Lycurgus on modern America

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One of the glaring handicaps with a Republic attests to the old adage of having too many cooks in the kitchen: the soup is spoiled. What starts out all right---proper ingredients, suitable cookery, eagerness to prepare a delicious dish---gets bogged down in minutiae and ego centrism and conflicting loyalties.

A great many folk like to (claim to)wonder what Jesus would do as if 1) they would adhere to what Jesus would do or 2) Jesus would know what to do. In reading some quotations attributed to Lycurgus, Spartan lawgiver, I was stunned by some things that struck close to home.

We proudly tout our democracy and American way of life as a model for the world. In several respects we're right. Many, many people validate this belief by their stalwart and never ceasing immigration and emigration to America. Who in the hell is beating down the door to get into Beirut or Baghdad or Guatemala; or, hell, Finland?? Lycurgus, however, was not sold on democracy nor what we know as capitalism, both of which are married to the American image and spirit.

To the laconic lawgiver, the best way for Spartans to thwart invasion of their homeland was "by remaining poor, and each man not desiring to possess more than his fellow." BLAM! POW! Take that consumerism!

And what about border control and this long ass fence to keep out desperate Mexicans ad hoc genus? What say you, Lycurgus, on homeland security? Well, Lycurgus, would say, "A city is well-fortified which has a wall of men instead of brick." OOOH SUCK ON THAT!

Too much of a good thing can even be a bad thing and the United States of America may learn, retrospectively, that even the melting pot can hold only so many elements before the soup is spoiled and distasteful.