Indeed. And history shows that often the problem isn’t quite the first revolution, inspired by democratic values, but a subsequent revolution that takes advanta

Indeed. And history shows that often the problem isn’t quite the first revolution, inspired by democratic values, but a subsequent revolution that takes advantage of the temporary power vacuum and institutes a dictatorship. One example is the October (Bolshevik) Revolution in Russia, which overthrew the nascent democracy that had been instituted earlier that year in the February Revolution. Another example is the Islamic Revolution in Iran after Khomeini returned from exile, which quickly wiped out the varied mix of Communists and other secular political forces that had overthrown the Shah. Even the first, democratic-inspired revolution can look pretty dangerous in retrospect. I am sympathetic to many ideals of May ’68, yet at the same time I feel like Western Europe dodged a bullet, because the subsequent regime could have turned out very badly.