Cicero warns America over two thousand years ago by Ken LaRive

Cicero warns America over two thousand years ago

2000 years before Eisenhower warned of the military-industrial- complex, Cicero warned us of "treason from within." Greg Felton, author of The Host and the Parasite.

Marcus Tullius Cicero was born January 3, 106 BC and died December 7, 43 BC. Versatile. He was a well respected political theorist of Roman constitutionalism. Being a lawyer, philosopher, and statesman he was known to be one of Rome's greatest orators and writers.

His study of language distinguished himself as the originator of Greek philosophy, creating the innovative vocabulary for that science we still use today. Being born of the equestrian order, his family had both wealth and influence, giving Cicero opportunity to study, observe, and record his times with great accuracy.

Lessons of history can give us insight into what we are dealing with in our own times, as history repeats itself even in the subtle of ways, and Cicero, being a humanist, saw those similarities and compared them to his own history.

His letter writing to Cornelius Nepos was remarked by his biographer, Atticus, in the 1st century BC as being a wealth of information, and an accurate historical record. He said: "...concerning the inclinations of leading men, the faults of the generals, and the revolutions in the government" And that the readers of the day had forgotten how, and felt little need to pay attention to political issues. They, on the Roman dole, were lazy and uninspired, quick to judge and uneducated.

Seems that Cicero knew us better than we know ourselves when he wrote: "The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance." 

 

 

"Indeed, history repeats itself only if it is remembered accurately and taught. We the People have to stay vigilant, and hold our representatives and elected officials 

responsible for their actions. If we

 haven't the power to do so, our 

Republic is little more

 than an illusion."

-Ken LaRive