Primary losers deserve respect for courage, dedication to run

 In his magnum opus, The Rise of Athens, Everitt notes that Athens was not always a democracy. The city goes through periods of aristocratic domination, oligarchy, and more or less productive tyranny, until fatigue from political struggle finally surrenders to demos (government of the people) who hold political power or "dominance". (Kratos).

Like our own system, Athenian democracy was founded by the nobility of the time. Unlike our republic, it was direct – thousands of people came together to create and enact basic policies. Relied on sneaky bets. It means a willingness to spend little time and effort on politics. Without an active and actively engaged populace, the system will either fail or revert to tyranny or oligarchy, and the whole chaotic mess will start all over again. Plato's old saw basically boils down to "If you refuse to participate in community politics, condemn yourself to the donkey rule."

"By the people, for the people" rules require more than the occasional voting element (though not much without voting). Without these people, voters can't decide anything. We are too big to make decisions on a hill, as the Athenians did, so we elect those who represent our interests. We just finished the Florida primaries and need to say a nice word about the losers... not the winners, but the losers. Choosing to run for office in the current dramatic climate requires inner strength, a commitment to a public role, and a willingness to put your ideas to the test in public. is.

It takes an act of faith to wake up one day and pay to qualify. Trust in the system, trust in your beliefs, and trust that your candidacy represents some level of your community. Even if you lose, you win because you articulated your belief in the effectiveness of government and set an example for others. They could speak up and be tested.

#dedication #sports #games