Thrones Wreathed in Shadow: Tacitus and the psychology of authoritarianism
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Re: Thrones Wreathed in Shadow: Tacitus and the psychology of authoritarianism
#2A good read for the Europeans who have been becoming increasingly proud to have societies that favor authoritarian nepotism. But who knows, maybe the Germans will start to see the irony of doing business with China and prosecuting comedians eventually.
Re: Thrones Wreathed in Shadow: Tacitus and the psychology of authoritarianism
#3Yes, Tacitus is, sadly, relevant again.
A big problem in the US is that Congress has abandoned so much power as an institution.
Re: Thrones Wreathed in Shadow: Tacitus and the psychology of authoritarianism
#4A good read for the Europeans who have been becoming increasingly proud to have societies that favor authoritarian nepotism. But who knows, maybe the Germans will start to see the irony of doing business with China and prosecuting comedians eventually.
1. The US has plenty of authoritarian nepotism, just look at the Trump family.
2. The US imported 450 billion USD of goods from China in 2019, and exported 100 billion. Germany imported 120 billion USD of goods from China, and exported 115 billion USD.
3. Germany, unlike the US, is currently not seeing a resurgence of fascists wearing nazi flags, defending nazi memorials, and open-carrying assault rifles at protests (And occasionally discharging handguns into other people, after they trying to drive their car through a crowd.)
Of all the countries at risk of sliding into authoritarianism in the next five years, Germany would not be at the top of my list.
Re: Thrones Wreathed in Shadow: Tacitus and the psychology of authoritarianism
#5A good read for the Europeans who have been becoming increasingly proud to have societies that favor authoritarian nepotism. But who knows, maybe the Germans will start to see the irony of doing business with China and prosecuting comedians eventually.
> the Europeans who have been becoming increasingly proud to have societies that favor authoritarian nepotism
Which ones?
Re: Thrones Wreathed in Shadow: Tacitus and the psychology of authoritarianism
#6I read both Suetonius and Tacitus before I was twenty (Penguin classics, might have been excerpts). I don't remember them well, but I remember Suetonius better.
What I have read elsewhere is that the family violence of the first twelve caesars was really very restrited, and they otherwise governed reasonably well. There might be exceptions (Caligula) but there were enough in the twelve that were reasonable rulers despite personal perversions.
Caligula might have opened a brothel with senators' wives, and Messalina might have challenged the greatest prostitute in Rome for her title, but the grain and money flowed where and when it was needed.
Re: Thrones Wreathed in Shadow: Tacitus and the psychology of authoritarianism
#7A good read for the Europeans who have been becoming increasingly proud to have societies that favor authoritarian nepotism. But who knows, maybe the Germans will start to see the irony of doing business with China and prosecuting comedians eventually.
> the Europeans who have been becoming increasingly proud to have societies that favor authoritarian nepotism Which ones?
Hungary and Poland are two examples.
Re: Thrones Wreathed in Shadow: Tacitus and the psychology of authoritarianism
#8A good read for the Europeans who have been becoming increasingly proud to have societies that favor authoritarian nepotism. But who knows, maybe the Germans will start to see the irony of doing business with China and prosecuting comedians eventually.
1. The US has plenty of authoritarian nepotism, just look at the Trump family. 2. The US imported 450 billion USD of goods from China in 2019, and exported 100 billion. Germany imported 120 billion USD of goods from China, and exported 115 billion USD. 3. Germany, unlike the US, is currently not seeing a resurgence of fascists wearing nazi flags, defending nazi memorials, and open-carrying assault rifles at protests…
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Re: Thrones Wreathed in Shadow: Tacitus and the psychology of authoritarianism
#9Yes, Tacitus is, sadly, relevant again. A big problem in the US is that Congress has abandoned so much power as an institution.
I think Tacitus' most useful lesson for american politics right now would be the importance of political compromise.
When political polarization reach the kind of levels it's at in the US right now, politicians tend to sacrifice the well-being of the country to hurt their political opponents - which is bad for everyone.
Re: Thrones Wreathed in Shadow: Tacitus and the psychology of authoritarianism
#10Yes, Tacitus is, sadly, relevant again. A big problem in the US is that Congress has abandoned so much power as an institution.
the senate