Ancient Agora of Athens
I still believed America was a democracy when I visited in 2018
Athen’s Agora was the center of public life in ancient Athens, surrounded by impressive temples and government buildings. It served as a gathering place for citizens to discuss politics and trade goods. Notable structures included the Stoa of Attalos, a covered walkway lined with shops, and the Temple of Hephaestus, which has come down to us as one of the best-preserved temples from ancient Greece.
“Wow, this place is a lot,” I remarked to my husband an hour into our explorations. “Everything we have ever learned about ancient Greece originates from here. This is the epicenter of the Western world.”
The archaeological site was remarkably green, clean, and well-maintained, unlike almost everywhere else in Athens.
“Dude, could you imagine if all these buildings were tagged?” I mused.
Ryan took a good look around and replied, “I almost can’t believe they’re not.”
“In all honesty, they almost should be, as a symbol of how far democracy has fallen,” I said, unaware of how much farther it still had to plummet.
When we were there in 2018, I still believed in democracy. However, as I write this, I’m not so sure I do anymore. The thought of America turning into an oligarchy wasn’t even on my radar back then. What was Elon Musk even doing in 2018? Sure, he was the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, and he was making headlines for selling flamethrowers and trying to rescue some trapped Thai kids in a cave. But the idea of him overthrowing the U.S. government and acting as its president seemed highly unlikely. Why would a billionaire even do that? And if one did, it certainly wouldn’t happen in America, the home of the so-called leader of the free world. Fast forward seven years, and now I believe democracy is a dying institution.
Although we do not practice democracy in its purest form today, even ancient Greece encountered similar challenges and sometimes fell into oligarchy. The term “democracy” literally means “people power,” and one of the most notable features of their system was the absence of political parties. I salivate just imagining a system where voting was based solely on majority rule, without an electoral college to alter the final results.
I used to believe in voting, as well, but that, too, is something I now question. However, it’s more accurate to say that I don’t trust any politicians — not a single one of them. No one I voted for is standing up against the looming oligarchy because they are part of it. They realized there was no point in pretending anymore.
Where there’s power, there’s corruption. I’ve come to realize that democracy is no different from communism — it looks good on paper. The realities of political maneuvering, social inequality, and the influence of money often contrast sharply with democratic ideals. Therefore, while democracy is often celebrated as a preferable system of governance, it still has the potential to fail. And when democracy falters, it can bring an entire country down with it.
The Temple of Hephaestus loomed over Athens’ Agora on a hill not far in the distance. The temple was originally dedicated to the Greek god of artisans, blacksmiths, carpenters, metallurgy, fire, and volcanoes — more commonly known as Vulcan in Roman mythology. Visitors are not allowed inside; even in ancient times, ordinary people could not enter the inner sanctum — only priests had that privilege. The interior featured a large statue of the deity, which could be seen from outside when the temple doors were open, allowing the gods to “see” the rituals performed in front of the building.
It’s my theory that democracy has shut itself away inside this temple. Whenever the temple doors are opened, democracy remains a deity that citizens can only gaze upon and worship from a distance.
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