Listening to the History of Democracy from The Great Courses in which the instructor explains that the leaders of ancient Rome deliberately opted out of democracy in favor of an emperor. This because they determined the citizens of Rome, who had become fairly affluent, were more interested in entertainment than in the hard work of staying sufficiently informed to effectively rule themselves. (Remember, an informed citizenry is essential for self-governance.) With the evolution of the news media to entertainment and partisan perspectives rather than any credible attempt for journalism, and with our collective desires for fun and leisure, I wonder if we too have not become unable to self-govern. It is a challenge to find unbiased information. And all those providing supposed news are increasingly biased as well as becoming celebrities who tell their audiences exactly what they want to hear in order to secure their large incomes, e.g. Fox News, CNN, Limbaugh and Maddow. All in all, we probably are not sufficiently informed to be an effective democracy.
Posted on: Mon, 12 May 2014 10:05:04 +0000
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