California Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom has proclaimed himself an “established insurgent” in an attempt to lead the far-left mob. However, history shows that trying to control such a movement often ends in failure. Newsom’s efforts to be part of the establishment and the revolution at the same time are reminiscent of the French Revolution, where the Jacobin movement’s central figure, Georges Jacques Danton, ultimately fell victim to the very mob he tried to lead.

The Danton Delusion

Danton’s story serves as a warning to Newsom and other politicians who try to harness the power of the far-left mob. Danton, a gifted orator and writer, became the justice minister and a member of the infamous Committee of Public Safety. However, as he fed the mob’s bloodlust, he found himself captured by it, and his eventual downfall was a result of the very radicalism he had helped to create.

Newsom, like Danton, believes he can use the mob for his own ambitions, ignoring the warning signs of history. The radicals today are calling for purges of the Democratic Party of moderates and denouncing dissenters as part of “factionalism.” Newsom hopes to be one of the leaders of the new Democratic Party, but his attempts to be a red aristocrat will likely fail, as the far-left mob will not be satisfied with anything less than complete control.

A Lesson from History

The French Revolution’s decline into a mobocracy, as described in the book “Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution,” serves as a cautionary tale for politicians like Newsom. The revolution’s leaders, including Danton, ultimately fell victim to the very violence and radicalism they had unleashed. Newsom would do well to learn from this history and recognize that trying to control the far-left mob is a losing battle.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.