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Academic Journal Entry- Athens and the Acropolis
The Birthplace of a Systematically Flawed Government
Ancient Athens has been praised for over two millennia on its creation of the democratic way. The democratic system of government that was developed became the model and set precedent for nearly all of western society and what many consider to be the teleological governmental system for all nations. Yet, as I visited Athens and other parts of Greece, I began to take on a very different view of the highly praised and revered cradle of democracy. Through the Acropolis Faculty Directed Practica and other various experiences, I was able to be enlightened on Greek art, architecture, religion, agriculture, and politics both past and present. The more I learned, the more I found myself realizing a certain distain against the so-called democratic system not only in the original model in Athens, but democracy in the many countries across the globe presently.
It is generally agreed that democracy is a form of government made by the people, for the people. However, I learned that this very foundation and principle, although understood in theory, was not and still is not evident in practice among any country. The first framing in Athens already held a fundamental flaw: a schism between the theory of all people having the freedom to participate in the system, and the reality that the voices of the people were continually ignored, silenced, and oppressed. Based on the premise that democratic government is of the people and by the people, in theory all people of Athens should have been able to serve their time and have their voices heard in the direct democracy.However, I learned on my FDP that slaves built the Acropolis and they were not allowed to serve in the political realm. Slaves were deprived of a voice entirely. Clearly, slaves were denied even the status of being "of the people." Women were also denied a voice, the right to participate in political affairs, as well as many other facets of Athenian life. In regards to Socrates, although he did in fact serve as a member of the government for a short period of time and his voice was recognized, his voice was hardly welcomed with open arms-- in fact, it was ultimately silenced by death. Clearly such attempts at oppression and silence do not reflect the theoretical democracy that was designed. Comparatively, in America and other democracies abroad, ones voice is only allowed when the government permits. Many have been arrested and still are being arrested for voicing their dissenting opinions; especially those whose voices begin to hold resonance with the people. Such well-known blemishes such as the Patriot Act and GuantanamoBay iilluminate that the people are not included in political decisions and affairs, and their voices are simply being ignored and in many cases silenced.
While in Athens, I had the honor of spending two days with John, the inter-port student for Greece.During that time I was able to gain a greater understanding of how the Greeks view their democracy both past and present. I asked him several political questions, and then he responded with this answer, "You will understand half of Greek culture if you can understand this saying: Whenever two Greeks meet and have a discussion, there are three opinions." He was very proud that every Greek has his or her own opinion and such opinions are not shunned but are believed to widen and deepen the culture in which Greek society thrives upon. He said he found pride in his country for being a state in which everyone's voices are heard, everyone is free, and all of the people are naturally respected with human dignity. As he spoke, I could see a very strong sense of pride for his country, the same pride that is very evident in so many Americans. I then asked "Do you trust your politicians?" and the mood quickly changed. He replied with a simple "They could be better." He said that it was common to hear how their politicians steal money from the people, and do dirty deals behind closed doors. It seems to me like every country has its own conspiracies. I believe that the people of various democracies have bought into the theory of democracy and hold a very personal connection with it, yet when an individual views the reality of his or her current democracy it is very common to have a distaste for how one's democracy is actually operating. What I find interesting is that both in Greeks and Americans (and I am sure many other peoples of democratic countries) hold such strong sense of pride for their government, rights, freedoms, and liberties. I believe they have become infatuated with the ideas that they have been taught to believe in, rather than pride in actually taking part in exercising such ideas. It seems to be a trend that I have observed, as an activist protestor in San Francisco with several friends that have been arrested during our protests; those who exercise such "rights" tend to have a more grim view on how much freedom one holds in democratic society.
Democracy is a form of government that is highly affective, as it gives the illusion that man is involved and has certain unalienable freedoms; however in reality it is a tactic that keeps man from rising against. The illusion of a welcomed voice allows the people to feel a deep sense of pride for their country and gratitude for their freedoms. It is a popular view, and one that is increasingly appealing. However, when one critically examines the system, he begins to realize that democracy is not a form of government where all people's voices and opinions are welcomed and celebrated; rather they are only tolerated up until a certain extent. Today, we are still mimicking the same story of Socrates. How many people have been thrown in jail for doing nothing more than speaking their mind? Lillian, in our class, has experienced this. How many people were killed abroad (and dare I say America) for questioning authority? This continues to be a pervasive issue in northern Uganda. As I examine such realities, the more I believe that democracy should not be looked at as a teleological form of government. I beg to differ and believe that there must be some better form; one in which the reality of the state reflects the theory behind the structure. I believe that this is a systematic flaw within democracy, and not just an issue within any current administration, because more that two millennia have past since this construct was developed, and yet, we are still mimicking the same trials of Socrates today. There has been little advancement in the structure, and man continues to be fooled into thinking he holds freedoms when in actuality the miniscule action of a spoken idea will still lead a man to his death.
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