Politics: Is it all "bread and circuses" these days?

It would seem so.

"At least two-thirds of our miseries spring from human stupidity, human malice and those great motivators and justifiers of malice and stupidity: idealism, dogmatism and proselytizing zeal on behalf of religous or political ideas."

Aldous Huxley

Semper Fidelis ~ there isn't anything that can't be solved with a hand grenade ~ one just has to remember the delay setting before one pulls the pin.

Gerry

The "circuses" point is likely valid - but I don't see much of any substance in the "bread" department. The Rome Colliseum was built for exactly that purpose - keep the hoi polloi entertained with blood and guts while the elite were spilling the blood and guts of their political enemies behind the scenes.

Even worse - it's tabloid journalism with a side of jersey Shore thrown in. All the debates are personalized.

I don't need a president who is "cool" or "fun to hang out with." I will probably never meet the president.

I need someone with good policies, and leadership skills. And character.

I am not terribly happy with my choices this time around.

Drama and BS. Insult each other in public. Have dinner in private. Both sides look the same with different names. Haul it to the bank.

Politics is all just play acting. They tell you what they think you want to hear and then do what is best for themselves, not the people. I haven't heard that phrase you used but It sounds exactly like what is going on today.

Its called distraction and manipulation except on a grand scale of millions of people who have become to ignorant and self absorbed by the mainstream media that they now love political "drama" and look down upon actual politics, when it should be the exact opposite because in the end, the mistakes and drama of our representatives effect us all. Politicians now just manipulate.

You hit the mark with that one.

I am afraid it is. But I am afraid it has not changed since the days of Cicero, or Dickens.

"This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom"

We got plenty of circus alright... but I'm short on bread.

agere sequitur credere

LOL...more circus than bread....