Sunday, 10 May 2015

Election

Le peuple Anglois pense être libre ; il se trompe fort, il ne l'est que durant l'élection des membres du Parlement ; si-tôt qu'ils sont élus, il est esclave, il n'est rien.

— J-J Rousseau, Du contrat social

Rousseau, Jean-Jacques: Collection complète des oeuvres

The English people believes itself to be free; it is gravely mistaken, it is free only during the election of the members of Parliament; as soon as they are elected, the people is enslaved, it is nothing.

Of course J-J only lived in England for 2 years and apparently never learned any English, so you shouldn't believe a word of it.

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