In December us humans, since the dawn of recorded history we assume, like to look back at the year and pick those people that have defined it. Time and Newsweek both have their persons of the year (not always for the good we should note). The Sunday News programs will have their icons featured.
None probably have yet to replace Nero, who it is said, fiddled while Rome burned. See he wanted to build this perfect city center as honor to himself and there were all these other buildings in the way. So in an era when people were tied to stakes and set afire to light the streets it seemed his solution was easy.
GW Bush, who used every paid for ploy he could to avoid service in Vietnam, wanted to go to war with Iraq and best his dad at something. And in a day of terrorist attacks the solution to that problem seemed easy too. History does not completely record how many died in Rome in Nero's slum clearing project. We know how many died on 9/11, and how many continue to die in Iraq. And we know that neither leader shows any remorse. Nero had his new city center, and Bush has his exit interviews discussing his "grand legacy" as the 43rd President of the once great United States.
Now we have Governor Blagojevich of Illinois. He has to be included in there with GW and Nero because he too shows no remorse. Seems that every possible benefit he can bestow is up for sale. Sort of reminds me of the Midevil Catholic Church and the selling of indulgences. Bush has pardons for sale and Blagojevich a senate seat. Neither seems concerned about their immortal soul just the press coverage of it.
Both are icons of how low United States politics has gone. Maybe Nero had the right idea. We should just burn it all down (or watch it self-distruct) and start over.
Hmmmm.... Galba succeeded Nero and he can only be compared to Obama in that his primary concern was in restoring state finances.
ReplyDeletePolitics is a dirty game - this morning I watched MSNBC as they named (don't know where they received their information from) the top five most corrupt States in the US. I have questions. If Blagojevich (to blag - run one's mouth off - how apt!) knew that he was being bugged, why would he say those things? Is he trying to set someone up? Who was on the other end? If there was the offer of such a vast amount of money, is it or are they, party financiers, was it a ploy to keep Jackson out but worst of all, is it to set up Obama?