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Re: Kabu
The first democracy in Greece lasted for only twenty years probably because, the strength of the population was low, and they did not havee a collective voice. So, a monarch was a monarch. His word obviously was for his own good, not the populace's. Even in England until the late seventeenth century many attempts were made for a move towards Commonwealth but all failed miserably. Were people to learn from history, mankind would definitely had been much the richer and progressive. 
posted by
anib
on August 19, 2020 at 10:11 PM
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Re: Aba Brother
Yes, Sis Presta, there's a book ' I'm Ok you're Ok', and the same topic has been discussed. Pride, or Hubris as the Greek call it, has been the undoing of many so-called good empires. I think suicide can not be blamed on others because it is momentatary impulse. The person himself too doesn't really know he is committing self-destruction. But then there are always possibilities of abetting one to commit the act. Yes the circumstances those days were definitely different but probably the psychology of human thought has not changed much, IMHO. 
posted by
anib
on August 19, 2020 at 10:03 PM
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Re: Aba Brother
Yes, Sis Presta, there's a book ' I'm Ok you're Ok', and the same topic has been discussed. Pride, or Hubris as the Greek call it, has been the undoing of many so-called good empires. I think suicide can not be blamed on others because it is momentatary impulse. The person himself too doesn't really know he is committing self-destruction. But then there are always possibilities of abetting one to commit the act. Yes the circumstances those days were definitely different but probably the psychology of human thought has not changed much, IMHO.
posted by
anib
on August 19, 2020 at 10:03 PM
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Re: Thank you Corbin,
That was such a good analytical comment pointing out the similarities and dissimilaitoes of autocracy and democracy and the political overtones existing today in the same fashion as that of the centuries back.
posted by
anib
on August 19, 2020 at 9:50 PM
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How sad that even though we have been warned over and over by history and the ancient writings, we humans never learn. It shocked me when i first read that the first Democracy in Greece only lasted for twenty years.
posted by
Kabu
on August 19, 2020 at 2:30 PM
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Aba Brother
Yes, as Corbin says, it is much the same as now. What or who is right vs what or who is wrong. But always Pride is the downfall. However, can one blame someone else for a suicide? Or is there yet another component of wrong here, the taking of one’s own life? In today’s world we understand mental impairment, but perhaps thinking was different then? Good post and quite thought-provoking. 
posted by
Sea_Gypsy
on August 19, 2020 at 11:05 AM
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"Sophocles wants to emphasize that a dictator makes decisions for the benefit of himself, usually; whereas, a democracy will usually make a decision for the benefit of the people. In Antigone, there are political overtones when Creon declares that no one is allowed to mourn Polynices, Antigone's brother."
It sounds rather similar to our political process today...
posted by
Corbin_Dallas
on August 19, 2020 at 4:12 AM
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