Born with unbridled political ambition and unsurpassed oratory skills, Julius Caesar manipulated his way to the position of consul of Rome in 59 BC. After his year of service he was named governor of Gaul where he amassed a personal fortune and exhibited his outstanding military skill in subduing the native Celtic and Germanic tribes. Caesar's popularity with the people soared, presenting a threat to the power of the Senate and to Pompey, who held power in Rome. Accordingly, the Senate called upon Caesar to resign his command and disband his army or risk being declared an "Enemy of the State".
Pompey was entrusted with enforcing this edict - the foundation for civil war was laid.--Eye Witness to History.
It was January 49 BC, Caesar was staying in the northern Italian city of Ravenna and he had a decision to make. Either he acquiesced to the Senate's command or he moved southward to confront Pompey and plunge the Roman Republic into a bloody civil war. An ancient Roman law forbade any general from crossing the Rubicon River and entering Italy proper with a standing army. To do so was treason. This tiny stream would reveal Caesar's intentions and mark the point of no return.
Pres. Obama is daring Republicans to vote on whether or not his executive actions are legal.
Discussing opposition to his executive amnesty orders at an immigration town hall Wednesday, Obama said he would veto the vote because his actions are “the right thing to do”:
“So in the short term, if Mr. McConnell, the leader of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House, John Boehner, want to have a vote on whether what I’m doing is legal or not, they can have that vote. I will veto that vote, because I’m absolutely confident that what we’re doing is the right thing to do.”--MRCTV.
It doesn't matter whether or not Obama has crossed the Rubicon. There is no longer an opposition party to impede him. Republican party leaders in DC make noises that sound vaguely like outrage, but in the end they let Obama do exactly what he wants.
ReplyDeleteCaesar prepared for a long time before returning to Italy for his eventual ascendance to power by spending a great deal of money (that he had obtained from Gaul) for bread and circuses for the masses, and other financial assistance to the wealthy and powerful, in order to gain the support of the Romans.
DeleteThe Rubicon was a tiny stream--not a physical barrier, but a legal barrier. By law, no Roman general to the north was allowed to cross it while still in command of an army. Caesar laid his foundation well, so when he breached this legal barrier, he faced little or no opposition in his march to Rome. He was welcomed as a hero by the people.
Obama has followed essentially the same strategy. His expansion of entitlements is not merely bread and circuses for the dependent class, but also benefits powerful financial interests. He obviously feels that he has, or is close to having, sufficient popularity and support from the elite to weather a blatant defiance of the other branches of government.