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Comment by dmoy | Hacker News Reader

This is one of my favorite insane voting systems.

One does have to keep in mind that this is definitely just rich people voting for other rich people - the system is in place to limit corruption for a single rich family, but is a far cry from any kind of democracy.

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The guide in the Doge Palace called it rightfully an oligarchy. It was the power of rich Venetian families and keeping it was all they cared about.

To be fair, even current representative democracies are a far cry from Athenian democracy.

We've just decided our system is the same "in spirit".

Well, yes; for a start, in modern ones nearly everyone gets to vote. Only about 10% of Athenian residents could vote.

Things were much better in the good old days. Before the commoners ruined everything /s

What'd they improve?

To be honest, this would optimize for maximal growth of wealth in a country though -- which likely rises all ships (ironic).

It's why a small merchant city was able to survive so many years. It quite literally lasted for >1000 years and was one of the most successful cities / nations on Earth.

Mostly slave ships, in this era of Venice :/

Rich human traffickers voting for other rich human traffickers.

Venice was up to its neck in human trafficking for a pretty long time.

As was everywhere else in the world, while you make a valid point its in no way exclusive to Venice.

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