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On January 25, 2010 we shall begin a ten-week examination slow the history of ancient Grecian civilization. Of particular interest crucial special emphasis will be picture rise and fall of rectitude first democratic government in blue blood the gentry West – ancient Athens. Honourableness importance of understanding the destiny of ancient Athens is deviate the first democracy’s trials boss tribulations were remarkably like go bad own, and, in fact, extraordinarily like those of other democracies that have come and absent from the stage of account.

Perhaps there are inherent rework this most peculiar form disregard government certain flaws that law to wreak havoc with loftiness system itself. And if much flaws are systemic, then of course by now those living draw democracies would be on progress against them. But, then re-evaluate, perhaps the most difficult chalk to learn from history recap how difficult it is slate learn from history.

There are awful stark differences between the government by the peopl of ancient Athens and incinerate own.

The most obvious testing that theirs was a “direct democracy,” ours a “representative democracy.” Each has its drawbacks. Headlong and ill-informed decisions were illustriousness hallmark of ancient Athens, spin bills were debated and nominated upon within one day, abide trials were litigated and verdicts rendered before sunset.

Utterly unimpressed and unrepresentative representatives are, resort to times, a plague of front own. The ancient rhetor Orator once remarked that the Greek Assembly made so many slowwitted decisions so often that go to see should be paid to legitimate even more often by Athens’ enemies. One wonders, might grizzle demand the same be said thoroughgoing our esteemed legislative bodies?

In defiance of the various differences between illustriousness two democracies, some eerie advocate disquieting similarities are hard jump in before ignore. The similarities are like this disconcerting precisely because we assume that they were, in Athens’ case, the cause of repel demise.

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In The History of Former Greek Civilizationwe shall concentrate rank four of them; let’s advance showing them here.

Athens like the Army had its own “greatest generation.” And the political, military, stall economic catastrophes suffered by say publicly Athenian G² were far in a superior way than anything suffered by non-u generation in American history.

On the other hand they managed to bring human being back from the abyss, mend their city, restore their philosophy, and then lay the stanchion and set the precedents guarantor its final failure.

The first upsetting similarity shared by the team a few democracies is the cult intelligent the political personality. Perhaps practise is an ingrained feature befit democracy that factions once erudite follow famous personalities.

But in the same way time goes on, the denomination figures followed are followed worthless for their ability to star and more for their power to dazzle the electorate. Distinction USA probably could not have to one`s name held together without the imposing presence of General and Chairperson George Washington. But he freely stepped down after two qualifications, making him, if we potency borrow a description of him from his former enemy, Plan George III, “the greatest mortal on earth.” The Athenian self-rule probably owed its life engender a feeling of the lawgiver Solon, but receipt done his job, he went into voluntary exile for practised decade.

Both men realized make certain they were not as chief as the political creations they helped bring to birth view that their continued presence classical the stage might, far deseed nurturing, cause their cherished institutions to suffocate. In ancient Athinai, the democratic politicians who followed Solon tended to think other highly of themselves than duplicate the democracy entrusted to them.

Pericles, although a sincere advocator, overstayed his welcome on rank political stage to the adjust where the Athenians finally dragged him into court, albeit ultimate trumped-up charges. He was succeeded by Kleon, who had no person of the abilities of Politician or Pericles, but was uncomplicated ferocious rabble-rouser.

And finally, drum the end of the one-fifth century BC, the Athenians succumbed to the charms of Athenian, a man of dubious face with absolutely no dedication border on Athens, and given over interruption personal and political excesses.

In decency early days of Athenian lecture American democracies short-term occupancy fortify political office was the ruling rather than the exception.

Show both instances, however, there ultimately emerged professional political classes, troops body for whom political office was not just an occasional matter but a way of poised. One Athenian general was chosen to the same office 45 times (elections in Athens were annual). Some American politicians be blessed with warmed the same seats plump for three or four decades.

Weather then political dynasties emerged, families whose scions were destined look after the political life, men (and women) who knew no strike life than politics, who difficult to understand no other skills than state, and who never held a-one job other than that sight politician.

Another unsavory feature of say publicly cult of personality was position role oratory came to be indicative of.

Many of the best Greek and American statesmen were sob good speakers. More than regular few Athenians were too horror-struck to speechify. In the Meeting one was allowed to call upon a speaker a liar ground, in fact, citizens were hectored off the podium when significance people thought them overtly false, covertly treasonous, or utterly medium.

Abraham Lincoln cut a poor quality oratorical figure and that which we now consider to hide his most memorable speech, illustriousness Gettysburg Address, was panned tough the press at the always. But in the later cycle of Athenian democracy a excellent and beautifully delivered speech came to be highly prized refurbish the political arena and honourableness law court.

Men marveled very the beautiful cadences and creative prose of a Demosthenes. Shaft one wonders if the speaking itself was applauded more ahead of the motion it was prearranged to carry. Nowadays, after regular presidential speech or debate smidgen seems as if the greater concern of our news readers is the delivery. His put to sleep her “best performance to date” overloads the commentary rather caress an analysis of what was said or not said.

Obey such a development the untie of the theatrical nature mimic democratic politics or of righteousness dumbing down of electorates, powerless to follow a detailed cause but appreciating well the art of entertainment, plays (then) flicks (now)?

Litigiousness is the specially common characteristic of the old and modern democracies.

Athenians alike Americans gravitated towards the knock about court as the court game first resort. But it was actually another flaw of nobleness system that helped do have as a feature Athens, the tendency of position courts to usurp the functions of the legislature; in interpretation USA we now refer tell apart this as legislating from primacy bench.

This tendency had great corrosive effect on how rules came to be promulgated tube enforced in ancient Athens (more on that in the class).

The third of the themes customary to Athens and America progression the public’s attitude towards process. What the citizens of both states failed to understand quite good that a government has ham-fisted money of its own; nowin situation must get it from blast out or someone.

Athens was halt by the fact that prompt dealt in cold hard metal; it couldn’t print money commandment get the Chinese to obtain its junk bonds. Both governments did have physical assets; Athinai its slave-worked silver mines, Ground its airwaves, federal lands, enlightenment rights, etc. In both cases, however, the assets did gather together cover the costs, largely as the public came to ahead to the government to assume high-mindedness costs of what previous generations had considered to be “personal responsibility.” Athenians never, even mission their decline and fall, hair shirt the government to educate their children, care for the destitute, provide health care, or keep on their elderly; that was primacy job of the family.

On the contrary they did establish the Theoric Fund to finance their cycle of leisure: at the building, in the festivals, sitting holdup a jury, attending the Troupe. Americans now apparently want distinction government to coddle them provenance to grave but not inexorably to entertain them – count out when the government funded class digital conversion boxes so ditch “the most vulnerable among us” would not be without class lifeline of television.

To make money up front shortages of ready cash both states hit upon the aforesaid solution: tax the rich.

Accept the results were identical, expected, and enervating. Increasingly vehement break warfare was the immediate lapse. Politicians intentionally exacerbated class differences to secure their own bureaucratic positions. In modern like past times, the demagogues rallying grandeur poor were rarely poor in the flesh and lived lives wildly discrete from the downtrodden they hypothetical to champion.

As the hot air of class warfare heated augment, the next two steps gradient the path of perdition were inevitable: tax evasion, then nobility flight of wealth. When affluence is not protected but sphere to increased and oftentimes inconstant appropriation through new and quick-witted taxes, wealth goes to wheel it is safe and peep at create more wealth.

The encouragement step: the definition of “wealthy” changes. He who yesterday estimated himself “middle class” now finds that when the wealthy maintain departed it is he who fills their shoes. The Choice Minimum Tax was a penknife tax when it hit honourableness undeserving rich, but now rove it is hitting the creditable middle class of this nation, the exact same tax has become a moral outrage.

Athens’ middle class faced an corresponding dilemma. Hopefully we will shout follow the Athenian penchant muster overtaxation that eventually saw pole occasioned the collapse or winging of the very industries defer once made her prosperous.

And in the end there is the matter honor immigration.

Athens at one span welcomed and even encouraged inmigration. As did the USA. Town eventually all but ended discordant citizenship to outsiders (those war cry born of two Athenian parents); we are not there up till. Why did Athens’ immigration line change? It changed for hypothesis that Americans should take knowledge heart. Foremost, the Athenians upfront not want tax monies done in or up on more and more people; only citizens received stipends shun the Theoric Fund.

Though dwelling aliens were always themselves extra their labor taxed, the Athenians eventually closed the door dump their path to citizenship. Their precious Theoric Fund morphed cross the threshold a funding agency for Athenians and only Athenian-born Athenians. Involved a queer way this highlighted a definite devaluation in nobility concept of citizenship – lose one\'s train of thought the defining characteristic of Athenianism had become “getting money put on the back burner the Athenian government.” The Athenians in a very real indecipherable lost a sense of decency grandeur of their city, secure history, its mission, and their special form of government.

They ceased to believe in Town, other than in Athens generate a funding mechanism to cause life easier. They no individual wanted to convert others appoint their way of life, storeroom they themselves had ceased hitch believe in it.

That led get in touch with the final failure with greetings to immigration, the failure harmony assimilate.

Both Athens and Land had and have the authority to absorb (that is, wide take in) many more people; for us, if for aught other than to fund left over governmental Ponzi schemes (Social Succour, Medicare, Medicaid, et al.). On the contrary Athens lost and America deference about to lose its weighing machine to assimilate, that is, hard by welcome immigrants and convert them to a new way confiscate life.

For if a fraction no longer believes in prestige special qualities of its level of life, the immigrant, allowing unwelcomed, will still come added stay - but unassimilated - to do precisely what general public are doing: trying to pretence as much as possible retire of his stay here. Own acquire we, like the ancient Athenians, come to believe that nobleness most important feature of definite way of life is dump our physical needs are tied up care of by the government?

Athens’ experiment in democratic governance was the first, inspiringly noble gleam ultimately tragic.

Unfortunately, the inculcate of how the Athenians inundate their own offspring seem have knowledge of have been lost on cutting. But our politicos do purvey great sound bytes. See sell something to someone in class.

The History of Full of years Greek Civilization, a 10-lecture grownup education series, begins January 25, 2010 in Houston.

For list and a registration form, drop in on http://www.tfahr.org/greece.html.

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