Ha! Good one, GUEST.

Cllr - You're quite correct that the Greek model of democracy had many flaws, and was not quite so democratic as is generally assumed. I would not select the classical Greeks as the ultimate example of democracy by any means. Many Native American tribes were far more democratic and egalitarian than the Greeks, and the American revolutionaries incorporated many Native American concepts in founding the governmental structure of the USA. This is not an attempt on my part to represent Native American life as ideal, but merely to indicate that they did have some progressive ideas in their social philosophy...ideas worth taking another look at now.

I'm not suggesting doing away with politicians, not by any means. I am suggesting doing away with the entrenched power structures (political parties and big private financial backers) who control politicians at present...and keep them from actually representing the general public...which is what they are supposedly there to do.

All they are really doing now is perpetuating an existing power structure and expanding its control over the population, its money, and its resources by any means possible. Bread and circuses...plus a small war when all else fails to keep up their approval ratings.

- LH