Today is a sea day. So it should be a day for thoughts. However it has ended up being a day of massage and cards. I am however sitting at my computer watching the coast of Greece go by. Greece reminds me of democracy and how we have intertwined democracy with capitalism such that we cannot think of the two as being separate thoughts. It seems to me that in a democracy, the people should be able to choose the form of economic system; and they may not pick capitalism, or any ism for that matter, but they may choose to solve their particular societies problems with economic policy.
We had a rousing game of cards today. Randy was the overall winner and Phyllis was the overall looser. The Duchess and I were somewhere in the middle. The game was called “MAY I” and is a great social form of rummy. Luck of course plays a big part of success, but there is skill too.
Tomorrow we stop at Itea Greece and travel by land to see the Oracle of Delphi. I have been pondering what question I might pose. I welcome all suggestions and since I have solved the riddle of what makes societies or civilizations successful; I will get to that later; I am searching for more questions.
Societies should be measured against Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The first of those needs are those that are most basic. Do people all have food clothing, housing etc. or put another way, do all people have food, shelter, at some level at which they as individuals are not worried about the lack of. It is amazing how many countries would fail that most basic test. Even in the United States there are people who live day to day not knowing where their next meal is. Therefore the United States will not rank very high on my scale.
Perhaps I will ask the Oracle why the most powerful country in the world might rank so low on this scale. What do you suppose she will say? I wonder if the Oracle is a she. I guess if God is a He then the Oracle must be a She. Where is Maureen Dowd when you need her anyway?
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I got to thinking about your comment "Therefore the United States will not rank very high on my scale." and wondered if there is a country that does what you are looking for. The countries that immediately came to my mind are what would be termed socialist. Can you think of any "capitalist" or "democratic" country that would make the list?
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