Several folks have asked me if I've been following the impeachment. Honest truth - No, it's political circus that stokes the flames of divisiveness and further pushes us to the extremes. I am, however, thoroughly enjoying my latest deep dive into Roman history, because our government was patterned after, and has many of the same weaknesses as their Republic.
Was Marius or Sulla right? Caesar or Pompey? Octavian or Marc Anthony? Did the Gracchi brothers push social change too far, too fast? With the benefit of hindsight, does it even matter? I would say the true lesson is that hubris, ego, lust for power, and the inability to find common ground led to a steady decline in civil discourse, the rule of law, and the stability of the Republic. "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; There is nothing new under the sun". History bears witness to this fact, the only question is whether we learn from the blood stained dust of a ruined Republic and get our act together before we are lost.
Was Marius or Sulla right? Caesar or Pompey? Octavian or Marc Anthony? Did the Gracchi brothers push social change too far, too fast? With the benefit of hindsight, does it even matter? I would say the true lesson is that hubris, ego, lust for power, and the inability to find common ground led to a steady decline in civil discourse, the rule of law, and the stability of the Republic. "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; There is nothing new under the sun". History bears witness to this fact, the only question is whether we learn from the blood stained dust of a ruined Republic and get our act together before we are lost.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/the-age-of-caesar-a-fresh-look-at-the-key-players-in-a-time-of-historic-unrest/2017/02/01/8c47df12-e49f-11e6-ba11-63c4b4fb5a63_story.html
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