"I warn you . . . to always be ready to defend yourself; tremble even in victory; it is then that he makes his greatest efforts and that he sets in motion the most redoutable machines." -- Bossuet
"On the road of upheaval, the best elements are always surpassed by the worst. . . . Behind the honest revolutionary soon appears a troubled existence." -- Marshal von Moltke.
L'Etat retors (The Crafty State) initially appeared as a preface to the definitive edition of the Dialogue in Hell between Machiavelli and Montesquieu by Maurive Joly (Editions Allia, 1992). It was published as a separate volume in 1992. Translated from the French by NOT BORED! November 2007.
According to Editions Alia, Michel Bounan was born in Paris in 1942. Today he is known as a physician and writer. A personal friend of Guy Debord, who strongly influenced his ideas, he has written nine books, all of them published by Allia. In addition to L'Etat retors, NOT BORED! has translated his Incitement to Self-Defense.