“Is the House and Senate of Mice and Puppets or Men and Women of integrity, strength, and power?” John Johnson II 11/20/24
By John Johnson II
Roman history, a treasure trove of insights, is the key to unraveling the fate of America’s Democracy. This information, though often overlooked, holds immense relevance. On a Roman history true-false test, it’s accurate to guess that approximately 99% of students would answer True, indicating that the Roman Empire collapsed. This percentage would drop if students were asked to identify two reasons for the collapse of the Roman Empire. This underlines the untapped potential of Roman history in understanding America’s political challenges.
A recently published book by Mike Duncan, “Storm Before The Storm,” draws a dark parallel between the fall of the Roman Empire and the dismantling of Democracy. Duncan traces the political chaos and societal/economic upheavals that led to the collapse of the western part of Rome and, decades later, the remaining eastern half.
Upon returning to Rome after a tremendous victory, Caesar declared himself Emperor for life, escalating political strife. He then endeared himself to the citizens of Rome by sharing the spoils of his victory. Cleverly, to weaken and relegate the existing Senators to a role as puppets, he appointed approximately 500 additional individuals to the Senate.
Consequently, once Caesar became Emperor, Rome’s republic vanished; thus, public elections ceased to exist. President-elect Trump proclaimed that after the 2024 Presidential election, there wouldn’t be any need for future elections. Unfortunately, if this comes true, America will no longer exist as a “republic.”
Roman history also revealed that societal and economic issues significantly influenced Rome’s collapse. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that a large economic gap existed between Rome’s wealthy class and its peasants and farmers. While Roman soldiers were away fighting wars, wealthy men purchased their farms, which had fallen into ruins.
Currently, there exists a tremendous wealth gap between the one percenters and struggling workers. The high price of food, coupled with a bewildering economy, compounded these problems. During the 2024 Presidential election, voters blamed Democrats for America’s troubled times, particularly the economic disparity and the excessive cost of living. Therefore, Democrat Presidential nominee VP Harris, a Black woman’s rejection by voters shouldn’t have come as a surprise.
Despite President-elect Trump’s rocky first term as President, voters decided to give him another opportunity to MAGA. Nevertheless, each American must ask, “Will the Republicans’ “Project 2025,” as their guiding blueprint, dismantle Democracy instead of making it more inclusive and just for every American?”
Remember, during the 20th Century, seven empires declined or collapsed. These empires included the Ottoman Empire, the Austro-Hungarian, German, British, Russian, Japanese, and Mandarin China. History shows these empires declined or collapsed due to a combination of factors, including internal political instability, economic decline, social unrest, military weakness, environmental degradation, and external threats.
Which, if any, of the elements cited above are currently threatening the decline or collapse of America as an empire? It’s a question that demands our attention and contemplation.
The Founding Fathers, in their wisdom, did everything they could to prevent too much power from concentrating in any one branch of government. The Separation of Powers Principle, a cornerstone of our democracy, states that to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful, they created a system of checks and balances, ensuring that no single person or group could control the entire government. This principle, more than ever, is crucial in maintaining the integrity and balance of our government.
Suppose the House of Representatives and Senators, the deliberate body, surrender their power. In that case, they merely become puppets and an even more significant threat to their branch of government and Democracy. Congress should never surrender power to anyone!
America’s government ceases to be of, for, and by the people when its President seeks vengeance and retribution against political opponents and the cornerstones of Democracy; thus, it shall not long endure. “Ignoring history can be deadly” George Santayana.
YOU BE THE JUDGE!
