Saturday, July 29, 2023 | 2 a.m.
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Not long after Solon established rule of law in Athens, the nation was torn by internal dissent. The causes, Aristotle tells us, were several. First, Solon’s cancellation of the poor’s debt and the attendant derailing of the creditor class’s income. This is similar to student debt cancellation efforts today.
Second, the loss of exclusive legislative power by the wealthy, who then had to share it with other segments of the population. We can compare this with disputes over gerrymandering and efforts to trim access to inner-city voting by a Republican Party worried about permanent loss of power.
Third, the personal rivalries of ambitious politicians leading new factions. A few personalities in both political parties fit this bill today in America.
Pisistratus, who led the populist democratic party in Athens, championed the vote of minorities and immigrants. But he also put together a coalition with bankers who had lost income streams. He came into power twice and was impeached and exiled twice after severe abuses. For example, he disarmed the population and ruled without the legislature. After Pisistratus, the country swung back toward power in the hands of the wealthy. Aristotle says “a revision was made of the citizen-roll” to decrease the number of voters.
Such swings in the balance of power will continue to happen unless our country can re-establish the democracy of the Founders.
We have turned over power to presidents. That is our problem, and returning power to Congress is the solution, just as it was in Greece.
