Thrones Wreathed in Shadow: Tacitus and the psychology of authoritarianism | Hacker News Reader

Thrones Wreathed in Shadow: Tacitus and the psychology of authoritarianism

warontherocks.com

86 pointshoffmannesque15 comments

>> Therefore, it was no exaggeration to argue that rhetoric — a quintessentially Roman art — “had died with public liberty.”

I beg your pardon? "Quintessentially Roman"? "Rhetoric"? That is even a Greek word. Rhetoric was invented and taught by the Greeks to the world: Demosthenes, Lucurgus, Lysias, Protagoras, Gorgias, Isocrates, Antiphon, Aeschines, Andocides, Dinarchus, Hypereides, Isaeus... those were the great orators of antiquity. And they were not Romans.

Yes, Tacitus is, sadly, relevant again.

A big problem in the US is that Congress has abandoned so much power as an institution.

I think Tacitus' most useful lesson for american politics right now would be the importance of political compromise. When political polarization reach the kind of levels it's at in the US right now, politicians tend to sacrifice the well-being of the country to hurt their political opponents - which is bad for everyone.

I'm not sure how long you've been following American politics, but for a few decades now the Democrats have been compromising and capitulating at almost every turn while the Republicans have staunchly refused to do this.

I'm not sure if you've been following recent American politics, but that seems to be over.

Which part? Republican obstructionism or Democratic capitulation?

Democratic capitulation. It has been replaced by Democratic obstructionism.

And if suspect that you should be able to tell that, if you care to actually look.

The CARES Act was a compromise, the refusal by the House to enforce subpoenas was a compromise. Even their choice of presidential candidate is a compromise of sorts, see Biden's "nothing would fundamentally change" comment to donors. Where do you see obstructionism on their part?

A number of places, but just for example: Sanctuary cities. Even though they lost the battle on the federal level, the cities try their best to obstruct the enforcement of federal law.

In the political context obstructionism refers to attempts to delay or otherwise interfere with the legislative process. Which the Democrats may engage in, but I haven't seen any evidence demonstrating that.

Sanctuary cities do not obstruct the legislative process, they are just a form civil disobedience. This probably can be deemed obstruction of justice, but that has nothing to do with obstructionism.

Thinking of I, Claudius' King Log[1], has anyone thought to put 'Victory'[2] in charge of middle-eastern peace?

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EA1SK5vXkAQAEAS?format=jpg&name=...

[1] as opposed to King Stork (Perry 44).

[2] An old trick for maintaining the peace in a herd is to put out more piles of hay than there are horses, so the dominant horses can politic to their hearts' content but everyone still gets fed.

the senate

I read both Suetonius and Tacitus before I was twenty (Penguin classics, might have been excerpts). I don't remember them well, but I remember Suetonius better.

What I have read elsewhere is that the family violence of the first twelve caesars was really very restrited, and they otherwise governed reasonably well. There might be exceptions (Caligula) but there were enough in the twelve that were reasonable rulers despite personal perversions.

Caligula might have opened a brothel with senators' wives, and Messalina might have challenged the greatest prostitute in Rome for her title, but the grain and money flowed where and when it was needed.

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