On Plato's Republic...
"Degeneration of leadership is brought about by the leader identifying the interest of his own office with his own profit and not with the welfare of the governed. For Plato, economic self-interest and political power must be kept separate and not be allowed to work in combination to the disadvantage of the state.

Plato believed that not only the democracy, but also the oligarchy of the Thirty had gone astray because political leaders, blinded by their own self-interests, neglected the interest of the state as a whole. Political power seemed to attract persons who lacked the prerequisite qualities of leadership: intelligence, integrity and selfless concern for the welfare of the governed. Intelligence is central to the Platonic view of leadership. Qualification for the wielding of political power must be based on the possession of superior intelligence, not superior physical force. From intelligence springs a knowledge of moral truths and a correct vision of the function of political power as serving the interests of the governed. The interests of the state must have priority over the interests of any individual. "
http://ablemedia.com/ctcweb/netshots/republic.htm


Thousands of years have gone by and everything is still the same.... :rolleyes: :D

Yaba Daba! :m:

Okay, and what's yer' point? Now that you've discovered the one great truth of the world of politics, what do you suggest?

Baron Max

I suggest americans are legally retarded.... :bugeye:

...
Aaaaaaand Bush is NOT an actual "Republican", as Plato would have labeled...

Aaaaaaand Bush is NOT an actual "Republican", as Plato would have labeled...
Times have changed, meanings have changed, and people have gotten stupider, especially Bush.

Yes. It is hopeless..... :rolleyes: :D
Yaba Daba! :m:

Plato, the philosopher, believed philosophers should rule. Amazing. Sadly, politics is a cess pool that few decent people want to wade into. Bush is probably about the best we are likely to get. The best solution is to limit the power of government so as to limit the damage these less than ideal leaders can inflict.

Errr... Mankind have had way better leaders then Bush......

I wasn't saying Bush was the greatest leader in the history of mankind. That, of course, was Reagan :) . Politics has always been a dirty business, but nowadays it's even worse. Between the campaign finance laws, the media and what not, you've got to basically be a whore to get elected. Bush is, in my opinion, basically a decent guy and is probably about the best we can hope for.

That, of course, was Reagan :) .
Nuh-Uh... (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesar_Augustus) ;)

Plato, the philosopher, believed philosophers should rule. Amazing. Sadly, politics is a cess pool that few decent people want to wade into. Bush is probably about the best we are likely to get. The best solution is to limit the power of government so as to limit the damage these less than ideal leaders can inflict.


the best we can hope for? hey im not an american citizen or anything, im from england but i wanna just give my 2 pence. i liked clinton put that man back in power,


Clinton


peace

Nuh-Uh... (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesar_Augustus) ;)
OK, Augustus Ceasar may have been even better than Reagan. Maybe. Have you seen the HBO series: Rome? In the episode I just watched, Brutus is plotting against Ceasar which will clear the way for young Octavius...Anyway, it's a pretty good show.

I wasn't saying Bush was the greatest leader in the history of mankind. That, of course, was Reagan :) . Politics has always been a dirty business, but nowadays it's even worse. Between the campaign finance laws, the media and what not, you've got to basically be a whore to get elected. Bush is, in my opinion, basically a decent guy and is probably about the best we can hope for.
Sounds hopeless......

:D

Sounds hopeless......

"The People" elected those goverment representatives to lead the nation. That's exactly what our elections are supposed to do. Just because you don't like something, please remember that you are only ONE voter.

Baron Max

I'm not american (thank God) so I'm not really a voter.

Aaaaaand.... democracy is based on ad populum fallacy....

I'm not american (thank God) so I'm not really a voter.

Aaaaaand.... democracy is based on ad populum fallacy....

Just out of curiosity, what's wrong with being American?

Nothing wrong! What is bad about being american is having to stand and deal with your stupid president! :eek:

... and salvage capitalism, of course....

Yaba Daba! :m:

Just out of curiosity, what's wrong with being American?

Well, you can do what a lot of people here do .....just make up something, and write it out in "horror and terror language" ...make it "sensational", then anyone here will believe it and jump on the band wagon.

Baron Max

Nothing wrong! What is bad about being american is having to stand and deal with your stupid president! :eek:

... and salvage capitalism, of course....

Yaba Daba! :m:

Ok, because from your other post made it sound like being American was some sort of horrible plague. I'm American and I take a lot of offense to those who talk about all Americans being stupid fucktards.

As for standing up and dealing with our President, that's not such a bad thing. Atleast we can do it without having to worry about going to jail or being blugeoned to death by those who think he is "The Man."

Baron,

Eh, one could but why? I feel one should taken a non-objective look at all the facts before they go opening their blowhole about a subject, esp. things like Iraq, terrorism, Islam, etc. I know a lot of people around here don't, while some appear to. But I guess that's politics and ignorance for you.

Ok, because from your other post made it sound like being American was some sort of horrible plague. I'm American and I take a lot of offense to those who talk about all Americans being stupid fucktards.
Not all americans are "stupid fucktards"... :p

As for standing up and dealing with our President, that's not such a bad thing. Atleast we can do it without having to worry about going to jail or being blugeoned to death by those who think he is "The Man."
That's true. Too bad theIraqui people don't have the same luck.

Yaba Daba! :m:

Not all americans are "stupid fucktards"... :p
Glad we got that cleared up. :cool:


That's true. Too bad theIraqui people don't have the same luck.

Yaba Daba! :m:

Yeah, well, we all get shit on at some point in our lives no matter where we are/come from.

Well, you can do what a lot of people here do .....just make up something, and write it out in "horror and terror language" ...make it "sensational", then anyone here will believe it and jump on the band wagon.

Baron Max
That's called having a heart. You might want to go ask the wizard about getting one.