Re: Alienated subjects

Robert Bannister wrote:
Maria wrote:
[...]
Could an honest, well-meaning, intelligent man or woman even get
elected any more (except in small venues*)?

*OBaue: I tried to think of a better word, but one didn't occur to
me. Comments?

I tend to agree with you. Democracy can only work in a very small
region like the ancient city states, and even they didn't really have
it as slaves and women were not included.

And in those city-states that form of democracy could produce some nasty
results. There's much to be said for the cushioning effect of our more
remote representative system. But there's always the interesting case
when the Athenians voted to send a force with orders to wipe out the
population of another place (I'm ashamed to say anno domini has wiped it
from my memory), and then, once the force had been dispatched, voted to
change its mind and send a fast ship to countermand the original
orders -- we can't do that.

I think of our jury system: in the old days jurors from a small
community must often have been highly prejudiced. Perhaps our notion of
a disinterested jury is quite different from what was in the minds of
those who evolved the system.

--
Mike.



--
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