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It was an example of the tyrant of pure democracy. Democracy can only work if it’s limited by strong individual rights. Your examples are good, but my favorite

It was an example of the tyrant of pure democracy. Democracy can only work if it’s limited by strong individual rights. Your examples are good, but my favorite example was the battle of Arginusae, a massive Athenian victory which directly led to the fall of Athens. In the Peloponnesian War, Spartas army was supreme, but they could never defeat Athens navy. Finally they crushed it at Methymna, and blockaded the remainder, positionihg the Spartan navy to block trade with Athens and starve them. Athens was forced to build a new fleet manned by inexperienced sailors, and appointed 8 strategoi to lead it against the now vastly superior Spartan navy. Using innovative tactics they won a great victory at Arginusae. But immediately after, the Athenian commanders were unable to rescue survivors from their disabled/sink ships due to a sudden storm. The citizens of Athens, joyous at the amazing victory, now turned sour. The assembly voted to execute the generals. After they were executed, the war turned against Athens and many realized the mistake they made killing their best generals, so they brought similar charges against the instigators of the charges against the generals. Pure democracy is a mob at work.

ue_ 9y ago
On a similar note, Marcuse noted two things in his essay Repressive Tolerance: - If democracy is truly power to the people, then the people should have any power, including the power to subvert their own democracy. These democratic channels are currently (in Marcuse's 1960s and now) being blocked by use of mass media and the methods of presentation and prevailing orthodoxies in fields from literature to economics. - When democratic means are blocked, they may require apparently un-democratic means to open, as a democracy would have to use those blocked routes in order to unblock them, an extra-democratic method is required.

ue_ 9y ago

On a similar note, Marcuse noted two things in his essay Repressive Tolerance: - If democracy is truly power to the people, then the people should have any power, including the power to subvert their own democracy. These democratic channels are currently (in Marcuse's 1960s and now) being blocked by use of mass media and the methods of presentation and prevailing orthodoxies in fields from literature to economics. - When democratic means are blocked, they may require apparently un-democratic means to open, as a democracy would have to use those blocked routes in order to unblock them, an extra-democratic method is required.