Re: OT ; Re: The joy of FORTRAN

On Tue, 1 Oct 2024 22:00:58 -0000 (UTC), Lawrence D'Oliveiro wrote:

And the USA? Some call it a “democracy”, and it does seem close to the
Athenian model -- perhaps a bit too close. Other nations have taken the
“all people are created equal” idea a bit more seriously, by observing
the obvious corollary: if everybody is equal, their votes should count
equally, too.

Unfortunately it is only an 'idea' not a reality. This was understood in
the Manusmṛti.  The Rígsþula from pre-Christian Europe didn't have as many
distinction but follows the pattern. 'Equality' was an Enlightenment
concept that grew out of 'we're all god's children'.

I'm sure you know people who have made shambles of their personal lives.
They should have a vote? Democracy leads to mediocrity and worse.