You raise a good point in just a sentence, Lee. The Greeks’ real innovation wasn’t democracy–counting noses to discover the prevailing opinion is so easy even a caveman could do it, and I’m sure they did. It’s a quintessentially social primate thing to do.

The Greek innovation is, to my mind, infinitely more subtle and profound: Equality before the law. “Isonomia”, meaning literally “my name is just as good as yours when we go before the judge”.

The Romans refined it further in the very early days of the Republic, when they declared that there would be only one body of law. Rich men could no longer make their own laws and hire the private armies to enforce them.

I think that the fundamental danger facing America these days is losing sight of isonomia. Somebody ought to whisper the word to the OWS protesters so they can finally put a name to what’s missing from America these days.

I brought up the “Speech or Debate” clause as a necessary exception to isonomia, to protect separation of powers. But it’s one of those exceptions that literally proves the rule: It takes a threat as serious as destruction of our system of government to justify carving out even that one little exception to isonomia.

Bad things generally happen when The People get a wild hair and start trying to use the Constitution as a weapon against some despised group. Even when that group is ourselves, as was the case with Prohibition; or a group that so richly deserves it like our political class. That’s abuse of the Constitution and we always lose in the long run.

Does the law only apply to the commoners, or to those who make the laws as well?

The law shall apply to everyone equally, or to none at all.

I posted a chart back on Oct. 23 showing higher education costs outracing even medical costs. But unlike the medical industry, the academic community has a certain political immunity.

I’m glad you labeled your post sarcasm because after a long day, I get tired of this shit.

By the way, I replied to one of your posts in the “All occupiers are the “99 percent” thread. I thought you might have appreciated it. I’m not a bowser groupie or attention whore but if i put in an effort, I’d at least like to know someone read it.

With the original Zone, a post would float to the top when someone replied. Not with ******* WordPress.

Do we want people who would be content with working for less? There have to be perks if million dollar bonuses are not an option. In order to get quality people. Honest, honorable people. People with the interests of their country, the US of A, at heart and not trillion dollar corporations.

And we need healthy representatives. That’s obvious. And representatives whose wives are free to supplement their meager income, lobbying and assisting their devoted husbands.

Imagine the kind of government we’d have if we didn’t provide what we do? Unlimited income in the form of “honorariums” and campaign donations is nothing when you consider we get these people’s souls. Their hearts.

No, I’m sorry. These abused people need, deserve and earn everything we can give them.

(Seeing as how it’s me, I would like to add the entire post is bullshit, sarcastic, and evil-spirited.)

Arf

See? All better now?

*BEG*

It rings a bell with me on the health care issue. I think we have nothing with the Obama plan and we will never have anything as long as Congress can enact one healthcare plan for themselves and another for the rest of us.

There must be one option for everybody. Get on the plan or pay out of pocket. I would prefer to see it administered by private carriers. Can we afford it? Probably not, but until we can, the government should stay out of the business of throwing bones to the masses. Anything they enact will be crap if they aren’t required to live with it.

No, something is not better than nothing. It is just smoke and mirrors that has a negative effect for every positive effect.