Class Discussion Friday: What is Plato's View Of Democracy?

On Friday, a student asked, "What is Plato's view of democracy?" and I couldn't wait to blog about it. It is believed that if you were born an elitist, that is what you're going to become. However, if you're on top, it is because you've "earned," it. People on the bottom didn't ask nor deserve to be on the bottom, so how is this fair? This broke out into a conversation about Social Darwinism, which lead to a conversation about how you should be rewarded for your efforts. The poor do not deserve to be poor, for they cannot choose the life they are given. This later lead into a conversation about how a system of redistribution of wealth will not work because it will become unequal again. I thought this was very interesting to think about, since it is assumed that wealthy people "deserve," their wealth. This is not always the case. Most of the time, people are born into a wealthy family. 
Also on Friday, another student asked, "How would Plato respond to acts such as 9/11?" This also spiked my interest, because since Plato valued reflection and knowledge so much, he would not have any sympathy for terrorists because they did not reflect upon what they were doing before they commit the horrific, terrorist acts.