[Polybius]

If someone could tell me why South Korean students are rioting against America, who has been saving their sorry rear ends for a half century, I would appreciate your comments on this outrageous ingratitude.

They are following the cycle of "Anacyclosis" from slavery to freedom and back to slavery which the historian Polybius described over 2,000 years ago.

Then as long as some of those survive who experienced the evils of oligarchical dominion, they are well pleased with the present form of government, and set a high value on equality and freedom of speech. But when a new generation arises and the democracy falls into the hands of the grandchildren of its founders, they have become so accustomed to freedom and equality that they no longer value them, and begin to aim at pre-eminence; and it is chiefly those of ample fortune who fall into this error. So when they begin to lust for power and cannot attain it through themselves or their own good qualities, they ruin their estates, tempting and corrupting the people in every possible way. And hence when by their foolish thirst for reputation they have created among the masses an appetite for gifts and the habit of receiving them, democracy in its turn is abolished and changes into a rule of force and violence. For the people, having grown accustomed to feed at the expense of others and to depend for their livelihood on the property of others, as soon as they find a leader who is enterprising but is excluded from the houses of office by his penury, institute the rule of violence; and now uniting their forces massacre, banish, and plunder, until they degenerate again into perfect savages and find once more a master and monarch.

[pfony1]

Simply BRILLIANT! Now, I have to read a some more of Polybus' contribiutions to our common civilization.

In a way, Polybus has explained why children of priviledge, such as Senators Kerry, Dodd, Kennedy and Clinton are working so hard to overthrow American values.

I certainly hope someone learns how to convert self-pride into patriotism -- before it is too late.

[CHARLITE]

"They are following the cycle of "Anacyclosis" from slavery to freedom and back to slavery which the historian Polybius described over 2,000 years ago."

Your posted reply is magnificent; - truly outstanding. Thank you very much for such an erudite contribution to our attempts to comprehend the rampant anti-Americanism in a country all the way around the world, for which so much American blood has been sacrificed.

I really appreciate your historical reference. There really isn't anything new under the sun. Is there? It is all cyclical, it seems.

BTW, what part of the "cyclical" theory (or rhythm) does the current militant Islam signify? One could say that they are analagous to the nordic and slavic barbarians which invaded and finally defeated the Roman Empire, (as well as the Iberian peninsula) but in my mind, they are worse.

Your thoughts?

Thanks again.

Char

[Hop A Long Cassidy]

Great post, but by chance did Polybius crib Plato's Republic, Book VIII?

Plato lived about 200 years earlier than Polybius. His famous work was The Republic and was often quoted or adapted by other Greek writers.

I recall Plato's Republic as being the source of:

Democracy -> Anarchy -> Dictatorship -> Oligarchy -> Democracy

Here's some interesting posts on Polybius and Plato:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polybius
203 bc - 120 bc Greek historian famous for his book called The Histories, or The Rise of the Roman Empire.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plato
427 bc - 347 bc, immensely influential classical Greek philosopher, student of Socrates, teacher of Aristotle.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_%28Plato%29
The Republic - Plato dialog

Here's an English text version of The Republic at gutenberg.org (just search for 'VIII' to read the section):
http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext98/repub11.txt

Hoppy