number of parables suggest the inadequacy of a democratic regime To begin with, there is the parable of the boat, in which we see the demos portrayed as the owner of the boat; he is taller and stronger than the drew but somewhat deaf, with narrow vision, and generally not too knowledgeable about steering. Sur- rounded by a crew eager to take control, a crew fighting among themselves about who should rule (though each is incapable of justifying that rule), the owner is overcome as the crew subdue him with drink and spend his wealth (488a-e).Thus, Socrates would seem to suggest, democracy is ravaged by its crafty politi- Scians because the dumb, nearsighted demos cannot defend itself against shrewd, self-interested men eager only for control over the resources of the ship and not concerned about its welfare. Meanwhile the man who is capable of rule, the stargazer who knows how to navigate to the desired locations, stands at the rear of the ship, unable and unwilling to join the competition for political control. In this parable of democracy, the stargazer's wisdom, which should make him the true leader of the ship, goes unacknowledged and untapped. Or there is the parable of the demos as a wild beast whose passions and desires, moods and feelings, must be learned by the man who wishes to control it. Completely yielding to the beast, the man, knowing nothing about the truth concerning those desires and feelings whether they are good or bad, shameful or noble simply follows the desires of the beast and calls good what pleases it and shameful what annoys it. Neither the man nor those appealing to the many know the good or the noble, and thus they make no effort to bring the good into the politi- cal life of the city.They allow the city to sway with the passions of the beast, just so long as they can have power within the city. Socrates creates yet another powerful image of the problems of democracy when he describes how the demos educates those young men who may indeed start off capable of accomplishing much