A Disturbing thought

Being of a pseudo-intellectual disposition, I often come up with ideas that have variously been previously been thought of, proven, debunked, or too outlandish to be considered. In my opinion, a true intellectual is someone who is able to tune at least some of his thoughts to a coherent band, and to act upon them. This is something that I have largely failed to do so far, but that could change.

Anyway, one such thought I had was this: While reading Livy's Early History of Rome, it occurred to me that our democracy could be but a prelude, as Rome's was, to a totalitarian government that will use its powers as the emperors of Rome did. The basic question: Has Democracy reached its zenith?

I put this forward to Mom, and she gave me one of those little knowing smiles and said, "Isn't that what they were worried about with FDR?" FDR, of course, was the longest-serving president ever, and I can envision him becoming a dictator-Julius-Caesar if he had lived.

Anyway, it's an interesting and disturbing thought.