Guibert described eighteenth- century Europe as full of: tyrannical, ignorant or weak governments; the strengths of nations stifled by their vices; individual interests prevailing over the public good [com- mon wealth]; morals, that supplement of laws which is so often more effective than them, neglected or corrupted; . . . the expenses of governments greater than their income; taxes higher than the means of those who have to pay them; the population scattered and sparse; the most important skills neglected for the sake of frivolous arts; luxury blindly undermining all states; and governments finally indifferent to the fates of the people, and the peoples, in return, indifferent to the successes of governments.22
Posted on: Mon, 15 Sep 2014 01:14:14 +0000