Quote:
Originally Posted by SaintessHeart
Not sure if trolling or having a literacy problem.
Send a memo to Reuters and AFP for us please. And the PLAN.
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Did reporters from those organizations go into Syria and find chemical weapons or did they simply gather their news from the same sources the rest of Europe and the United States got theirs?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Solace
Absolute power corrupts absolutely. This is true no matter the form of government. It's possible to have a benevolent dictatorship, but historically speaking, they don't last very long, the transitions are brutal, and the new guy will probably be worse than the one he replaced. If not immediately, soon after.
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I've heard that saying a million times, so I will quote one I prefer. “The conscience of a moral personality is far greater protection against the misuse of office than supervision of parliament or separation of powers.”
It's true that throughout history great empires have fallen into decadence and corruption after the deaths of their benevolent leaders (Akhenaton, King Rishabha, King Asoka, Nezahuacoyotl), which is why it's of the utmost importance that the state control reproduction, to limit those who are naturally selfish and increase the numbers of naturally empathetic people in the same way Socrates suggests we breed a soldier class in the republic. My only contention with his idea is that I think all citizens should be soldiers. Genes are only responsible for around 50% of an individual's disposition but you can supplement that with social work programs for adults, proper schooling and extra curricular activities that build social and team skills for children, and promoting a culture that does not reward selfish behavior or glorify amorality. In that way, if the masses themselves are better, the likelihood of a great leader being born as a compassionate individual increases, making the selection of the new leader much more stable.