The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same

As we look at the economic chaos in this country and prepare to throw more and more money from the taxpayers without regard to where it will come from and how it will be repaid, it is sad to see how we foolishly replicate the mistakes of past history ad nauseum. The old saw of "history repeats itself" is so very true. I am reminded of parents who tell their children "don't make the same mistakes that I made," and are then met with eye rolling and "Whatever..." It is hard for a parent to watch their children make mistakes that are totally avoidable...not even big mistakes, just life lessons that cause pain or unhappiness when we want things to be good for them.

And so, it is with interest that I found this quotation from Marcus Tullius Cicero. It provides advice that is so very appropriate for the situation we find ourselves in today.

"The budget should be balanced,
the Treasury should be refilled,
public debt should be reduced,
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."

Cicero 63 BC

And, unless it has been purged from our history books in a revisionist attempt to doctor history, we should remember what happened to Rome when they ignored this advice. So, why are we rolling our eyes and saying "Whatever.."