Those who’ve read our PEOPLE OF THE LONGHOUSE quartet of books already know why American democracy–and modern democracies around the world–are different from classical Greek democracy.  People like Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin valued and incorporated Iroquoian  democratic principles into the fabric of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.  Women, of course, were still excluded from voting.  In Iroquoia everyone voted, women, children, and often prisoners of war were allowed to vote.  

Here’s our question for you:  If you were a voter in ancient Greek society and you voted to go to war, you had to run home, grab you bow and armor, pack some food, and head off to fight.  So…if we were obeying Grecian rules of democracy, and you knew you had to fight if you voted to go to war in Syria, Iraq, or Iran, how would you vote?  http://www.historyextra.com/blog/ancient-greece/ancient-greek-democracy-similar-ours-we-think

Athens Greece