[P2P-F] Fwd: Ancient Athens didn't have politicians. Is there a lesson for us?

[Michel Bauwens]

Hi Mark,

As far as I understand it the original western democracies, and especially
the U.S., were designed as Republics, and explicitely anti-democratic, i.e.
designed to defend the power of the enlightened property owners against the
'mob'. All the more real elements of democracy, such as universal suffrage
of all genders, were imposed later through long-standing social
mobilizations ... The Electoral College is just one example of an technique
specifically aimed at not having the people directly decide ...

Michel



XXX

Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2013 16:05:04 -0600
From: Mark Janssen <dreamingforward at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [P2P-F] Fwd: Ancient Athens didn't have politicians. Is
        there a lesson for us?
To: P2P Foundation mailing list <p2p-foundation at lists.ourproject.org>
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        <CAMjeLr-K=13yqx3x2Z3LOw7ESQT-56xrkQ7+rg=MdGi1NNWt5Q at mail.gmail.com>
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On Fri, Jan 11, 2013 at 9:19 AM, George Dafermos - TBM
<G.N.Dafermos at tudelft.nl> wrote:
> i suppose that was probably meant as a joke, right?
> x,

Hah, I guess I should have clarified.  I mean "nominally" or legally
it has a government of, by, and for the People since the Constitution
remains the "highest" Law of the United States.  Such as it is, if one
were to take the issues to court on where it was failing, the courts
would have to uphold this standard and ideal.  The fact that the
People have let their government deteriorate through neglect, and the
void of power, left thereby, be filled by those with less noble ideals
is a shame.  But, nonetheless, I don't think it can copy Greece's
model of democracy, where it was supposed to be an indivisible unit.

mark
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