The American Caesar Hypothesis
There can be no denying that "America" meaning we the citizens have lost our way. Whatever cultural Christianity we had has faded. Now we have let secular thinking and materialism encrouch into our faith.
Nominal Christianity is more and more the norm.
What was once considered unthinkable is now manifest in ourselves and the people we choose to run our country.
The lesser of two evils is now the method of choosing elected officials or a cult of personality has taken any common sense we had and completely nullifed it.
As Christians we should understand that abiding in Christ means we make decisions through prayer and community. Our relationship with God is paramount over all else.
So the question this article brings is are we on the cusp of becoming Rome and turning to a "Caesar" to save America?
Will the cure be worse than the disease?
America Is Eerily Retracing Rome’s Steps to a Fall. Will It Turn Around Before It’s Too Late?
"Today, Americans will choose between two radically different paths: a populist ideology transforming the values of the country itself, and an attempt to reject it.
However unprecedented these times might feel, it’s a decision as old as democracy itself. Over 2,000 years ago, the Republic on which America was modeled faced the same choice. The Donald Trump of his day, Julius Caesar, promised to return Rome to an imagined ancient glory—but instead constructed himself a throne, bulldozing democratic norms, ignoring checks on his power and eroding political debate. Rome chose to follow Caesar, putting the famed Republic on a glide path to destruction..." from the article: America Is Eerily Retracing Rome’s Steps to a Fall. Will It Turn Around Before It’s Too Late?
Video from Monsieur Z
"Amid discussions of the many troubles facing the United States, from political polarization, to economic crisis, to diminishing confidence in the government, many are still considering the possibility that the United States may collapse or face a second civil war. More recently has emerged the idea of an American Caesar, a political or military strong man that will seize control of the United States, and stabilize it before it sees a total collapse. But how realistic is this theory, and might there be more to the parallels between Rome and America? Just how close is the US to seeing the kind of conditions that would give rise to a Caesar-esque figure? This is the American Caesar Hypothesis." from video introduction
Populism and Julius Caesar's Legacy
Video from MTWright
"In 52BC, an ambitious Roman general - Julius Caesar - motivated by a selfish desire for glory and money, conquered Gaul; slaughtering, subjugating, and enslaving millions. His conquest succeeded not only in expanding the Roman Republic, but in winning him that fame and glory he so desired. The people - dissillusioned with Roman politics - were enamoured with Caesar’s glory and loved him. And so, the state - threatened by this general’s immense power - declared him an enemy. Three years after his conquest, Caesar famously marched his army over the Rubicon river and seized power; declraing himself dictator for life and passing sweeping reforms to grant himself absolute power. In 44BC, Caesat was assasinated by members of the senate, who believed they could restore democracy and save the Roman Republic. But Caesar’s reforms and his support amongst the people were too strong. Rome would never recover, the Republic was dead, and the Empire began its slow decline into nothing. Caesar’s story is tragic. A power-hungry man seizes control of a democratic republic for selfish gain all with a mandate from the people. Caesar destroyed the Roman Republic, but the people wanted it. He promised them money and power and, for the most part, he succeeded. What followed was an intense personality cult where Caesar was worshipped as a god and those who sought to protect Rome’s laws and institutions were portrayed as elitist demons. This sentiment damaged the state beyond repair and is the first case of what would become known as Caesarism. Sources: Casper, G., 2007. Caesarism in democratic politics: reflections on Max Weber. Available at SSRN 1032647. Ervasti, H., Kouvo, A. and Venetoklis, T., 2019. Social and institutional trust in times of crisis: Greece, 2002–2011. Social Indicators Research, 141, pp.1207-1231. Grechyna, D., 2016. On the determinants of political polarization. Economics Letters, 144, pp.10-14" from video introduction