According to David Laitin, Skocpol “finds history to be moved not by structure or agent but by irony.” One ironic point Skocpol makes is that, despite her emphasis on international pressures, France's revolution came at a time when France was “unequivocally victorious.” Outcomes that cannot be predicted by structure, Laitin says, “are explained by the demonic forces of irony.” Laitin also goes on to say that, although structure is important, Skocpol denies the importance of human choice and action. Irony, says Laitin, is not an element of structure, but Skocpol's attempt at avoiding admittance “that action and fortune play a pivotal role in the drama of history.”