July 14, 2025

How can you govern a country that has 246 varieties of cheese?

Charles De Gaulle (1890–1970), French general, president, Ernest Mignon, Les Mots du Général (1962), Jay p.112

Do you believe in “public opinion”? Or do you appreciate that the public has a near-infinite number of different opinions that range across a very wide spectrum? That is why you have to be alert to the signals your constituents give you, to know exactly what they are complaining about, so you can tailor your response to each one’s unique perspective.

Now here De Gaulle had a point. A people capable of producing so wide a variety of just one type of food will never accept one man’s solution to a problem. Then again, they may see cheese as the only thing that matters. Happy Bastille Day! Vive la France!