‘Democracy’ Ruins Everything
19th August 2023
Last year, my son Jefferson was studying the Punic Wars — Hannibal, Cannae and all that — and in discussing it with me, remarked that at the time, slaves were about half the population of the city of Rome. These were white slaves, however, and the Roman Empire collapsed long ago, so there’s no “critical theory” or “systemic racism” angle to be exploited for political gain, which is why most people never contemplate the condition of Roman slaves. Of course, considering the general decline of education in this country, most Americans know next to nothing about ancient Rome, and in particular don’t understand the path by which Rome went from a Republic to an Empire. Julius Caesar was aligned with what was called the Populares (democratic) party in Roman politics, whereas Cicero was a leader of the Optimates (aristocratic) party. It was on behalf of “the people,” therefore, that Caesar assumed the dictatorship and, after his assassination led to civil war, it was Caesar’s ally Mark Antony who insisted on Cicero’s assassination.
Some scholarly readers will protest against my drastic oversimplification of this history — necessary for the sake of brevity — but my point is that (a) ancient Rome was not a democracy, and (b) it was the populares who, by their opposition to the senatorial voices of aristocratic tradition, helped pave the way toward the destruction of the Republic and the tyranny of imperial power. “Democracy” ruins everything.