The March of Folly — Louis XIV vs Trump

Richard Rathe, August 2026 (Books, History)

I've reworked these extended quotations from The March of Folly by Barbara Tuchman (1986) for today's wannabe King Trump. Tuchman's words speak to greater truths. My words are my own and speak for more immediate truths in desperate times.

A phenomenon noticeable throughout history regardless of place or period is the pursuit by governments of policies contrary to their own interests. —The March of Folly, Chapter 1

Louis XIV is usually considered a master monarch, largely because people tend to accept a successfully dramatized self-estimation. In reality he exhausted France’s economic and human resources by his ceaseless wars and their cost in national debt, casualties, famine and disease…

Seen in that light, Louis XIV is the prince of policy pursued contrary to ultimate self-interest.

Donald Trump is usually considered a master businessman and politician, largely because people tend to accept a successfully dramatized self-estimation. In reality he is exhausting America's economic and human resources thru his illegal wars, illegal tariffs, increased national debt, famine (SNAP, Inflation), and disease (Measles, Food Safety)…

Seen in that light, Trump is the new prince of policy pursued contrary to ultimate self-interest.

By general agreement of historians, the most condemned act and worst error of Louis' career was his Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, canceling his grandfather's decree of toleration and reopening persecution of the Huguenots. It lacks one qualification of complete folly in that, far from being reproved or admonished at the time, it was greeted with the greatest enthusiasm and still lauded thirty years later at the King’s funeral as one of his most praiseworthy acts. This very fact, however, reinforces another criterion—that the policy must be the product of a group rather than of an individual. Recognition as folly was not long delayed. Within decades, Voltaire called it “one of the greatest calamities of France,” with consequences wholly contrary to the purpose in view.

…the most condemned act and worst error of Trump's career was his crackdown on civil rights, canceling progress towards equality and reopening persecution of immigrants (ICE) and other minorities (Racism). …it was greeted with the greatest enthusiasm by MAGA and Fox News.

Like all follies, it was conditioned by the attitudes and beliefs and politics of the time, and like some, if not all, it was unnecessary, an activist policy when doing nothing would have served as well.

Like all follies, Trump's actions are conditioned by the attitudes and beliefs and politics of our time, and like some, if not all, they were unnecessary, activist policies when doing nothing would have been better.

The greater [Louis'] autocracy, the more the existence of a dissident sect appeared to him an unacceptable rift in submission to the royal will. “One law, one King, one God” was his concept of the state, and after twenty-five years at its head, his political arteries had hardened and his capacity for tolerating differences atrophied. He had acquired the disease of divine mission so often disastrous to rulers, convincing himself that it was the Almighty’s will “that I should be His instrument in bringing back to His ways all those who are subject to me.”

The greater Trump's autocracy, the more the existence of detractors (Jimmy Kimmel, Fake News) appears to him an unacceptable rift in submission to the royal will. “One law, one King, one God” was his concept (Christian Nationalism) of the state (Unitary Executive Theory)… He has acquired the disease of divine mission so often disastrous to rulers, convincing himself that it is the Almighty’s will that I should be His instrument in bringing back to His ways all those who are subject to me. (Only I can fix it., I am your retribution.)

Persecution began in 1681… Protestant services were banned, schools and churches closed, Catholic baptism enforced, children separated from their families at age seven to be brought up as Catholics, professions and occupations gradually restricted until prohibited, Huguenot officials ordered to resign, clerical conversion squads organized and monetary bounty offered to each convert. Decree followed decree separating and uprooting the Huguenots from their own community and from national life.

Certain services are banned (Abortion, Gender-Affirming Care)… children are separated from their families (ICE)… professions (Scientists, Physicians) and occupations (Journalists, Public Health Workers) gradually restricted… officials ordered to resign (Too many examples to count!)… monetary bounties offered (Voter Fraud)… A stream of Trump decrees (Executive Orders) to separate and uproot Immigrants, LGBTQ People, Organizers, etc. from their own communities and from national life.

Persecution engenders its own brutality, and resort to violent measures was soon adopted, of which the most atrocious—and effective—were the dragonnades, or billeting of dragoons on Huguenot families with encouragement to behave as viciously as they wished. Notoriously rough and undisciplined, the enlisted troops of the dragoons spread carnage, beating and robbing the householders, raping the women, smashing and wrecking and leaving filth while the authorities offered exemption from the horror of billeting as inducement to convert.

Persecution engenders its own brutality, and resort to violent measures was soon adopted, of which the most atrocious—and effective—are the ICE Raids… with officers encouraged to behave as viciously as they wish. Notoriously rough and undisciplined— the quickly enlisted, poorly trained officers spread carnage, beating and robbing householders, smashing and wrecking and leaving abandoned vehicles in their wake. While the authorities offer exemption from prosecution for crimes up to and including murder.

Emigration of the Huguenots began in defiance of edicts forbidding them to leave under penalty, if caught, of sentence to the galleys.

Defiance of edicts (against Wokeness, Diversity Programs, Vaccines, etc.) is leading to mass emigration of scientists and academics. We are witnessing the hollowing out of our intellectual discourse and institutions.

When mass conversions were reported to the King, as many as 60,000 in one region in three days, he took the decision to revoke the Edict of Nantes on the ground that it was no longer needed because there were no more Huguenots.

When COVID testing results were reported to Trump… he took the decision to stop testing so much on the ground that it was no longer needed because it would just make him look bad.

Never had there been such a triumph of joy, wrote the caustic Saint-Simon, who held his fire until after the King was dead, never such a profusion of praise… All the King heard was praise.

Never had there been such a triumph of joy, …never such a profusion of praise… All Trump hears is praise. (Typical Cabinet Meeting)

The ill effects were soon felt. Huguenot textile workers, paper makers and other artisans, whose techniques had been a monopoly of France, took their skills abroad to England and the German states; bankers and merchants took their capital; printers, bookmakers, ship-builders, lawyers, doctors and many pastors escaped. Within four years, 8000–9000 men of the Navy, and 10,000– 12,000 of the Army, plus 500–600 officers, made their way to the Netherlands… The silk industry of Tours and Lyons is said to have been ruined and some important towns like Reims and Rouen to have lost half their workers.

The ill effects are already being felt. Scientists are moving abroad and entire areas of research are being quashed (mRNA Vaccines are just one example). Education is suffering, books are being banned, attempts are being made to re-write our history (removing information about George Washington's Slaves for example). Our military is being misused (Illegal War on Iran) and abused (Long Navy Deployments, Firing Top Leadership Without Cause).

In the National Assembly [the old regime] were represented by the Ultras of the right, who, together with a splinter group of extreme Ultras, formed the strongest party. This had been accomplished by restricting the franchise to the wealthiest class by the interesting method of reducing the taxes of known opponents so they could not meet the tax qualification of 300 francs required for voters. Government office was similarly restricted. Ultras held all the ministerial posts, including a religious extremist as Minister of Justice whose political ideas, it was said, were formed by regular reading of the Apocalypse. His colleagues imposed strict laws of censorship and elastic laws of search and arrest and, as their primary achievement, created a fund to compensate approximately 70,000 émigrés or their heirs at an annual rate of 1377 francs. This was too little to satisfy them but enough to outrage the bourgeois whose taxes were paying for it.

In Congress the wealthy are represented by the Ultras of the right (Billionaires, MAGA Republicans), who, together with a splinter group of extreme Ultras (Neo-Nazis, KKK, Racists, Christian Nationalists), form a strong party. This has been accomplished by restricting the franchise to the wealthiest & whitest classes by Gerrymandering, Voter-ID Laws, and Closing Polling Places. Government office is similarly restricted. Ultras (Sycophants) hold all the cabinet posts, including religious extremists whose political ideas were formed by regular reading of the Apocalypse (End-Times Theology). His colleagues imposed strict laws of censorship (FCC) and elastic laws of search and arrest (ICE) and, as their primary achievement, created a fund to compensate approximately 1000 Jan 6 rioters and other miscreants.

Charles [the last Bourbon king] was determined to rule and, while lightly endowed for the task intellectually, was rich in the Bourbon capacity to learn nothing and forget nothing. When opposition in the Assembly grew troublesome, he took the advice of his ministers to dissolve the session and, by bribes, threats and other pressures, to manipulate an acceptable election.

Donald Trump is determined to rule and, while lightly endowed for the task intellectually, is rich in the Conservative capacity to learn nothing and forget nothing. When opposition in the Congress grows troublesome, he has his lackey (Mike Johnson) dissolve the session and, by bribes, threats and other pressures, attempts to manipulate elections.

More significant in the history of folly, it illustrates the futility of the recurrent attempt, not confined to Bourbons, to reconstruct a broken egg. —The March of Folly