Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Barack Periander Obama

There are parallels between Barack Obama and Periander, second of the tyrants of ancient Greece.


Both are patrons of the arts, swept into power by befriending the masses against the rich.

He fostered wealth by the steady encouragement of industry and by drastic legislation against idleness, luxury and vice; and the highest prosperity of the Corinthian handicrafts may be assigned to the period of his rule. At the same time he sought to check excessive accumulation of wealth in individual hands and restricted the influx of population into the town. Employment was found for the proletariat in the erection of temples and of public works. Periander further appears as a patron of literature, for it was by his invitation that the poet Arion came to Corinth to organize the dithyramb.
If you include his desire for mandatory civilian service, that bit about legislation against idleness even fits.

If he were the slightest bit willing to curtail illegal immigration, Obama would be a dead ringer for a 3,000-years-gone dictator.


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3 comments:

Anonymous said...

His fondness for the great Roman Emperor Arugula might also indicate his similarity to that famous Greek General Coriander. ~JimmySpice

Loren Heal said...

I think little Barry Periander is a mustard seed that grew into the biggest dillweed on the planet.

Anonymous said...

You know, Loren, by Grandmama used to grow dill for pickling by the 40' row and I would help her weed it. If you didn't keep it hemmed-in, it would take over like a weed! Hence, dillweed.

And now, look at the price of dill! It's like $5/oz. I'm in the wrong business. ~JimmyTheVegetable

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