THE BREAD AND CIRCUSREDUX      

                                Sy Schechtman  

     

       Bread and Circuses was a termofderisionthat the Roman satirist, Juvenal, usedto decry the debasement of the citizenryof the time ofthe first and second century A.D.They were impoverished and bored, if not rebellious,as the bygone days of the Roman Republic were replaced by the overweeninggrowth of the Roman Empireand the increasing disconnect between the distantbureaucratic regime in Romeand the vast subjugated  territories.  Several hundred years of relatively stable rule weresuccessfully accomplished,but as Juvenal lamented “thepeople that once bestowed commands, consulships, legions, and all else, now meddle no more and longs eagerly for just two things---bread and circuses.”This policy of government “handouts”at first was limitedtocelebratory eventsrelated to Roman triumphs in their seemingly ever increasing empirebut as thetide of victories began receding,bread and circuses,while still an entertainment distractionfor the lower classesbecamea scornfulcondition—as least in Juvenal’s opinion.  No longer werea significant segment of the populacenot interestedor incapable of   assuming some of the burdens and responsibilities of citizenry.  They were not interested  in Juvenal’s disenchanted view of the call of their country to greatness.No longer capableof the heroic responsethat we have continued to make in modern times to the international demands of our foreign involvements--- our own putative empire.  As we have responded in the last hundred years of three world wars (including the cold war with Soviet Russia) and the inconclusive and dubious Korean and current very dubious Iraqi encounters.  Not at all like our truly positive—indeed heroic—response to the late President Kennedy’s stirring challenge “Ask not what your country can do for you,but what you can do for your country!”

       But, as we fast forward again to modern times andthe inevitable dilemmas that life brings forth,I can not help but see a serious distortion of reality, a frivolousand perhaps malignant emphasis on our ownpoliticalpath.  While I believe profoundly in “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”a la Thomas Jefferson  Ialso see Juvenal’s dark vision of Bread and Circusesnow   

glowering down on us in themassive communications congestionof our unending political maneuvering.   And how it threatensto make a travestyof our free speech conventions.  In England, Canada, France, Israel and other modern countriesnational electionsare often called, run and concluded within six weeks or so.In the United States they seemingly go on forever.  First, the last year of a presidents four year term was consideredhis ”lame duck” year,when political jockeying for the next four year presidentialcyclewas considered acceptable, when “jaw, jaw replacedlaw, law” now that has been extended to at least the last two years of the presidential   term,and the pages of the press startrevealing all sorts of bizarre possibilities of foibles ofpossible notable contendersfor the highest office.And these pot shots continue and even exacerbate.   Only someone with great “fire in his ( or her)belly”can withstand thisgauntlet of fact and fancywhich become the prime speculative entertainment of the reading public.    The grist of the bread and circuses of the present.

       Along   with the timestretching of campaignlength is theenormous   concomitant increaseof necessary funds needed,now estimated to be about a billion dollars.   Most of thisis allotted to television,with countless spot ads to alert the harassed, or spellbound viewer,with ingenuous or alarming messages.  And television, most of us now know,can distort the realityof the person,  emphasizing   and distracting.   Nixon almost lost the election because of his five o’clockshadow of a beard,while Kennedyseemedbright and ever alert,   while Nixon seemed to ponder over a question.   But the same stance did not seem to favor Kerry who had detailed prescriptions for every problem posed but the second Bush seemedmore relaxedand friendly and was the sort of person you would invite into one’s home for a chat.  And now we have Hilary and Obamawho have almost identical programsbut are of different race and gender,which which is theprovocative ingredient in theirpolitical encounters andalmostendless debates.  The resolutionof whichwill be part of   thegreat unwinding   and ultimate accommodationbetween white andblack and the uneasiness of gender tension.   Perhaps with Obama being our first black leaderin the not too distant future,and so   also with Hilary Clinton playing a role somewhere along the way. (They are both still relatively young!)  And even with John McCain as the current leaven in the slowlyrising ferment of theof the political dough,the intermediate necessary ingredientas we slowly embrace our cultural destinywith universal health care,and the gender and race problem.   The lion and lamb finallylying side by side,and the timid lamb sleeping peaceably because of mutual respect and trust,and much legislation to implement this compact.(Jaw, jaw leading to wise and practical law!)

       This aspect of our almost eternal politickingalso serves to demystify our would be president,who is the most powerful individual on the faceof the earth.   Who ever he or she isand whatever color,a significant majority of us must feel comfortable with the possibility of inviting one of them into our living rooms and relating to us in a sincere and concerned way.  But our way is with due deliberationand the soothing balm oftime to accomplish thepossibility ofthis ultimate fantasy,  and one more election cycle may be the answer.  And our current Bread and Circuseswill have not have been in vain,merely aslower introduction to our next phase of still being the greatest country in world history.   

       One of the most fratricidal wars in history was our Civil War---well before the current atrocitiesin Darfur. Brotherly and sisterly love cannow still be our consummate product with our somewhat indirectbut still sincere approach----one nation under law (and God) with more equal opportunity and justice for more peoplethan ever before in history.