| Plato criticizes the democratic city because, he | | | | still some parallels. |
| says, under this type of leadership, everyone is | | | | Few would argue that some of our public |
| free to do as he likes with no real respect for | | | | officeholders seem grossly unqualified for the job. |
| authority. Consequently, this unbalances the | | | | Indeed, it seems that the main qualifications for a |
| stability of the Ideal State and makes it worse. | | | | politician to be elected today is a toothy smile, a |
| Plato goes on to say that the leaders in a | | | | firm handshake, and a line of rhetoric that will win |
| democratic city are not required to have any | | | | over the voters. A brilliant example would be the |
| training at all. Their only qualifications lie in their | | | | strong showing of Ross Perot in the 1992 |
| ability to make friends with the people. This point | | | | Presidential race. If he had refrained from dropping |
| seems to lend to one of Plato's main themes in | | | | out and reentering, he may have actually had a |
| Book VIII of "The Republic", namely, that none of | | | | chance to win-his only qualifications being a fat |
| the rulers in any of the regimes that he discusses | | | | wallet, shrewd business skills, and an endearing line |
| are enlightened rulers. | | | | of rhetoric. |
| It is hard to say that Plato does not have a point | | | | While this does, indeed, seem scary, Plato's Ideal |
| here. Although the democratic city that he | | | | State probably seems even more scary to 21st |
| discusses is different from what we think of | | | | century thinking. His city is far too suppressive |
| today when we think of democracy, there are | | | | and single-minded for today's way of thinking. |