Bread and Circuses ...

iam pridem, ex quo suffragia nulli uendimus, effudit curas; nam qui dabat olim imperium, fasces, legiones, omnia, nunc se continet atque duas tantum res anxius optat, panem et circenses.

translation:

Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man, the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions — everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses (Juvenal, Satire 10.77–8 *

What does it mean?

"Bread and circuses" (or Bread and games) (from Latin: panem et circenses) is a metaphor for handouts and petty amusements that politicians use to gain popular support, instead of gaining it through sound policy. The phrase is invoked not only to criticize politicians, but also to criticize their supporters for giving up their civic duty.

(emphasis mine)

You are being played and you are being distracted.

By whom?

The media, the politicians (all parties), the demagogues, the pundits, the bankers ... but mostly each other.

Who is "YOU?"

The partisans, the 'true believers,' the haters, the fear mongers, the people who post and say divisive ignorant crap and those who swallow it and spread it.

Getting a little tired of this nonsense ...

Birth certificates, race baiting, religious and intellectual fundamentalism, intolerance, all this daily idiocy is just freaking BREAD and CIRCUSES.

It is there to distract us ...

And we fall for it, we keep indulging ... no ... thriving in this ignorant state.

Enough already!

Yes yes I know, who the hell am I to tell you what you or cannot think, Bush/Obama IS the devil so why shouldn't I say it?

Please, stop embarrassing yourself, ATS, and the rest of us. Your house is on fire and all you can think about is wallpaper.

And as to the rest of us ... can we stop responding to this nonsense, if we allow ourselves to be content with said 'bread and circuses' we will have no one to blame but ourselves.

Or we can all carry on as we are ...

[edit on 17 Jul 2009 by schrodingers dog]

"When (Americans) discover that they can vote themselves money from the public till, the experiment will be over." Alexis de Tocqueville


A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of
government. It can only exist until the voters discover
that they can vote themselves largess from the public
treasury. From that time on the majority always votes
for the candidates promising the most benefits from the
public treasury, with the results that a democracy
always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed
by a dictatorship.

-- Alexander Fraser Tytler


[edit on 17-7-2009 by American_Soviets]

excellent way of putting the state that we are in as a nation, i have never heard that phrase before. but it does make logical since when you put it in perspective. it is our own falt for the mess we are in. no one to blame but ourselves. S&F for you CrawGator 406

“Love is like a friendship caught on fire. In the beginning a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable.”

Bruce Lee

“The next best thing to being wise oneself is to live in a circle of those who are”

C.S. Lewis

“The bosses of our mass media, press, radio, film and television, succeed in their aim of taking our minds off disaster. Thus, the distraction they offer demands the antidote of maximum concentration on disaster.”

Ernst Fisher


Thank You SD

Hate contributes nothing to a search for truth.

Division from those who might have answers accomplishes nothing.

And Distraction is always the tool to keep us unaware

“There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root.”

~ Henry David Thoreau

There is a way out.

But we need to stop starving for bread and entertainment.

[edit on 17 Jul 2009 by schrodingers dog]

YUP.
Couldn't agree more.

I've used the same analogy before when talking to friends about the state of things. I think it's accurate.


Those crazy Romans and modern society.

I think TV is our version of the Romans lead plumbing.

Originally posted by badgerprints


Those crazy Romans and modern society.

I think TV is our version of the Romans lead plumbing.

I'd say it's multi pronged and include diet and school systems designed only to put you to work...

but Great analogy

Originally posted by mopusvindictus

Hate contributes nothing to a search for truth.

Actually there's truth in hate as well, but its source and intent must be recognized in order to gleam any revelations from it.

But if the above is achieved, it can be easily ignored, depersonalized, and deconstructed.

[edit on 17 Jul 2009 by schrodingers dog]

reply to post by badgerprints

I think TV is our version of the Romans lead plumbing.

! !

Along the lines of what I was thinking, in forming a response, but put so clearly and succinctly!!!

reply to post by schrodingers dog

Please, stop embarrassing yourself, ATS, and the rest of us.

Well said.

I recall during the run-up to the 2008 United States Presidential election the obvious increase in rhetoric, so much so that Mods would occasionally comment to the effect "Well, it should die down after November."

Instead, since the election, am seeing more of a use of ATS as a kind of personal sounding board, like "Speaker's Corner" in Hyde Park.

Discussing the merits of political ideology are a good idea when there is a constructive result --- instead of head bashing and schoolyard name calling.

reply to post by weedwhacker


Yep, and politics of the mundane and lowest common denominator discourse is but one of of the distractions dangled before us to distract us. In fact it should be the easiest to recognize as surely such basic machiavellianism should be at the very least expected.

Apparently not.

[edit on 17 Jul 2009 by schrodingers dog]

Great post

I'd like to add to it by saying that TPTB use many tricks to keep you distracted but also when they want to do something they use a sneaky trick.

Controlling both side of an argument being presented to a third party (the public) is the most powerful tool you can have.

When there is minor or lack of opposition, you need to create one in order to give the appearance that all is fair and balanced in the eyes of the public.

Always appease the public by making them believe they have a choice or that someone is looking out for their best interests.

Add some theatrics to that and you're set, you've got it made.

World politics in a nutshell.

[edit on 17-7-2009 by warrenb]

Jesus.

So many of us are so lazy.... and barely any of us know what REAL work is anymore... including myself.

I used to work in restos from dishwasher to manager... but now, I'm in front of the computer all day.

We're a nation full of submissives.

I should watch less sports and grow some tomatoes.

It's a start.

reply to post by GioTheGreek


Indeed it is. Any amount of self sufficiency is a thumb in the eye of those who would prefer we not be... Those we've so foolishly allowed to remain in office so long that they've begun to think of themselves as "gods in human form", if only in the deepest recesses of their minds...

To you, schrodingers dog, I applaud you. You cut to the quick of it, and exposed the truth for what it is, in a manner so simple and yet eloquent in its own right. Only a fool would try to argue with such a clear and precise statement.

A star and flag to you, good sir, for showing and speaking what is true. A true soothsayer could do no better.

[edit for grammar. carry on.]

[edit on 2009/7/17 by The Soothsayer]

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reply to post by _damon


Oh my ...

You're right, I'm sorry, it's my fault.

reply to post by schrodingers dog


Eh.. i can say what i want, you are just blind like the others . My bad..

I wish it was just Bread and Circuses...

More like Heroin and Pornography; Addictions almost impossible to break without some serious rehab.

In this instance the cure may be worse than the disease.