Comparison Of The American Revolution And The French Revolution

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great French statesman and author Frederic Bastiat (1801-1850) wrote:
"The basis of their whole economic system may be truly said to lie in the
principle of self-interest. . . . The only function of government according
to this doctrine is to protect life, liberty, and property."10

Embracing the principle of free trade not just as a temporary expedient,
but as a philosophy, Turgot got the king to sign an edict in January 1776
that abolished the monopolies and special privileges of the guilds,
corporations, and trading companies. He then dedicated himself to breaking
down the internal tariffs within France. By limiting government expense, he
was able to cut the budget by 60 million livres and reduce the interest on
the national debt from 8.7 million livres to 3 million livres.

Had Turgot been allowed to pursue his policies of free trade and less
government intervention, France may very well have become Europe's first
"common market" and avoided violent revolution. ...

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no longer being used as a political prison,
and Louis XVI had even made plans to destroy it. That made little
difference to the mob, who were actually looking for weapons.

Promising the guards safe-conduct if they would surrender, the leaders of
the mob broke their word and hacked them to death. It would be the first of
many broken promises. Soon the heads, torsos, and hands of the Bastille's
former guardians were bobbing along the street on pikes. "In all," as
historian Otto Scott put it, "a glorious victory of unarmed citizens over
the forces of tyranny, or so the newspapers and history later said."11 The
French Revolution had begun.

Despite the bloodshed at the Bastille and the ...

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