[varialectio]

This is the first in a two-part article by an historian on the hazards of democracy, for anyone w/ the time and interest.

[GonzoGOP]

The old saying with Communists is one man, one vote, one time. The difference between Napoleon III and the other dictators is that for the first several decades of his reign he was very popular. He did keep the economy growing, was less corrupt than the administration he replaced, and secured favorable foreign trade. Like the later Mussolini he made the trains run on time. He brought France firmly into the industrial age and made it a rival of Victoria's England, without getting into a war with the British in the process.

And that was a very good thing for Napoleon III's greatest failure was that, unlike his famous uncle, he was a dismal failure as a military leader. In the sands of North Africa, and the mud of the Crimea the French army found brutal stalemate due to poor planning and logistics. In Mexico and above all at the hands of Bismark's Germany, he found absolute defeat. Had Napoleon III resisted the urge to put on fancy uniforms he would probably be considered one of the greatest leaders in European history. But he could not resist the temptation to start wars, and once started could not then go on to win them.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Here’s part two...

http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/12/one_cheer_for_democracy.html