Very OT Isopatch. I came across Edith Hamilton's books, The Greek Way and The Roman Way. Of Rome, the Republic, she wrote, "The thing of paramount importance, away beyond everything else, was politics. Throughout the great days of the Republic it had been the field both of duty and honor....All the men who counted, whether by birth or property, had been brought up in the tradition that they were bound to be politicians first...."
As Rome became an empire, the citizens became more interested in garnering personal wealth and three politicians gained control of the government. "As regards the Senate, once...Rome's great guide, the only question that could be raised was whether it was more incompetent that it was corrupt or the other way around. The old Republic had exacted a great deal from her citizens and left them poor. To have three able men take the responsibility of looking after Rome's wide interests saved a vast deal of trouble for others...Now people wanted politics for a profit; they were out for a share in the riches they saw around them."
An obvious conclusion to be drawn is that to stem corruption, citizens need to become personally involved in politics. Americans hardly turn out to vote at election time. It's probably time for all of us to get more involved in politics....
FWIW |
