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1. History repeats itself constantly but sometimes not perfectly. For instance on March 15th 44 BC Brutus a Roman SENATOR and head of a group of about 60 conspirators stabbed Julius Caesar to death. Julius had just been "elected" as "dictator perpetuo" by that same Roman Senate.
2. Those in the group that plotted to kill Julius were upset at this election, having seen their power lessened and their wealth reduced by Julius's reforms over the last several years. They feared his growing support among the people with those same populist reforms.
3. It was a matter in many ways "of the elites vs the people." Julius while an elite himself was loved by the avg Joe, not only, by winning wars in Britain and France; but by also,granting citizenshipship to more within the republic, reforms to help veterans, land reforms etc.
4. The elites at the time lived in a bubble and thought that by killing Julius things could go back to the way they were. They were divorced from reality and never imagined what those who supported him would do upon the death of their beloved leader.
5. Sure, they knew he had growing support among the rabble but they believed their friends and small group that everyone that mattered despised him, so they stuck the knife in him. Problem solved. They patted themselves on the back and talked about saving the Roman Republic.
6. His death solved nothing. It created a power vacuum that the senators were unable to fill and set the stage for two civil wars in the next two years. As those who supported Julius sought revenge as well as opportunity. The Senate was useless to control anything.
7. The civil wars fought, the murderers of Julius killed, the Roman Republic was never the same again. A group of three was named to lead the republic in the Second Triumvirate. This lasted for about a decade until there was only one leader. The Roman Republic was finished.
8. The Roman empire was born. So basically the senators in their little bubble doing their dirty deed caused the exact result they wished to stop. Talk about an epic backfire. But that's what happens when you live in a bubble and reality comes a knocking.
9. Fast forward 2063 years and on the eve of the ides of March(Mar 14th, 2019) about 60 American Senators upset about the results of an election voted to try to defang a President they didn't like for pretty much the same reasons those Roman senators decided on their actions.
10. They were worried about a loss of power and wealth his policies might mean to them. They also live in a bubble and thought what they did was right. They also have no idea how to lead nor would they have been able to chart a course for the nation if they were successful.
11. Granted there are some differences, nothing lines up perfectly but the impulses of the actors are the same and if they were successful the results would IMO be about the same. It would mean the end of the American Republic and the birth of the American empire.
12. It might have taken a decade or more like it did back in 44 B.C.. However, once forces are unleashed and leaders show they care more for themselves and their status then the needs of the nation they lead; it's hard to put those forces back into a box.
13. The senators yesterday unlike the ones in 44 bc were not successful so maybe we can find out what would have happened to the Roman Republic if Brutus would have failed. Perhaps we won't and the course is already set. Buckle up this show is still in it's early acts.
