1. Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good.

The first sentence addresses equality before the law. The second sentence deals with a much broader sense of equality, that is, “social distinctions.” (Unless distinctions sociales refer to a set of attributes, e.g., nobility, that are somewhat more clearly defined by the historical context.) Those social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good. That reads to me like a license for large scale redistribution (and a carte blance for expropriation), as it is not hard to imagine that individual success, for example, may indeed lead to social distinctions that are not only founded upon the general good. If I were to draft this article, I would substitute the second sentence with a minimal welfare principle that would give a right to assistance, but not cast a shadow of suspicion over success by requiring a general-good-justification for every “social distinction.” For example: “Every citizen has a right to welfare, necessary to enable a life in dignity.”