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From Scottish Historian, Alexander Tyler
Posted by cb29 on March 4, 2009
“Democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations has been 200 years.
Great nations rise and fall. The people go from bondage to spiritual truth, to great courage, from courage to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to selfishness, from selfishness to complacency, from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependence, from dependence back again to bondage…”
The context of the above refers to a discussion of the Athenian empire, but in light of recent events, it seems fitting here.
Discuss.
Hal Meeks said
In what publication did Tyler make this statement?
Oliver Renick said
I’m actually not sure Hal, it’s just a quote that’s continually attributed to him.