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BTW if we wanted to look at the classical parallels (Caesar, Rome,
etc.) we should convene an on-going AWARE seminar on a vast and
absolutely brilliant book (sprightly & well-written, too) - <br>
<br>
G. E. M. de Ste. Croix (1982) "The Class Struggle in the Ancient
Greek World: From the Archaic Age to the Arab Conquests." <br>
<br>
It tells the story of
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the gradual but complete eradication of Greek democracy after
Augustus and argues that it was increasing inequality that was the
actual cause of the collapse. <br>
<br>
On 8/9/10 6:04 PM, John W. wrote:<br>
<span style="white-space: pre;">> <br>
> On Mon, Aug 9, 2010 at 12:30 PM, Ron Szoke
<<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:r-szoke@illinois.edu">r-szoke@illinois.edu</a><br>
> <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:r-szoke@illinois.edu"><mailto:r-szoke@illinois.edu></a>> wrote:<br>
> <br>
> <br>
> <br>
> The book referred to is _The Coming Caesars_, by Amaury de
Riencourt <br>
> (Coward-McCann, 1957, 384 pages)<br>
> <br>
> "It is the contention of this book that expanding democracy
leads <br>
> unintentionally to imperialism and that imperialism
inevitably ends<br>
> in destroying the republican institutions of earlier days;
further,<br>
> that the greater the social equality, the dimmer the
prospects of<br>
> liberty, and that as society becomes more equalitarian, it
tends<br>
> increasingly to concentrate absolute power in the hands of
one single<br>
> man" (p. 5).<br>
> <br>
> <br>
> That's absolutely fascinating. I don't know if the thesis is
always<br>
> correct (it seems counterintuitive on its face), but the
writer must<br>
> have been brilliant to come up with a theory like that, and
argue it<br>
> cogently.<br>
> <br>
> <br>
> <br>
> <br>
> This might be compared with Cullen Murphy, _Are We Rome?_:
The Fall<br>
> of an Empire and the Fate of America (2007).<br>
> <br>
> -- Ron<br>
</span><br>
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