Quote - Oh but the marvels of ancient Greece WERE built by democracies. Not exactly similar to ours today, but democracies nonetheless. 

But Greeks didn't build things that you can see from Earth orbit! :D

It really depends upon the society and how it manages its government (as it were).  The Greeks excelled at just about everything while the Romans borrowed everything from the Greeks.  The Roman great accomplishments happened when they abandoned the Republic for dictatorship (Caesars) - Colliseum, Apian way, aqueducts a-plenty (mainly under Augustus/Octavian), Hadrian's wall, and so on.  Hitler, for all of his pure, unadulterated evil, pushed through the Autobahn (though its real plan wasn't revealed to the people) and the Volkswagen.  Hey, with enough 'poking and prodding' you can even realize the first rockets and jet engines!  There is mounting evidence that China, during the Ming dynasty, had the greatest naval sailing fleet in history up until the 18th century probably.

Free societies can do great things but only with the mediation of their government.  The US (narrowly) won the 'space race' to the Moon by force of will and a salient government intradiction  Note that we can't even get near the moon with a manned mission these days since there is no 'immediate threat' or other provocation.  As Admiral Yamamoto said, "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant....".  Meaning, invariably, that it seems to require a pressing need to instigate movement in a free society.  One thing that the Greeks didn't do was promulgate their knowledge and superior society outward with any pressing need - which allowed foreign intervention (Persia, Rome).  The only 'Greek' (Macedonean) who did so was the greatest warrior/leader of history, Alexander the Great.  But an empire built simply on expansionist glory and not intention quickly dissolves - as it did.

C makes it easy to shoot yourself in the foot. C++ makes it harder, but when you do, you blow your whole leg off.

 -- Bjarne Stroustrup

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