Chapter 10 4. The Appearance of Democracy

The morning sunshine of the Aegean Sea has always been charming, and most residents of Athens get up very early.As the head of the city-state, Pericles had a simple breakfast early, kissed his girlfriend goodbye and went to work. His girlfriend is a foreign resident, so he can only live together and cannot get married. This matter was a headache for Pericles, because it meant that their son Pericles Jr. would not be able to become a citizen of Athens.Of course, the treatment of foreign residents is not bad, equal pay for equal work, and freedom to come and go.Their contributions can also be recognized and respected by the city-state.For example, Hippocrates, the father of medicine, and Herodotus, the father of history, are all foreign residents.But unless a charter is granted, a foreign resident cannot have political rights and has no say in the public affairs of the city-state, even if he is the son of Pericles.

To make matters worse, this law on citizenship was proposed by Pericles himself during his reign.It's just that there was no live-in girlfriend who fascinated him at that time. This is really an out-and-out approach to suicide. But Pericles could only swallow the bitter pill, even though he was the most powerful man in the city-state of Athens.In fact, Pericles not only held a high position and weight, but also made unparalleled contributions to the city-state.It was under his rule that Athens went to glory and reached its peak, so that this period was called the "Golden Age of Pericles".Athens in this period was also proudly called "the school of the Greeks" by Pericles himself.

Pericles can be equivalent to Dayu or Duke Zhou. However, the treatment of Pericles is far worse than Dayu and Duke Zhou.As a citizen, he has no privileges or enjoyments, and can only live with others in an ordinary residential area, with adobe walls and terracotta tiles on the pitched roof.As an elected general, he can only take orders from the Citizens' Assembly.He even had to accept the fact that he was tried at the Citizens' Assembly and sentenced to huge fines and dismissal. This happened in 430 BC, the year after Pericles delivered his "Funeral Speech for the Fallen."It was in this famous speech that Pericles enthusiastically eulogized the democratic system of Athens, thinking that only such a system is the most reasonable.Only such a system can guarantee the prosperity of the Greek city-states and the happiness and well-being of the Greek people.His speech was so sincere and truthful, he didn't expect that the system that he would soon praise, slapped his teeth all over the place.

Churchill had a similar fate. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who led the anti-fascist struggle, was also killed by his people after the victory by using the democratic system. In July 1945, the Conservative Party was defeated in the British general election.Churchill, who was attending the Potsdam Conference, could only walk off the stage dejectedly.It is said that after hearing the news, Churchill, who had been hit in the head, made such a famous saying: Great nations are always ungrateful to their great people. Churchill's mood at the moment, I am afraid that only he knows.

In fact, this is exactly what the ancient Greek writer Plutarch said of Pericles.Moreover, we must add one more sentence: Such a nation must advocate democracy.In fact, only citizens of democratic countries are so "ungrateful". More importantly, only citizens of such a country can do this. Because the essence of democracy is "sovereignty rests with the people, power is delegated by the people". Yes, the public power of the country does not belong to any one person, nor does it belong to any family, but belongs to all the people. It is everyone among all the people who partly transfers their "private rights", and then they jointly form and become "public power".The ruler who uses public power is only the agent of all the people who have transferred their private rights.Therefore, he must be elected by the people and be authorized; he must be responsible to the people and be supervised; he must also have a certain term of office and be changed through elections.Lifelong tenure must not be democracy.

Therefore, citizens of democratic countries must be "ungrateful".Although they value what you have done in the past and how well you have done, they care more about what you will do in the future and what you want to do.Churchill was replaced for this reason.Similarly, citizens of democracies are not immune to being deceived.This is the case with the fall of Pericles and the rise of many not so good presidents and prime ministers.But there are term limits for leaders in democracies.Therefore, if you choose the wrong person by mistake, you can buy regret medicine.It can be seen that democracy is "a system that can correct its own mistakes."Therefore, it is currently the "least bad system".

This is democracy.It is what it is, whether you like it or not.