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.
Deb,
Both of our sons were History majors and took a course on Rome. One of them said to me last night:
Liberals think about the Roman Empire. Conservatives think about the Roman Republic.
Cary
I don't know if it would be the solution or merely a detour on the road, but term limits for Congress are worth a try. It's up to the states.