...before the French revolution I could have travelled throughout Europe without a passport, and would have paid no income tax...these features were brought in as expediencies at the time of conflict (the Napoleonic Wars). Guess what? ~ these 'temporary measures' never got repealed!

If I recall correctly, the US income tax was also a temporary measure, passed to finance World War I. I need not point out there, I did, anyway that it too has yet to be repealed.

Don't know what Ben Franklin's take on that would be (except I suspect he would agree with Santayanna)

("...are doomed to repeat them")