“A 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, followed always by a dictatorship. The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations has been 200 years.”
—Alexander Fraser Tytler
George Putnam used to broadcast the steps democracies passed though on the way from inception to detruction. I believe there were something like 12 or 13 steps in his version of this. I wish I knew where I could put my hands on the listing. We are at about step 11 or 12 right now in our national experience.
thx. That was what I was originally looking for.
John / Billybob
P.S. to All: Any quote that comes without a reliable source citation should be disregarded. That’s how frauds like Lincoln’s admonitions, and the Desiderata, get started.
Good reference quote. Good job.