Thinking about the Roman Empire

It's not just a man thing

It’s a social media thing, so, of course, now it’s a New York Times thing. Just Friday, the Gray Lady ran a story under the headline:

Are Men Obsessed With the Roman Empire? Yes, Say Men.

As some men noted, the political situation in America — read: decline — invites their minds to wander back in time. Partisan bickering was a blood sport and so fierce that in 49 B.C., Gaius Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon and launched a civil war. (Spoiler alert: He won.)

There were protests — some got violent — after Donald Trump won the White House in 2016. When Joe Biden won in 2020, Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in a failed effort to stop the Senate from confirming the electoral count.

Now that 2024 looks as if it could be a Biden-Trump rematch, protests that turn violent seem inevitable, I’m sorry to say.

So here’s a woman who thinks about the Rome every day.

I’m also thinking about the Roman empire because I’m heading for an archeology dig in Italy for a week. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, and now I’m doing it.

I’ll check in later and share.

Debra J. Saunders is a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute’s Chapman Center for Citizen Leadership. Feel free to leave a comment below.