Shadows of the Acropolis

by Richard C Lyons

Overview

Do you wonder why, as a citizen, it seems that you are no longer represented? Do you wonder why half the nation is incensed no matter who is the President? Do you wonder why the nation feels so politically divided? Do you wonder why people in this country are polarized and enmity between each side is on the rise? Do you wonder why people in the media speak in many tongues providing different "truths?" Do you wonder why our politics have become a matter of name calling, closed-door maneuverings and political persecutions rather than a matter of respectful debate between parties of mutual respect and good intent? Do you wonder why we seem to be reaching for solutions, not through democratic processes, but through intrigue, hatred and violence? You have the right book in your hands right now - As we must set about to actually "know" our nation as she is... at this pivotally important moment.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780985728793
Publisher:	Lylea Creative Resources, LLC
Publication date:	08/15/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	441
Sales rank:	534,968
File size:	6 MB

Editorial Reviews

11/07/2022

Lyons devotes this second volume of his sweeping study of the history of American democracy (following The DNA of Democracy) to the fractious 20th and early 21st centuries, starting with Woodrow Wilson’s Hegelian conviction that the ideal state, led by its leader and separated via bureaucracy from direct contact with “the disputatious mess of politics,” could guide humanity toward “progress” and an increasing unity. “This is the DNA of tyranny,” Lyons argues, “and it has been spliced into the DNA of our democracy.” He makes his case with clarity and power as he surveys Wilson’s and subsequent administrations, highlighting abuses of a growing government, like the IRS bringing suit, under Roosevelt, against Andrew Mellon for the exploitation of legal tax breaks. Throughout, Lyons charts the growth of “leviathan”—the administrative state.

Rather than an embodiment of the “national will,” this administrative state, with its increasingly concentrated power and engineered patina of “moral superiority,” represents a “road away” from the individual liberties whose development Lyons charted in the first book, as well as a threat to religious organizations and opposition parties. Lyons’s disgust at the leveling of neighborhoods for “projects” during the Johnson administration (a plan from a “coterie of ‘Harvards’ … to restructure the fundamentals of human society”) will resonate even with Big Government defenders, though his depiction of Ronald Reagan as “a modern American knight” who “dared to tilt an effective spear in the castle’s direction” likely won’t.

Lyons musters ample evidence that government “will develop territoriality, staking claim over what it governs to the furthest possible expanse.” Less persuasive are presumptions of bad faith on the part of bureaucrats and agencies, exemplified by the declaration, in an outraged consideration of investigations into alleged collusion between Donald Trump and Russia, that the administrative state launched “a conspiracy to remove a lawfully elected President from office.” Lyons accuses the state and media of drawing the most damning conclusions from incomplete evidence, but does not resist that same temptation.

Takeaway: This survey of the last century of American democracy charts and assails the rise of the administrative state.

Great for fans of: Peter Zavodnyik’s Rise of the Federal Colossus, Randall G. Holcombe’s Liberty in Peril.

Production grades Cover: B Design and typography: A- Illustrations: N/A Editing: A- Marketing copy: A

BookLife Reviews

Praise for Volume I, The DNA of Democracy

" Deeply researched and fi lled with historical references, The DNA of Democracy offers a fresh perspective on the idea of democracy. It is a critical work that comes across as a vital reference to historians, students of political science and anyone interested in the art of governance. This book is intelligently written, well researched, and filled with fascinating ideas."

Readers' Favorite

"Impressively presented, The DNA of Democracy is extraordinarily informative and thought-provoking. The DNA of Democracy is an especially and unreservedly recommended for students, academia, political activists, politicians, and nonspecialist general readers with an interest in the subject." Midwest Book Review

"The DNA of Democracy by Richard C. Lyons is like no other history or political science book you've read before. There's simply no way to read this book and not walk away with a richer understanding of humanity's past."

Self Publishing Review"

From the Publisher