Civilizations do better with democracy than autocracy
By Nick Jacobs
How much more fear must be generated by the media’s talking heads, opinion writers, politicians, and others who benefit from division and destruction that may ultimately lead to the potential failure of our democracy?
Although that’s a question best addressed by someone who is much more intelligent than me, I recently got some historical insight into that answer from a close friend who is a committed historian.
During a recent lunch meeting, we discussed everything from episodes of “NCIS” to the current health care system and the impact of the availability of alcohol in certain cultures dating back to ancient times (believe me, the absence or presence of distilled intoxicants made quite a difference in the way people lived, and how their cultures developed).
That, however, was not the crux of our conversation. Instead, we focused on Greece.
Not modern-day Greece, but the Greece that was the center of democracy and progressive culture of its time. To fully comprehend the ultimate destruction and fall of Athens, with its futuristic and progressive emphasis on life and living, my friend suggested that we explore another Greek city, Sparta.
Sparta which, not counting slaves, had a population of less than 5,000 citizens and was infamous for its extremely militarized society. In fact, the citizens of Sparta were known for their military training and discipline.
This is where certain philosophical similarities come into play, as more and more Americans appear to be leaning toward autocracy as their preferred form of government. Sparta controlled every aspect of the lives of their citizens, and the real power of government was primarily in the hands of a few officials whose role was to provide checks and balances over the ruling kings.
If you were a male child in Sparta, you were pressed into service as young as age 6 and expected to be physically fit, tough, and ready for battle at all times. Much of their culture was fear-based – fear of progress, fear of the future, and fear of free-thinking. Consider today’s AI, multiculturalism, environmentalism, and humanism.
Conversely, Athens was focused on artistic and intellectual pursuits where the citizens had the right to participate in decision making via a democratic form of government. They valued education, philosophy, and the arts. In fact, Athens is often referred to as the birthplace of democracy. They had an assembly of 500 citizens chosen by the voters who could decide on the important issues that impacted their lives. Unlike Sparta, Athens was known for great philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, in addition to playwrights like Aeschylus and Sophocles.
I’m hoping you’re beginning to see the relevance between Sparta, Athens, and the current culture wars erupting in the United States. The unfortunate outcome from the conflict between these two Greek cities was that Sparta defeated Athens in the Peloponnesian War in 431-404 BCE. Even though Athens had a strong navy, the Spartans succeeded in the land battles. Then a devastating plague struck Athens, which weakened them both economically and militarily.
The most profound impact of Sparta’s victory was the long-lasting consequences that contributed to the decline and instability of ancient Greece. The power and influence of Greece was forever changed. Between increased internal strife, civil unrest, and power struggles, instability and conflict weakened democracy and resulted in the establishment of oligarchies in a post-war Greek world. A 400-year period of darkness decimated the intellectual progress of the time, and the economic impact of this unrest destroyed infrastructure and trade routes. Most critically, it opened the way for Alexander the Great and his destructive forces to dominate the new world order.
So, if you honestly believe that a world that is not protected by democracy is better, take a long look at history, and then decide. Fear is a powerful and very destructive force. Let us embrace the future, and put this nastiness behind us.
Nick Jacobs is a Windber resident.