Comments on: Rule by the Middle Class

By: Cassander

Cassander — Thu, 18 Sep 2014 16:05:59 +0000

This is wonky, but I’d object to the notion that the Marian reforms naturally made troops loyal to their generals. The reason generals often ended up paying their troops was that the Senate often ended up not paying them. Had the Roman Senate been better at paying, the troops would have been better at not rebelling.

As for the idea that Iraq is majority middle class, Iraq has less than half the per-capita GDP of Mexico and is considerably more dependent on oil than it is. It is nowhere near majority middle class, and it shows.

By: James James

James James — Thu, 18 Sep 2014 10:47:39 +0000

So the US and the UK are “majority middle-class”, democratic, and doing just fine? This “majority middle-class” criterion is not enough to stop people from extracting short-term value from the state at the expense of long-term value.

By: Lucklucky

Lucklucky — Thu, 18 Sep 2014 07:39:32 +0000

A very interesting text, but it fails because he doesn’t understand the nature of the “Middle Class”. Here in Portugal the Middle Class is vain enough that it wants to be the Aristocracy — entitled — and the fast way to get Aristocratic privileges — rights that others pay for — is to vote Socialist.

By: JS

JS — Thu, 18 Sep 2014 00:42:14 +0000

I think Obama marks the turning point from when the country is ruled by the middle class to being ruled by the lower class. Aristotle said that democracy ruled by the middle class is best, but usually ends up being rule by the poor. Toqueville said the same thing.

By: Bert E.

Bert E. — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 21:40:15 +0000

You have to be really careful when you speak of Greek democracy. About 80 percent of the populace in ancient Greece was a slave and could not vote ever. And from that remaining 20 percent only about a quarter of those not slaves were allowed to vote.

By: Carl

Carl — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 21:15:32 +0000

“Freedom” seems to have largely replaced it [liberty] sometime in the last century, but without so far doing excessive harm to clarity of public policy discussion.

Hmmm. I think we may have a difference of opinion on what exactly constitutes excessive harm to clarity.

By: Slumlord

Slumlord — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 20:38:19 +0000

The real issue here is who exactly is “middle class”. A middle class income does not make a middle class person.