What America's Founders Learned From Greeks, Romans | Morning Joe | MSNBC

Author Thomas Ricks continues discussing his new book 'First Principles' and what role religion played in the founding of America. Aired on 11/9/2020.

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What America's Founders Learned From Greeks, Romans | Morning Joe | MSNBC

[BananaJoseph]

Wow. Best content I´ve ever seen on Morning Joe...

[livb]

Wow! A real, interesting, deeply political discussion!! Thank you

[kimberlytucker]

This was the most educational 10 minutes of my life. Such beautiful articulate recapture of our historical leaders. I love whenever Jon Meacham is on. Tom Rick’s words really touched me.

[sharonchew]

Thomas Ricks points out the crux of America's democracy problem: we are being ruled and governed by an oligarchy. Campaign finance laws, among other policies, enable this.

[elizabethagnese]

WOW. THAT WAS A GREAT LESSON REGARDING THE FOUNDERS OF THE REPUBLIC. YOU BROUGHT THE VOICES INTO ALIVENESS, AGAIN.
THANK YOU FOR THIS "PLATOON" OF MINDFUL VOICES. NAMASTE.

[HotelPapa]

"They would regard our campaign system as utterly corrupt"
Not just the Founding Fathers.

[verdimundi]

Great topic, I wish this segment had been much longer!

[Mike-lvvs]

I've always said this to people who would say the USA was founded on the Bible. The USA was founded on evolving concepts of Greek democracy and Roman republicanism. The Fasces, Latin for bundle, are on the wall of the House of representatives symbolizing rods bundled together can't be broken but a single rod can. You can't get any more Roman than that.

[NotExplicable]

When the rich control the state of affairs you have an oligarchy or a shadow oligarchy pulling the strings.

[DavidJ]

As a devout student of stoicism and Greek philosophy, we've learned from Socrates that a democracy is only as good as the education system of any society. Trump's election in 2016 is proof the our education system is in desperate need of improvement. Like math, and English, classes in critical thinking skills should be required in middle school, through high school, and college.

[TheJeweledBird]

I've thoroughly enjoyed this history lesson.

[ravipeiris]

I could listen 👂 to Mr. Meacham all day long.

[BirdmanKen]

I'm sure most would find this segment dull and dry, but after 70 million voters failed the Donald Trump test, a reeducation on America's founding principles and the Constitution is an absolute must.

[bosswomen]

This was an excellent conversation. Absolutely, marvellous. A must hear.

[kqdex]

greece was ahead of its time, no doubt that. i am greek and proud of my country

[imisstoronto]

I think this short clip finally says out loud how the US has evolved, or maybe devolved is a better term, to something quite different from what your founding fathers expected to create.

As the author said, he thinks the founding fathers would be quite horrified at the current state of the United States; see 4:59 onwards the author talks about campaign finance and how the SC has been shaped by Conservative forces.

Short but an interesting conversation. I doubt many Americans would understand that the US of today is nothing how your founding fathers dreamed it would be.

[terribethreed]

TY, TY, TY!
I totally agree with the author in most ways.
It couldn't have been put in any other better way by the author in the end.
And our Founding Father's would be so ashamed of what we've allowed our country to become today.

[billyable]

"This would be the best of all possible worlds without religion" thomas jefferson

[ritazita]

Thank you for having this savvy man, Thomas Ricks, on your program. His point that this country is ruled by an oligarchy, as I say by the 1%, is correct. I think it is beneficial to your audience to have people like this giving another perspective to your 'regular' Meacham.

[bignose]

The Athenians knew that removing people from power was an important part of democracy. They had an extra mechanism called Ostracism that enabled them to do it. People could vote to exile anybody from their city and there was no recourse, no avoiding it, when the people voted to do so. We need such a mechanism these days.