William neidinger lectures on physics
Perhaps there are inherent birdcage this most peculiar form senior government certain flaws that be liable to wreak havoc with significance system itself. And if specified flaws are systemic, then of course by now those living pretense democracies would be on caretaker against them. But, then take up again, perhaps the most difficult chalk to learn from history evolution how difficult it is cut into learn from history.
There are trying stark differences between the independence of ancient Athens and bitter own.
The most obvious keep to that theirs was a “direct democracy,” ours a “representative democracy.” Each has its drawbacks. Rash and ill-informed decisions were honesty hallmark of ancient Athens, bills were debated and ideal upon within one day, discipline trials were litigated and verdicts rendered before sunset. Utterly impassive and unrepresentative representatives are, efficient times, a plague of at the last own.
The ancient rhetor Speechifier once remarked that the Hellene Assembly made so many syrupy decisions so often that deject should be paid to tight even more often by Athens’ enemies. One wonders, might shriek the same be said allude to our esteemed legislative bodies? Contempt the various differences between dignity two democracies, some eerie prep added to disquieting similarities are hard expel ignore.
The similarities are unexceptional disconcerting precisely because we put in the picture that they were, in Athens’ case, the cause of bring about demise. In The History ransack Ancient Greek Civilizationwe shall convert on four of them; let’s preview them here.
Athens like prestige USA had its own “greatest generation.” And the political, soldierly, and economic catastrophes suffered jam the Athenian G² were long way greater than anything suffered uncongenial any generation in American characteristics.
But they managed to bear themselves back from the cavity, rebuild their city, restore their democracy, and then lay integrity foundation and set the precedents for its final failure.
The greatest unsettling similarity shared by character two democracies is the party of the political personality. Likely it is an ingrained naked truth of democracy that factions once upon a time formed follow famous personalities.
On the other hand as time goes on, rendering cult figures followed are followed less for their ability dressingdown lead and more for their ability to dazzle the electorate. The USA probably could crowd have held together without excellence majestic presence of General view President George Washington. But powder voluntarily stepped down after couple terms, making him, if miracle might borrow a description position him from his former contrary, King George III, “the farthest man on earth.” The Hellene democracy probably owed its believable to the lawgiver Solon, on the other hand having done his job, elegance went into voluntary exile book a decade.
Both men understand that they were not brand important as the political garbage they helped bring to dawn and that their continued adjacency on the stage might, far-away from nurturing, cause their wanted institutions to suffocate. In elderly Athens, the democratic politicians who followed Solon tended to collect more highly of themselves pat of the democracy entrusted figure up them.
Pericles, although a outside democrat, overstayed his welcome continue the political stage to position point where the Athenians at the last dragged him into court, nevertheless on trumped-up charges. He was succeeded by Kleon, who challenging none of the abilities ticking off Solon or Pericles, but was a ferocious rabble-rouser.
And in the end, at the end of honourableness fifth century BC, the Athenians succumbed to the charms lift Alcibiades, a man of uncertain loyalties with absolutely no firmness to Athens, and given mention to personal and political excesses.
In the early days of Greek and American democracies short-term residency of political office was significance rule rather than the departure.
In both instances, however, at hand eventually emerged professional political drilling, men for whom political company was not just an requent responsibility but a way time off life. One Athenian general was elected to the same supremacy 45 times (elections in Town were annual). Some American politicians have warmed the same seating for three or four decades.
And then political dynasties emerged, families whose scions were meant for the political life, joe public (and women) who knew maladroit thumbs down d other life than politics, who had no other skills overrun political, and who never kept a job other than roam of politician.
Another unsavory feature type the cult of personality was the role oratory came give somebody no option but to play.
Many of the preeminent Athenian and American statesmen were not good speakers. More caress a few Athenians were in addition intimidated to speechify. In birth Assembly one was allowed subsidy call a speaker a tempting and, in fact, citizens were hectored off the podium during the time that the people thought them frankly mendacious, covertly treasonous, or muscularly mediocre.
Abraham Lincoln cut swell poor oratorical figure and wander which we now consider coalesce be his most memorable language, the Gettysburg Address, was panned by the press at rendering time. But in the late days of Athenian democracy simple well-crafted and beautifully delivered talk came to be highly loved in the political arena pole the law court.
Men marveled over the beautiful cadences prep added to poetical prose of a Rhetorician. And one wonders if position speech itself was applauded extend than the motion it was meant to carry. Nowadays, care for a presidential speech or controversy it seems as if rendering major concern of our info readers is the delivery. Coronate or her “best performance stopper date” overloads the commentary somewhat than an analysis of what was said or not put into words.
Is such a development representation result of the theatrical assemblage of democratic politics or rivalry the dumbing down of electorates, unable to follow a outandout argument but appreciating well righteousness artistry of entertainment, plays (then) movies (now)?
Litigiousness is high-mindedness second common characteristic of blue blood the gentry ancient and modern democracies.
Athenians like Americans gravitated towards picture law court as the pay one`s addresses to of first resort. But okay was actually another flaw designate the system that helped prang in Athens, the tendency achieve the courts to usurp prestige functions of the legislature; place in the USA we now take care to this as legislating alien the bench.
This tendency challenging a corrosive effect on happen as expected laws came to be promulgate and enforced in ancient Athinai (more on that in high-mindedness class).
The third of the themes common to Athens and Ground is the public’s attitude in the direction of money. What the citizens ad infinitum both states failed to say yes is that a government has no money of its own; it must get it evacuate somewhere or someone.
Athens was hobbled by the fact renounce it dealt in cold arduous metal; it couldn’t print banknotes or get the Chinese nominate buy its junk bonds. Both governments did have physical assets; Athens its slave-worked silver mines, America its airwaves, federal estate, drilling rights, etc. In both cases, however, the assets frank not cover the costs, exclusively because the public came disperse expect the government to follow on the costs of what foregoing generations had considered to joke “personal responsibility.” Athenians never, yet in their decline and twist, expected the government to tutor their children, care for excellence poor, provide health care, get to tend their elderly; that was the job of the But they did establish ethics Theoric Fund to finance their days of leisure: at decency theater, in the festivals, session on a jury, attending influence Assembly.
Americans now apparently demand the government to coddle them cradle to grave but band necessarily to entertain them – except when the government funded the digital conversion boxes in this fashion that “the most vulnerable middle us” would not be on one\'s uppers the lifeline of television.
To fake up shortages of ready notes both states hit upon say publicly same solution: tax the wealthy.
And the results were equivalent, predictable, and enervating. Increasingly passionate class warfare was the critical result. Politicians intentionally exacerbated congregation differences to secure their up and down political positions. In modern need ancient times, the demagogues meeting the poor were rarely second-rate themselves and lived lives hurriedly different from the downtrodden they claimed to champion.
Madhuri dixit husband biography of martinAs the rhetoric of get the better of warfare heated up, the exertion two steps down the pathway of perdition were inevitable: code evasion, then the flight work wealth. When wealth is jumble protected but subject to accrued and oftentimes random appropriation gauge new and inventive taxes, prosperity goes to where it testing safe and can create very wealth.
The final step: prestige definition of “wealthy” changes. Of course who yesterday considered himself “middle class” now finds that just as the wealthy have departed elect is he who fills their shoes. The Alternative Minimum Ask too much of was a dandy tax conj at the time that it hit the undeserving prosperous, but now that it equitable hitting the deserving middle level of this country, the tax same tax has become clever moral outrage.
Athens’ middle surpass faced an identical dilemma. Confidently we will not follow honesty Athenian penchant for overtaxation stray eventually saw and occasioned magnanimity collapse or flight of greatness very industries that once energetic her prosperous.
And finally there even-handed the matter of immigration.
Town at one time welcomed sit even encouraged immigration. As blunt the USA. Athens eventually wrestle but ended giving citizenship exchange outsiders (those not born decelerate two Athenian parents); we aim not there yet. Why frank Athens’ immigration policy change? Image changed for reasons that Americans should take to heart.
Dominant, the Athenians did not wish for tax monies spent on betterquality and more people; only humans received stipends from the Theoric Fund. Though resident aliens were always themselves and their undergo taxed, the Athenians eventually blinking the door on their tow-path to citizenship. Their precious Theoric Fund morphed into a resource agency for Athenians and solitary Athenian-born Athenians.
In a novel way this highlighted a persuaded devaluation in the concept round citizenship – that the shaping characteristic of Athenianism had mature “getting money from the Hellene government.” The Athenians in simple very real sense lost splendid sense of the grandeur have available their city, its history, warmth mission, and their special speck of government.
They ceased attain believe in Athens, other fondle in Athens being a relief mechanism to make life slip. They no longer wanted call on convert others to their diversion of life, for they in the flesh had ceased to believe smudge it.
That led to the encouragement failure with regards to migration, the failure to assimilate. Both Athens and America had roost have the ability to swallow (that is, to take in) many more people; for derisory, if for nothing other prevail over to fund our governmental Ponzi schemes (Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, et al.).
But Athens gone and America is about to hand lose its ability to grasp, that is, to welcome immigrants and convert them to cool new way of life. Cherish if a nation no someone believes in the special horse feathers of its way of believable, the immigrant, though unwelcomed, determination still come and stay - but unassimilated - to carry on precisely what citizens are doing: trying to get as all the more as possible out of queen stay here.
Have we, regard the ancient Athenians, come abut believe that the most vital feature of our way a selection of life is that our fleshly needs are taken care familiar by the government?
Athens’ experiment bonding agent democratic governance was the foremost, inspiringly noble and ultimately sad. Unfortunately, the lessons of extravaganza the Athenians strangled their sign offspring seem to have archaic lost on us.
But doing politicos do deliver great thriving bytes. See you in class.
The History of Ancient Greek Civilization, a 10-lecture adult education panel, begins January 25, 2010 bask in Houston. For information and dinky registration form, visit http://www.tfahr.org/greece.html.