In 1797, as the revolution in France cooled down following the Reign of Terror, François-Noël “Gracchus” Babeuf stood trial for organizing a putsch against the governing directorate running Paris at the time. In an undaunted defense of his actions, Babeuf asked: Was it truly “damnable, vicious, and subversive” of him “to organize a communal regime” to “suppress private property, set each to work” and “require each to deposit the fruits of his labor in kind at the common store, and establish an agency for the distribution of basic necessities”?
Read Full Article »
