Watching societies like the USA wildly fluctuate from democratic to authoritarian governments shows the true value of reading history for the avoidance of chaos. For over 2000 years societies have been swinging from people led government to authority led. All are, in fact, somewhere in the middle. Even China is a meritocracy/democracy, albeit with just the one party. Plato initially thought people power was too dangerous to govern, before realizing that power vested in one philosopher king will eventually lead to unjust, chaotic societies. Every generation does not need to re-invent the wheel. A society governed by elected wise individuals informed by free thinking constituents is clearly the pathway to prosperity for all.