The Athenian democracy fell to Sparta in 404 B.C. That disaster was not inevitable; it was the result of a series of poor decisions, themselves the result of greed and self-interest on the part of various factions.
Had the Athenians not followed the advice of a charismatic but rash leader, Alcibiades (whom they then exiled, driving him to the other side, where he served as an adviser before returning to Athens to unleash further mischief), they might not have sent their fleet to Syracuse, where it was destroyed. Nor would they have built the wall that “protected” the city — for a short while — but also walled themselves off from their lucrative silver mines and agricultural fields. Had they not walled themselves into crowded conditions, the plague that ravaged Athens in the last years of the Peloponnesian War might have been less severe. If they had not alienated their allies with their arrogance and burdensome taxation, they might not have driven some of them into the Spartan camp, hastening their own isolation and defeat.
In the end, nothing could save the Athenian democracy from itself. There was too much of the arrogance of a great power; too much willingness to follow the lead of impetuous leaders; too much risk, including military actions far from home; too much economic and class division; and there was not the wise conservatism that makes provision for unforeseen events, such as the decimating plague that struck Athens in 430 B.C., continuing until 426, reducing available manpower and upsetting the social order.
History doesn’t repeat, but it rhymes. Under Obama and Biden, America’s military power has been undermined as funds were unwisely shifted to “social justice” and environmental programs. Under Biden, illegal immigration and government spending surged, both to unsustainable levels. Under Biden, America distanced itself from some of its most important allies, including Israel, Britain, and Saudi Arabia. Under Biden, America’s lack of strength emboldened our enemies, leading to the outbreak of war on two fronts and potential wars on others for which we are unprepared. The parallels are many and sobering.
Still, American decline is not inevitable. Yes, there are negative forces at work: divisiveness as progressives become more and more intransigent (now declaring no less than AOC their most popular leader), a selfish and corrupt populace, and the softening effects of affluence.
But still it’s not too late: America can rouse itself and return to greatness, and to the national security and purpose that go with it. As we near the tipping point of national debt and loss of military strength, we can return to health by making sacrifices to restore ourselves. Across-the-board cuts of 10 percent in government spending (except for military), combined with DOGE cuts, would bring budgets into balance. Elimination of entire departments and agencies would be enough to do so. No one, except the bureaucrats who work there, would miss it if a hundred agencies were shuttered. What do Education, Commerce, Job Corps, Teacher Corps, public television and radio, HUD, and a hundred others do for me, except make taxes higher and life more expensive?
In the event of war, much greater sacrifices would be needed than shuttering agencies. Rationing, longer work hours, and less consumption would all be necessary. Plus it would be necessary to accept the loss of young lives on a scale perhaps not seen since WWII. The willingness of the public to accept losses in blood and treasure is a requirement of greatness.
As in ancient Greece, there will be surprises. There has already been an attack of COVID, whether that was deliberate or not, but certainly arising in a Chinese lab. There will be another war, another financial crisis, another housing crisis, further division in our peoples. They will appear to come out of nowhere; they will surprise what has become an aging and complacent population.
One essential factor is our ability to stand up to China, something we can only do by forcing a fair trade agreement. To do so will require sacrifice: higher prices on goods imported from China and perhaps temporary shortages of some goods. That doesn’t sound like a good deal, but it is nothing if it will prevent a shooting war by weakening China economically and militarily.
After Athens fell to Sparta, Athens was occupied by its enemy, and it never returned to the greatness it had once enjoyed. America can remain the dominant country it is only if we work together and sacrifice on behalf of the nation. Specifically, this means giving up benefits of questionable value and shifting funds to defense. It means that the federal budget must be balanced so as to bring about fiscal strength. That means closing entire departments and numerous agencies. The left will protest that Trump is “killing” women and children — the oldest progressive canard in the book — but cuts in meaningless “services” are a small price to pay for the nation’s survival.
There is no reason why American democracy should fall. “A republic, if you can keep it,” Benjamin Franklin said to Elizabeth Powel when asked about our form of government. Prior generations have done a magnificent job of keeping it, but liberals who whine about the deportation of a criminal alien to El Salvador, where he is already a citizen, are undermining our republic just as surely as those who attack it from outside. Americans need to unite in support of mass deportations of illegals, and they need to restore safe cities, free of gangs.
For weeks Democrats used the buzzword “chaos” to attack Trump. What could be more chaotic than demanding the return of an illegal alien in mid-air, or even after he had reached his homeland, where he was jailed for criminal activity?
Athens fell because of divisions between landowners and city-dwellers, between those who would fund the military and those who hesitated, between those who were corrupt and those who were not or who were corrupt in other ways. A republic can be preserved only through unity and a sense of purpose. It may take a crisis to see whether those qualities exist in America. There are too many who care more about Minecraft or Crash4, or about their hair color or next vacation, than about our nation’s defense and the sound fiscal policies that make defense possible.
Our Founders had read history, especially the history of ancient Greece and Rome, and they knew that the survival of a republic depends, above all, on the virtue of its people. Virtue involves self-responsibility, willingness to sacrifice, and strength in the face of obstacles. One can only hope that Americans are more virtuous, in that sense, than they seem at this moment.
Jeffrey Folks is the author of many books and articles on American culture including Heartland of the Imagination (2011).
Pixabay, Pixabay License.
Jesus Christ is King
