There's also that warning from the Family Compact (that I actually remember learning about in school) about how they thought democracy would devolve into the equivalent of a popularity or beauty contest.

We were supposed to laugh and scoff at their elitism, but I fail to see where they were wrong.

And maybe the big flaw of Western feudalism was in allowing titles to be bought by the merchant class.

And maybe where we all went wrong was in allowing the merchant class to have a say in anything.

There's also that warning from the Family Compact (that I actually remember learning about in school) about how they thought democracy would devolve into the equivalent of a popularity or beauty contest.

We were supposed to laugh and scoff at their elitism, but I fail to see where they were wrong.

And maybe the big flaw of Western feudalism was in allowing titles to be bought by the merchant class.