rule altogether in a misguided effort to remain faithful to the cause. In his mind, the only way to preserve democracy and a free and secure Republican France in times of trouble was through the enforcement of ultra-extreme measures – an approach which brought forth a period known widely as La Terreur. The Terror.”
Otherwise known as the Reign of Terror, right?
“Precisely. Let me tell you all about it. Before I start, though, can you get me something to drink? I am thirsty.”
I didn’t know spirits drink.
“Only when visiting earth. We eat too – at least I do. It’s one of the perks of taking assignments here. The sensation of replenishing myself with tasty matter is so base and rich, I can’t let it go to waste.”
You make it sound awful but never mind. What’s will it be?
“Can you prepare some Kool-Aid for me?”
I’m sorry, I don’t have any Kool-Aid. I know a good jail that does though.
Cooley pauses and looks around. Makes a grimace. Laughs.
“No one drinks the Kool-Aid I take it, not after Jonestown. Damn Reverend Jones, I hate that guy.”
Cooley sits back and sighs. He’s looking increasingly human, his form solidifying. I can barely see through him anymore. His lips have tightened and his eyes are gleaming blue, with a spot of crimson behind them.
Suddenly, without warning, he leans forward and his hand whips the air with incredible force. A hand-sized tin container appears out of nowhere, spelling the words Cool-Aid in thick, animated letters.
“There you go, refreshment made in heaven. Go and mix me a batch, will you? Make yourself one too, and slice up some of this brioche to go with it.”
A luscious hot sweet lands in my hand, and Cooley, eyes gleaming, points toward the plates on the rack. I go to put things together.
Here you are Cooley. A little base and rich snack to make you feel good again. Now, you were saying?
“Relax, Mr. Smyth. Have a sip of Cool-Aid, take a bite from the brioche, kick back and settle down. Bon appétit, as they say in France, and bon voyage! This is a spin through time you will never forget.”
FOR MORE: Wake Of Liberty
Images:
Robespierre – source: http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/robespierre.html
Rousseau – source: http://www.thefamouspeople.com
The Social Contract – source: http://www.penguin.com.au/products/9780141018881/great-ideas-social-contract
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