Quote:
Originally Posted by snoots
Read this recently in the wake of "300", movie on the Greek defence against Persian invasion.
Great read, cracks along but plenty info. Gives background to all the societies involved, Spartan (Narcisstic Facists), Persian (Nomadic Facists) and Athenian (Democratic Facists). Pretty good re-appraisal of Herodotus as well.
One aspect of Athenian Democracy it describes needs an update and resurrection.
"Ostrakos" whereby once a year the electorate had the option to vote on ostrasizing one of the politicians who had pissed them off most. It wasn't always invoked but was always there as an option, the politician voted had to leave Athens forever, no questions asked.
I say bring it back and keep the buggers on their toes. |
i have a book you may like snoots; let me know and i'll dig it out for you.
'a war like no other' is about the athens vs sparta war. what lends it a certain piquance - as noted by many a reveiwer - is the author is not only a military historian but a military adviser to joj dubya. in contrast to the optimism he has to project through his day job, the thesis of the book is that democracy is more effective than totalitarianism in peace time but cannot defeat it in war.
and from athens - who started with all the cards vs sparta - throughout all history, it has without the exception been the case afaik (the nazis having basically been defeated by stalin)
the book, while specifically focussed on the war in question is really a rumination on this; the athenians do great with technical innovation, are economically more powerful etc, as democracies do and are, but sew resentment amongst those they 'free', while sparta has the unbending 'fascist' dedication a higher national purpose that in the end is unbreakable by forces that depend on democratic consensus.
depressing thesis. but i think it has some legs.