Re: POL: Extropianism and Politics

Michael Lorrey (retroman@turbont.net)
Sun, 21 Mar 1999 11:25:49 -0500

Delvieron@aol.com wrote:

> Sparta,
>
> I found it a very interesting culture....but it's not very Extropian in
> inclination....just look at the Empire of Man that develops. Still, a good
> example of a society constructed to produce outstanding citizens.
>
> I'm actually quite fond of Jerry Pournelle's stories set in the CoDominion.
> Faulkenberg is a great character, as are most of his men.
>

Yes, by the time of King David's Spaceship, the Empire of Man has been through at least one Fall, and moves into a colonialist state, but I think that Sparta is a good example of an optimised constitutional republic (even though the head of state is a 'King' it is a position elected for life). The merit system for citizenship is an excellent means for maintaining a high standard of individual integrity.

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