To speak for Cicero

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ernestm
Posts: 433
Joined: March 5th, 2018, 4:27 am

To speak for Cicero

Post by ernestm »

"Look to your farm, and look to your library, but leave your sword by the door. For in the farm you will find your heart, and in the library you will find our soul--but in the sword you will find only suffering." - Cicero

Once we take up the sword, it never stops descending on our own neck. Not in our life. And not in the life of our family. We may still feel impelled to wield the sword nevertheless, fearful of our safety. The hordes of murderous warmongers have long been gathered, and they are again starting a new charge upon us, finding new chinks in our armor we never even imagined to be vulnerabilities. Yet even now the mongols are approaching the gates of the new Rome, once again---And this time, they won't be leaving, even after they sack all the wealthy houses, because the era has arrived where they have nowhere else to go.
***
With the USA already reneging on its commitment to reducing carbon emissions for the pathetic and paltry reason of rising gas prices, the democrats have joined the republicans in assuring that the USA, as a democratic republic, has less than a generation or two left. For a while, it seemed we still had time to save ourselves. But we have shown that we are incapable of looking beyond the trifling emergencies of the day, however dire it makes the future lives of our children. We have gained the satisfaction of our desires for the hour, for which we sacrificed the security of our planet. The evidence is undeniable. We are incapable of the necessary change.
***
When the Arctic Ice is completely gone before 2060 at the latest, there will be planet-wide starvation from climate change at a level approaching an extinction event. All the rest of the planet will unite to remove the greed and shortsightedness that has propelled USA to the iron fist of might that it is gleefully welding, reducing democracy to its current appalling state.
***
Russia, which is one of the few nations that will benefit from global warming, has taken a very well-aimed shot at the USA's democratic party, timing its invasion of Ukraine to coincide with the COVID's virtual end, staggering inflation, and a cascade of rising interest rates. A deep recession is unavoidable, and the Republicans are likely to gain power again. Then Trump, or one of his family, will continue to desecrate the ecosphere, leaving no time at all to reverse the damage before the Arctic Ice is gone and half the world is turned into fruitless planes of blood and dust.
***
The greatest tragedy for humankind is now how predictable the future now is, yet even so, completely unavoidable. Only another Sulla could purge the corruption and greed from this nation, and just as for Rome, a Democratic Republic can at most survive a generation after the massive required blood bath. The iron fist of USA's plutocracy will turn upon itself. The barbarians will storm the steadfasts yet again. And there will be no respite from apocalyptic violence for many years.
***
Look to the spirit of Cicero while you can, and find comfort in your farm and your library; for soon he will be baring his neck to the executioner one final time, and a new Empire will force you to your knees, amidst the desolation immemorial. Yet still you may believe there are powers to save the ecosphere, but in the time left to them, they will have no choice but to force their yoke upon you. The remaining choice will only be whether the yoke is placed upon us by our acceptance of inescapable fate, or by another master, wiser than ourselves.
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Sculptor1
Posts: 7091
Joined: May 16th, 2019, 5:35 am

Re: To speak for Cicero

Post by Sculptor1 »

Mr Chickpea's fate was to have his severed hands and head thrown on the steps of the Forum.

The Jeremy Cobyns and Bernie Sanders of this world end up much the same way.
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