"Our" Democracy

Courtesy of the only great Fabius Maximus, are some excerpts from Money and Class in America by Lewis H. Lapham (1988). He expands on a major Maximus theme of how we have come to see America as a ship in which we sail as passengers — entitled to complain about the decor and service, but about which we feel no responsibility. This is a commonplace in the brief history of democracies, usually found near the end (such as late Republican Rome). It is a reaction to the burden of self-government seen as too heavy for the people. Some helpful person — Caesar, Napoleon, or a lesser version of this type — always comes along to take over the burden. To applause and cheers.

The Maximus blog recommends Latham's book (a great American writer, as in great) in which he describes America as a hotel with a rich (we are in our world) and demanding clientele too lazy to become involved. If you ain't read this guy you have starved your mind. Buy one or two of his old books on the cheap at Amazon, you won't be sorry.