The wise always learn from History

Well, I just wonder..........I'm reading a great book about the life of Talleyrand, the Foreign Minister of France during the reign of Napoleon and (due to careful manoeuvring) the French kings who succeeded him. It all starts to sound a bit familiar. In France there developed this huge divide between the aristocracy (specifically the court of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie-Antoinette) and the rest of the country. As the nobility enjoyed huge wealth and an amazing lifestyle, consuming the largest amounts of the nation's wealth, the (majority) general population of France starved. They died whilst the rich partied.

Jump forward 200 years. The Nation state is actually just an 18th century phenomenon. Now, with global communications and travel, the world itself is becoming one community. I just wonder whether we need to learn from the fate of the French Court. A relatively small, privileged group, was consuming and living well whilst the masses starved and gradually became aware what was happening. And now we in The West party, consume and live well, whilst the masses.....you get the picture.

Maybe, just maybe, we need to learn from the French Revolution......... except, of course, that our control of power is SO great, its impossible ever to think of it ever being overthrown....... hang on.... that's what Louis XVI thought........