For all it's flaws the ancient world had one thing right, only the upper decile or so have any hope of properly understanding what makes a society functional. But the remainder of the population will be absolutely furious if that is ever pointed out to them. So they made up something about divine rights to dole out lands to those upper performers and charged them with turning all the local idiots into something useful.
Any successful society must learn to subtly harness the power of idiots and midwits, they're just too numerous to waste. And one of the more successful strategies through history has been crafting a mythology to guide them and allow them.to be lead without hurting their pride.
In present day the left has effectively reversed the enlightenment which turned all the clergy into scholars, and have instead turned all their scholars into clergy, and it's been very effective. Whilst the right have abandoned most of their old myths of national greatness and patriotism and seem instead to have settled on pure wealth and pedigree as the magic power that makes people worthy of leading. But where capital inheritance is almost guaranteed, competence inheritance is more of a probability spread. So a good few of their mythological leaders are idiots themselves handed reins they have no idea what to do with and their performance shows it. Plus the right's mythological leaders don't have to make a show of true beliverism like the left's clergy do, so they are way more free to engage in greedy backstabbing and selling out their own whilst still somehow holding on to their legitimacy.
the problem with elites holding the reins is that it inevitably leads to collapse. as generations go by, and elites are born into elite life, their position is taken more and more for granted. eventually their distant children have a more skewed view of the world than the lowly peasants do, and the unrest begins to fester (you are here). barring a voluntary and peaceful change in the ruling class, elites eventually get overrun and destroyed without mercy. This destruction comes either from the peasants, or neighboring societies looking to capitalize on the weakness.
It happened with Nero, it happened with Mary Antoinette, it happened with Tsar Nicholas, and it will happen here eventually. The time from inception to destruction varies greatly, but it goes without fail.
Half baked idea formulated on the spot ahead:
For all it's flaws the ancient world had one thing right, only the upper decile or so have any hope of properly understanding what makes a society functional. But the remainder of the population will be absolutely furious if that is ever pointed out to them. So they made up something about divine rights to dole out lands to those upper performers and charged them with turning all the local idiots into something useful.
Any successful society must learn to subtly harness the power of idiots and midwits, they're just too numerous to waste. And one of the more successful strategies through history has been crafting a mythology to guide them and allow them.to be lead without hurting their pride.
In present day the left has effectively reversed the enlightenment which turned all the clergy into scholars, and have instead turned all their scholars into clergy, and it's been very effective. Whilst the right have abandoned most of their old myths of national greatness and patriotism and seem instead to have settled on pure wealth and pedigree as the magic power that makes people worthy of leading. But where capital inheritance is almost guaranteed, competence inheritance is more of a probability spread. So a good few of their mythological leaders are idiots themselves handed reins they have no idea what to do with and their performance shows it. Plus the right's mythological leaders don't have to make a show of true beliverism like the left's clergy do, so they are way more free to engage in greedy backstabbing and selling out their own whilst still somehow holding on to their legitimacy.
the problem with elites holding the reins is that it inevitably leads to collapse. as generations go by, and elites are born into elite life, their position is taken more and more for granted. eventually their distant children have a more skewed view of the world than the lowly peasants do, and the unrest begins to fester (you are here). barring a voluntary and peaceful change in the ruling class, elites eventually get overrun and destroyed without mercy. This destruction comes either from the peasants, or neighboring societies looking to capitalize on the weakness.
It happened with Nero, it happened with Mary Antoinette, it happened with Tsar Nicholas, and it will happen here eventually. The time from inception to destruction varies greatly, but it goes without fail.
still lead by an opposing faction of the elites either way
fair, but it still comes. a dissatisfied populace or weak leadership would make a country ripe for conquering.