Former Supreme Court Justice on the Danger of "Pervasive Civic Ignorance" in the US

Former Supreme Court Justice on the Danger of "Pervasive Civic Ignorance" in the US

Good video and commentary by Justice David Souter. (PBS News Hour, Sep 17, 2012)

I don’t worry about our losing a republican government in the United States because I’m afraid of a foreign invasion. I don’t worry about it because of a coup by the military, as has happened in some other places. What I worry about is that when problems are not addressed people will not know who is responsible, and when the problems get bad enough — as they might do for example with another serious terrorist attack, as they might do with another financial meltdown — some one person will come forward and say: ‘Give me total power and I will solve this problem.’

That is how the Roman republic fel. Augustus became emperor not because he arrested the Roman senate. He became emperor because he promised that he would solve problems that were not being solved.

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yeah, but the roman empire (vs republic) grew to it's greatest heights (in terms of civic expansion, technology, etc) under an emperor so.......

Only to disappear off the face of the Earth?

Yea, you're right! [/sarcasm]

To be fair, Sulla was the first roman person to take over the republic and make reforms. He gave power back... then another guy named Julius took it upon himself to do the same.

Reading his wikipedia reminds me how much I hate the melodrama of politics.

The National Organization for Women opposed Souter's nomination and held a rally outside of the Senate during his confirmation hearings. The president of NOW, Molly Yard, testified that Souter would "end freedom for women in this country."

The nine senators voting against Souter included Ted Kennedy and John Kerry from Souter's neighboring state of Massachusetts. These senators, along with seven others, painted Souter as a right-winger in the mold of Robert Bork. They based their claim on Souter's friendships with many conservative politicians in New Hampshire.

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It wasn't uncommon during the Republic for a magister populi to be appointed during a time of crisis for the purpose of dealing with a specific threat or problem. This happened on many occasions throughout its history, and on almost all of those occasions power was handed back over, and if it wasn't, it was taken back by the patricians.

Our founding fathers actually created an exclusive organization named after one of the most famous of these dictators, Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus, called the Society of the Cincinnati. And, as ITC pointed out, the achievements of Roman Empire far outstripped those of the Republic during the Julio-Claudian dynasty and Nerva-Antonine Dynasty.

I actually agree with Souter that I think this country will end or decline significantly when power becomes too centralized. However, I don't think it will occur in the dramatic naming of a dictator. It will happen when the failure of the judicial branch to check the power of the legislative and executive branches reaches completion, when the Constitution erodes to such a degree that the rule of law will be subject to the wild excesses of the people. Ironically, Souter has helped us along in that regard, so thanks for that, buddy.

Math, Reading, and Science. Only these three remain.