“Bread and circuses” is a phrase referring back to the Roman Empire. Rome’s rulers distracted the public from corrupt and/or autocratic rule by giving the population free food and violent entertainments. They distributed grain to the poor, and provided entertaining distractions– chariot races, gladiatorial combat, and wild animal hunts, among others–to keep the masses from getting bored and restless, and to divert them from engaging in political activity.
That time-honored tactic is still being employed.
In yesterday’s post, I shared my observation that Americans no longer occupy a democratic system–that gerrymandering, the Electoral College, Citizens United and various other elements of our electoral system have allowed the cult that is now the GOP to assume control of our government, and to rule without concern for the opinions of the citizenry. (Indeed, rather than a citizenry, we “voters” have more in common with subjects than with those who wield the power originally reposed in “We the People.”)
As the Trump administration takes shape, we can see that those who have secured the right to rule are the plutocrats. Assuming most of his proposed nominees are confirmed, America will be ruled (not governed) by billionaires pursuing further tax cuts and privileges–appointees ranging from obviously corrupt to ethically challenged and rife with conflicts of interests.
We have come to this sorry end of the American Experiment thanks to our current version of “bread and circuses.”
There have always been distractions and methods of promoting disinformation, but the Internet and the ubiquity of devices with screens that constantly occupy us have massively multiplied the diversions. Most readers of this blog are all too aware of the wealth of political propaganda promoted by Fox, et al, but that is a relatively minor aspect of the overall environment. Fox and its clones merely misrepresent the political world we occupy; it’s the growth of the entertainment world, the so-called “influencers,” the proliferation of celebrities who are famous for being famous (Kardashians, anyone?), that truly provides the “circus” that prevents most of us from recognizing the degradation of our own influence as citizens charged with choosing people to administer the powers of our governments.
Most observers of America’s political landscape recognize the decline of democratic decision-making. On this platform, I have repeatedly pointed out the very negative consequences of our structural deficits–especially gerrymandering, which allows legislators to choose their voters rather than the other way around. But it was only with the 2024 election of Donald Trump that I fully recognized what should have been obvious to me previously: American government is no longer even remotely democratic, and America’s economy is no longer an example of functioning market capitalism.
We are a plutocracy and a kakistocracy, and our economy is corporatist, not capitalist.
A kakistocracy is defined as rule by those least competent or suitable; corporatism–sometimes called “crony capitalism” –is control of the state by special interests. Honest observers have chronicled the country’s descent into those unfortunate categories for several years, only to be ignored by a population diverted by its own varieties of bread and circuses.
I will admit to being one of the people who didn’t sufficiently appreciate that descent. In my case, I focused far too much attention on the largely positive cultural changes that have allowed civic participation by previously marginalized folks–women, LGBTQ+ citizens and people of color–and far too little attention on the steady erosion of democratic citizenship.
The only salutary outcome of the 2024 election is the consequent inability of any sentient American to ignore the extent of that erosion.
Thanks in part to voters’ constant diet of “circuses,” Republicans were able to conduct a pivotal and monumentally successful gerrymander in 2010.–an actual, victorious, bloodless coup. The REDMAP program radically altered America’s electoral map, insulating the GOP and its wealthy donors from popular democracy. The book Ratf**ked “pulled back the curtain on that coup,” explaining in detail how a group of Republican operatives hijacked democracy.
The question now, as always, is “what can be done?” Can We the People regain control of our government?
I will readily confess that I don’t know. Gerrymandering will continue to work so long as there are an adequate number of voters to be deployed who support the racism, misogyny and plutocracy championed by today’s GOP. The only “fix” I can envision is a significant reduction in their number.
It is possible that the pain likely to be caused by Trump’s administration will shake some folks loose. Meanwhile, it will behoove those of us who understand the problem to figure out how to break through the pervasive misinformation and distractions that keep too many voters content with being subjects rather than citizens.
The only hope I see for undoing gerrymandering is such a discontent with the current government that the Democratic party takes the house and senate in 2026, and keeps both and gets the presidency, with a majority adequate to overcome the filibuster in the senate in 2018, and reforms voting laws.
Unfortunately, the only path I can see open is to let the country fail economically but try to prop it up through the next four years to prevent unrecoverable failure diplomatically and constitutionally.
Is that even possible?
I have no idea.
What about organized protests at the general assembly is in session. Not one or two. Every Single Day. They could be to bring attention to different issues in the state and could be advertised and amplified on social media. We need organizers. Bullies are cowards. These are no different.
Pete, nice dreams. But after having worked for the corporatists before teaching in schools, I assure you that they will not go gently into that good night. They will kick, scream, cheat, bribe and otherwise reveal their truly imprisoned selves. Money and power is all that matters to these monsters. End of story.
Elections? Please. Trump let it slip on one of his delusional rants that this was our last free election. Don’t you think he meant it. In another scenario: Trump will die in office and the egregious Vance will take over to finish the job of destroying our democracy. Imagine Steve Bannon as VP.
Karl Marx must be laughing in his grave. His prophecy about self-destructive capitalism is coming true.
The question is indeed “what then shall we do”?
What will it take to wake up the people who could not bother to get to the polls that elections do matter? How bad does it have to get?
Pete and Vernon on to something in their posts above.
It is not unlike watching a Shakespeare tragedy; we know how it ends, we want to shout to MacBeth “Do not do that”, but he does it anyway and the play ends with everyone dead.
trump has promised to be a dictator. His project 2025 is the guidebook for fulfilling that promise. Once trump is in office, we shall lose any possibility of regaining control of our government and shall have seen the last of our “fair and free” elections. SCOTUS is the most corrupt in our history w/5 justices leased and one bought (the latter being Thomas who, as an “originalist,” would have to share The Framers’ intent – to not end slavery). The only viable option by which to address this cluster of emergencies is for Pres Biden to invoke Emergency Powers (50 USC sec 1621, et seq – I think that’s the cite), suspend making 2024’s election official, and take steps necessary to restore The Constitution. A friend suggested that I offer two forms of dictatorship. Yes: as faced Germany in 1933. Some Leaders of the Weimar Republic believed Hitler, as Chancellor, represented the best choice if the country was to avert civil war. (See, Evans, Richard, “The Coming of the Third Reich,” 2005, pp. 306-307) Germany avoided civil war. We know the rest of what happened. Pres Biden should exercise those powers.
NO, no, and no. As long as we have voices, used in all the ways that technology allows as well as in person, we can push back. Call out the lies and bigotry, even if we lose family and friends. How are we any different from those who allow the viciousness and hostility to flourish if we stand silent and let it happen to others without protest.
A dear friend quoted Margaret Atwood’s Offred, “Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.” Don’t let the bastards grind you down.
I woke up with this rant spinning in my brain today. Like Sheila, sadly, I don’t know how/if we survive this. I put it on FB with a suitable image as therapeutic release/a scream into the void. “We have 3 large media companies (Fox, Sinclair, OAN) pretending to be news while slinging outrage, hate, division, conspiracy nonsense and other BS, and calling a stinking pile of feces a rose, 24/7. The actual news media majors refused to call lies lies for 4 long years. They used the stinking pile of feces for clicks/ratings, while failing to mention the danger of giving power to a criminal stinking pile of feces that spouts nonstop lies, hate and division. We have a justice department full of cowards who refused to see the danger and failed to prosecute a stinking pile of feces who (among many other crimes) committed the single WORST crime in a democracy: trying to overthrow the government by force (sedition.) We have a craven political party that values power above morality and truth and abandoned the US to oligarchy for a few pieces of silver. So now a stinking pile of feces will sit behind the desk in the Oval Office with full freedom to dismantle what is left of our democracy. Well done America.”
“Meanwhile, it will behoove those of us who understand the problem to figure out how to break through the pervasive misinformation and distractions that keep too many voters content with being subjects rather than citizens.”
It might also behoove us to look within our passive inaction over the past two decades and admit we didn’t recognize the “pervasive misinformation and distractions” which slowly took over democracy and allowed our losses to happen. We were distracted by the antics of Trump for 40 years but ignored them when he announced his intended takeover of the presidency and our federal court system till it gained control of the Supreme Court…and then asked ourselves how it could happen. It has now reached the level where Special Counsel Jack Smith has withdrawn his successful guilty verdicts from the system before it could get to SCOTUS and result in a full Pardon. He hopes that his withdrawal “without prejudice” will allow him to reenter the case in the court system…but what court system will we see in 2029? How long did it take Germany and most of Europe to recover from Hitler; how long will it take the United States to recover from Trump…if there is anything remaining to recover:
James Todd’s question is a good one. I read once that when Lenin took over the government in Russia, he asked his advisory group “What if we fail in our attempt to revise the government?” And Trotsky replied: “What if we succeed?” We know the answer to that second question, so we need to be alert every single day for the next four years as Trump’s totalitarian impulses are implemented.
Bread and circuses reminds me of Neil Postman’s book, Amusing Ourselves to Death. Written before the Internet is seems to presage too much of society and life in a country that seems to care more about being entertained than anything else.
Democracy died in the USA when elections were monetized.
We can indeed expect a non-stop circus from the Trump crowd, including wild beasts (not all of them properly caged…) and clowns and trick mirrors and contortioists.
Bread?? Not so much…
Time to put all the brainpower, courage and imagination of the posters here to work – our challenge – let’s assume an end game resulting in two countries – “The Blue States of America” and “The Red States of American”. What steps need to be taken to create this solution in a peaceful way? How do we build in an implicit agenda that just might “woke” a majority into saying and working for a real “United States”?
This is another realistic post by Sheila, but I can still hear the blue pill crowd thinking that only the GOP is controlled by the oligarchy. While it is easy to pick on the cult members who support shrinking the government, we need to recognize that the DNC is no different. It’s just catered to a different crowd—the Obama’s love showing off celebrities at the DNC events. I guess that attracts some blue pill followers. [eye-roll]
By the way, someone please tell me how Miriam Adelson can give $130 million to Republicans through her Nevada drug addiction “nonprofit” during a democratic administration?
https://www.opensecrets.org/elections-overview/top-organizations
If you peruse Open Secrets, you will find that the billionaires mainly contributed to the Republican Party this year. Do you think they believe the GOP has the best leadership skills? Do you think they are MAGATs?
Regardless of who the billionaires dropped a dime for, they will benefit directly from Project 2025 and Koch’s work through the Heritage Foundation.
If you follow Musk on X, you will get clues about his DOGE plans. His non-elected, non-government, “efficiency” group will implement many of the P2025 cuts. Do you think it will equate to lower taxes for the middle class? LOL
I still don’t understand how our mostly democratic supporting unions allowed 49 states to become at-will against workers without a major work stoppage. The socialists are convinced the unions are all part of the same oligarchy controlling both parties and the media. It’s hard to argue against them!
For my part, I’ve started by contacting a senator everyday to express my concerns about Trump’s nominations. I saw this list of senators that may have some backbone: Collins, Murkowski, Curtis, McConnell (!), and Tillis. I also have some hope for Indiana Senator Todd Young. Here’s what I wrote to Young yesterday:
“Trump has announced John Phelan as his choice to lead the Department of the Navy. Phelan is an art collector, co-founder of MSD Capital, head of private investment firm Rugger Management, and a major donor to Trump’s campaign. Notably, PHELAN HAS NO MILITARY EXPERIENCE. I come from a family of military service. I am an Air Force veteran. My father and one of my sons served in the Marines. My husband is a Vietnam Army veteran. As a Marine, you know the importance of competent leadership. The Department of the Navy needs a competent leader. I urge you to vote not to confirm Phelan as secretary of the Department of the Navy.”
There was a parallel article today in The Guardian about our country as it pertains to a study about the history of state politics. I would say they nailed the problem and solution pretty well. Here’s a quote:
“One thing is clear: whatever the choices and actions of the contending parties, they will not lead to an immediate resolution. Popular discontent in the US has been building up for more than four decades. Many years of real prosperity would be needed to persuade the public that the country is back on the right track. So, for now, we can expect a lasting age of discord. Let’s hope that it won’t spill over into a hot civil war.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/nov/30/the-deep-historical-forces-that-explain-trumps-win
jd. I’m with you. There ARE ways to fight back. There IS good news out there. Freedom always faces challenges and history offers many examples of common people overcoming long odds to gain or regain their freedom.
Despite their best efforts, the MAGA crowd will not be able to implement many of their most egregious plans without serious resistance. As conditions worsen for the people who have complacency assumed their comfortable lives are not threatened, more and more of them will join that resistance. Not everybody will be ground down by the bastards.
Thanks, best write for the time..
If the other half would read this subject today,and make an effort to understand what the have done.
near future: theres a possibility that we could all march french like, except pitch forks it would be IOUs… when they control it all..
Todd, I have noted that more and more of our group of commenters have moved closer to your positions. If you just hang in there a bit, you’ll have a whole cadre of followers! I have to admit it’s fun to watch.
I’m guessing nobody wants to think about mandatory voting. It’s not something that would be easy to do, but it’s possible and it won’t take an amendment to do it. It’s a first step, though and it might just be the thing that starts the movement towards sanity.
Thanks, Peggy! We should all watch closely who the DP picks as their next leader since Jaime Harrison was an utter failure. Biden didn’t help Jaime at all by waiting to resign.
We can tell where the party wants to go with their coming leadership choice. If they don’t choose an economic populist, then they are screwed for four more years. Identity politics has to be abandoned.
ONCE again, discussed by Trumps picks,
Would jump ship, but AMERICA is my home.
For anyone who’s interested, there’s a show on Netflix, a miniseries called “The Madness.”
It shows a mind-numbing conglomeration of ruthless delusionary-mitigating political, media, social and justice driven chicanery! All constantly seeming to work against each other but the undercurrent shows the complete opposite!
I think they just nailed it pretty well! And it will only get worse.
Marv àaawas an excellent visionary concerning this, and some of us have been talking about this for the past 25 years at least. And when, the supreme Court was being reshaped by some of this chicanery, It basically was let slide!
When there is a clear and present danger, do you just twiddle your thumbs? Obviously that’s the case. And to Anne, do you actually think there’s going to be an election, lol, the dude, wants he gets his power in January, it’s done. Why do you think he told his minions they wouldn’t have to worry about voting anymore. Lol, a day that will live in infamy!
Domestic issues aside, I expect commenters on this blog uniformly oppose nuclear WWIII.
In history, the pretext for many wars has been a false flag attack, e.g. China’s 1931 invasion of Manchuria, Nazi’s 1939 invasion of Poland, USSR’s 1939 invasion of Finland, and US’s 1964 invasion of Vietnam.
Is there a false flag attack in planning to trigger a nuclear exchange with Russia?
A site hosted by Craig Houston (search Craig Houston London Webcams) has made an odd 11/25/24 allegation, that webcams in London have been off for 83+ days.
Searching under Webcam Westminster Bridge, I sampled 10 webcam sites starting with Westminster Bridge — Big Ben #, and found the 30/11/2024 timestamp to be functioning, but the image is indeed black. That was the same in all 10 London webcam sites I sampled.
Does this mean something is to happen in London that may not be viewed?
Thank you Sheila. This sharing tapped into my cloud of dispair in which I find myself at this time.
No opinions, just awaiting kickback.
STOP! What are YOU doing to counter the entertainment society? Watching OSU beat Michigan? At 7 tonight, I’ll be watching IU struggle to beat PU. How many streaming services do you have? Did you read about Megan and Harry going separate ways? If you want a better world, start with the person in your mirror.
I don’t think I’ve previously seen you so bleak, Sheila. With Citizens United in place; zero hopes to remake the Supreme Court; Musk, Thiel, et al in ascendancy; likely approvals of Cabinet nominees who have made kakistocracy an ascending search term; climate change ignored for another four years; a public largely captured in media echo chambers; and the self-sustaining nature of gerrymandering—it’s hard to find much cause for optimism. My hope, to the extent any exists, resides in a working class that finds itself screwed over the next two years and in a Democratic Party that with new leadership can manage to initiate and sustain a new, progressive, populist movement. Sadly, I’m not optimistic. Meanwhile as a dual U.S./Canadian citizen, I’m aware that Canada is not immune, and the trend lines leading toward our 2025 national election here are a significant cause for concern. Poilievre on one side of the border and Trump on the other? Yikes! Egad!
This is the choice that has been made by a spoiled, coddled country of ignoramuses. The only thing that will fix it is pain and terror, which we are about to experience. Protect yourself and your families. Maybe my kids will see the other side.
Hey, wake up! Don’t cede all your power. Be creative. Find trusted people to have safe conversations and be the opposition. Read Tim Snyder. Don’t give up because then they win.