History is full of abusive leaders, but the people they ruled were often accountable, to a certain extent, for allowing them to stay in power. This was especially true in post-Revolution France, where the citizens were willing to trade away certain freedoms for safety under the leadership of Napoleon Bonaparte. Similarly, many freedoms previously held by modern Americans are being restricted due to the threat of terrorism. This comparison bodes ill, especially when the danger of indifference to liberty is considered. France's social climate at the end of the 18th century was one of fear and insecurity. The recent memory of the Reign of Terror left the french people hungering for stability and safety from the bloody Revolution. The Directory,
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Critical publications were censored: Napoleon shut down 65 parisian political newspapers in 1800, leaving only eight. His control of France was so complete that he banned women from wearing clothing that exposed their arms, as it made him uncomfortable. Despite this, the majority of the french populace were submissive to his rule as long as such intrusions on personal liberty were minimal and the larger liberties he tampered with preserved their safety. Americans have never lived under dictatorial rule, but a similar desire for safety has lead to our own relinquished freedoms. One potentially concerning change is lessened personal privacy online due to increased surveillance of the Internet and governmental collaboration (and in some cases, conflict) with tech companies such as Facebook or Apple. However, many argue that these infringements are necessary, as social media offers a quick and easy means for terrorists to communicate and plot. Another, more inconvenient freedom to lose is easy travel-modern airports exercise extremely tight security to prevent the clandestine transportation of weapons or dangerous materials. As a result, citizens traveling by air must abide by a large number of restrictive and invasive security protocols-such as body searches-to ensure the safety of airlines. Opposition to these practices is often seen, but people are generally willing to cooperate as long as their safety is effectively preserved, showing that human nature has not altered much since Napoleon's
Critical publications were censored: Napoleon shut down 65 parisian political newspapers in 1800, leaving only eight. His control of France was so complete that he banned women from wearing clothing that exposed their arms, as it made him uncomfortable. Despite this, the majority of the french populace were submissive to his rule as long as such intrusions on personal liberty were minimal and the larger liberties he tampered with preserved their safety. Americans have never lived under dictatorial rule, but a similar desire for safety has lead to our own relinquished freedoms. One potentially concerning change is lessened personal privacy online due to increased surveillance of the Internet and governmental collaboration (and in some cases, conflict) with tech companies such as Facebook or Apple. However, many argue that these infringements are necessary, as social media offers a quick and easy means for terrorists to communicate and plot. Another, more inconvenient freedom to lose is easy travel-modern airports exercise extremely tight security to prevent the clandestine transportation of weapons or dangerous materials. As a result, citizens traveling by air must abide by a large number of restrictive and invasive security protocols-such as body searches-to ensure the safety of airlines. Opposition to these practices is often seen, but people are generally willing to cooperate as long as their safety is effectively preserved, showing that human nature has not altered much since Napoleon's