Time To Admit It Might Be Over

 

 

Back In the early 1990s, I watched the PBS adaptation of the Robert Graves novel, I, Claudius. The novel and television broadcast were heavily fictionalized accounts of the last surviving member of the Juilo-Claudian dynasty.

Despite becoming the emperor of the Roman Empire in the year 41AD my man Claudius had a crappy life. Claudius suffered from a limp and mild deafness due to an illness as a child. Life for someone dealing with a handicap back during Roman times was tough, throw in the fact that Claudius was born into the family of Augustus Caesar his disabilities made him an embarrassment, which they tried to hide from the public. 

But through a weird series of events, and stupid luck, the Praetorian Guard declared him emperor after Caligula was removed from office. But I think the most surprising thing in the life and reign of Claudius was that he was an intelligent and able administrator of the Roman Empire.

I did read the book and its sequel, Claudius the God but there was a scene in the television adaptation that I believe was written just for it that in my mind has an uncomfortably real-life parallel going on right now. 

In the PBS series, Claudius has a desire to restore the Roman Republic. But as with all such noble ideas, situations and events, like the daily governance of people and territory never allowed Claudius to achieve that goal.

Near the end of the series, Claudius knows his wife, Julia Agrippa wants her son, Nero to become emperor. Julia and Nero play the typical political influence games with the Roman senate in hopes of securing the throne. Now Claudius on the other hand wants his own son, Britannicus, to rule but at some point it becomes clear Nero will be the next emperor.

Claudius in desperation attempts to talk Britannicus into fleeing to Britain to raise an army and return to overthrow Nero. Claudius also makes a passionate speech to his son to also restore the Republic after taking power.

Poor Claudius, Britannicus completely blows him off saying that it was beneath his dignity to flee and live among the “savages” of that island. More importantly, Britannicus laughs at his father’s quaint desire to restore the republic. The young man tells his father that the Roman people like the current peace and stability and don’t want to return to the chaos in previous years. .

Claudius is disappointed, but resigns himself to the fact that he will soon die and that Nero will take over. Which in the series is what happened, Britannicus is killed and his sister, Octavia, marries her step-brother, Nero. 

After seeing the post-election polls and listening to recorded interviews from Trump voters, few Americans seem to have any deep concerns about the Tangerine Hitler’s actions since taking office. Yes, there are millions of Americans who are terrified of Trump’s authoritarian behaviors. But like the Romans Britannicus mentioned, most Americans just want cheap eggs. And after years of exaggerations and outright lies, to be rid of the millions of illegal immigrants living and working in the United States. But the scapegoating of a minority has little to do with the Romans and more with Nazi Germany. 

I’m going to make a guess and say there wasn’t a well organized pro-Nero propaganda machine back then. But I can easily see how a Roman public that still had living memories of the years of civil wars and the hardships they brought would pick stability over the cumbersome idea of freedom the imperial system provided. Americans on the other hand have become disgustingly comfortable and complacent with their affluence and immediately become insulted whenever inconvenienced.   

It isn’t just the “Hoi polloi” wanting the return of the perceived economic good-times from Trump’s first term. Huge chunks of American society have bent the knee to our wannabe fascist leader. Long established newspapers and television news outlets have cowed to Trump by sane-washing his actions. Many of these media outlets have also been quite generous with “donations” to his various organizations. Any similarity to small businesses paying protection money to mobsters is of course purely coincidental. 

Perhaps the most disturbing are the politicians that appear to be close to deifying Trump like the Romans did emperors. One Republican congressman has recently introduced an amendment to the US Constitution that would allow Trump to run for a third presidential term. Just to add more imperial icing to the decaying cake of the American republic, I saw a report where another member of congress wanted to alter the proposed third presidential term amendment so that only Trump could run but no other previous two-term president. I sincerely hope that report is false.  

Just because I want to add a little more insult to our national injury, some congresswoman is pushing to have Trump’s face added to Mt. Rushmore. The saddest part of this for me is remembering when I first read how the Romans deified their emperors. I thought of that practice as insanely primitive and stupid. Nothing that our more advanced and sophisticated American people would ever repeat.

Where things become downright depressing is how the Democratic Party, clearly understanding the danger Trump and his sycophants, does not appear to be organizing a strong resistance to the MAGA policies. Sure, a few individuals like AOC are vocally opposing Trump but the rest appear to want to keep their heads down and see if they can make deals with Tangerine Hitler.

Being honest here, I think our Republic has been mortally wounded. Trump didn’t kill it all by himself, this destruction has been a slow but relentless process. But as chance or fate would have it, Trump is the one standing over the dead body.

You don’t have to get too deep into the historical weeds to learn that the Roman Republic was greatly flawed in the best of times. But when the imperial era began Roman society quickly adapted and to the best of my knowledge never looked back. Trump may not live to see the end of his term. But the people and policies he is putting in place will alter the basic nature of our government. Rome didn’t become an empire overnight, they continued to follow the traditions and rituals of the Republic for many years after Augustus Caesar took power. 

Even if Trump died today from a Burger King Whopper-induced heart attack and stroke, his minions would just crown another emperor and proceed with their plans. Which is the protection of the current corporation-lead power structure. I am highly doubtful that there will be an honest and free presidential election in 2028. MAGA and its billionaire pals have already passed the point of no return.   

I hope like Hell I’m wrong. That when Trump dies MAGA will fizzle out and become another aspect of American history we collectively ignore like slavery. But I’m afraid we will ultimately have to do whatever it takes to wipe the slate clean and begin again.