So much of the US right now is Rome. A failing Republic, with a surging imperial Presidency that is more like…

So much of the US right now is Rome. A failing Republic, with a surging imperial Presidency that is more like a King or Emperor. By far the most successful period in Rome’s history was its rule by emperors. Its Republic was endlessly violent and bloody. /1 https://t.co/NAdrw3RnJA

This goes to my Tweets about how the most basic social behaviour of humans is hierarchical. Humans act and unite, and have peace, when they are led well. Rome showed it. The Pax Romana, when it relinquished its ‘democratic’ republic in favour of emperors. /2

Still one of the most sustained periods of peace and prosperity in all Western history. Marcus Aurelius (shown here in the film) was the last of the 5 Great Emperors of that period. Trump is no Marcus Aurelius. He’s more a Commodus, the disaster that followed Aurelius. /3 https://t.co/6NRrZ5fMsQ

But the fundamental challenge to our modern beliefs is really a question. Do people really want a democracy, understood as we currently do? As them running the nation? History says absolutely not. They rush to restore leadership whenever it’s removed. /4

All of our claims about ‘authoritarian’ nations like China and Russia misunderstand this. Strong leadership IS history. If you don’t provide sane strong leadership, insane strong leadership will fill the void. Because humans are social. This is basic social behaviour. /5

Why I’m so critical of the idea of ‘the economy’, this laughable fiction that people all left to their own devices will spontaneously create optimum order in societies. It creates nations run by violent gangs, who rush into the vacuum left by our beliefs about democracy. /6

I’m against elections not because they produce leaders, but because they set the bar lethally low for selection of those leaders. Whoever is most popular. That just leads to bread and circuses. Like Commodus in the film. Pandering to the crowd. /7 https://t.co/meI23TNHVs

If we don’t stop interpreting politics politically and start interpreting it socially (and historically), we won’t understand a single thing we’re living right now. America is a failed State. Because it WANTS to be. That’s in its deepest DNA, to remove the hated State. /8

It wants a king back. All people ultimately do, all leadership in the world is re-converging upon that timeless model. But there are of course great kings, and disastrous kings. Marcus Aurelius, and Commodus. /end