Explaining the democratic recession

The Roman Goddess Iustitia stands blindfolded. She holds a sword in one hand, a mirror in the other, and stands on top of a serpent. Iustitia was in charge of executing laws and held the sword to deliver swift execution for lawbreakers. The mirror she holds up to criminals so that they can see their sins reflected, and the snake represents the evil which is kept at bay by her actions.

The blindfold was put on her by another Goddess, Fortuna, the goddess of luck, so that Iustitia could not see her mischief. Iustitia is known to us now as Lady Justice. Her likeness stands on top of the Old Bailey in London, as well as courts throughout the world from Brazil to Japan. To us she represents the rule of law, the idea that all people in a society live under the same rules, and are punished equally no matter their status or standing.