Methods of Ruler-ship:
“The tendency for wealthy families to annoy others by “showing off” -- by spending extravagantly and wastefully on themselves -- is also often a cause for resentment."
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"This tendency toward consumption for show has been dealt with for centuries, going back to ancient Greece and Rome, by means of sumptuary laws that forbid specified forms of wasteful consumption."
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"In seventh-century B.C. Greece, for example, women were forbidden to wear extravagant clothing or jewelry unless they were prostitutes.”
I dig the idea of sumptuary laws, but I'm not sure how to reconcile them with my libertarian leanings. I believe the Romans were on to something.
ReplyDeleteIt's simple, "do what you want" but "don't touch my money"...
ReplyDeleteThen we can't make laws prohibiting extravagance, right?
ReplyDeleteYes. Can or cannot, the sun rises and the moon follows.
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