Fiddling While Rome Burns

Plantagenet, I will; and like thee, Nero,

Play on the lute, beholding the towns burn

- Shakespeare, Henry VIII

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Is the United States destined for a fall? A fall like that of the mighty Roman Empire? Political pundits, historians, and even those who typically disagree vehemently tend to agree on this point with a resounding "yes".

Benjamin Franklin made this ominous prediction over 200 years ago -

“We need a revolution every 200 years, because all governments become stale and corrupt after 200 years.”

And like Rome, the seat of power in Washington, DC is "stale and corrupt" to the core, so corrupt that a man as powerful as Donald Trump was chewed up, spat out, and the "dogs" are still hot on his heels.

But what about the comparison to Nero? Where does this legendary yarn fit in and how is it relevant today?

As all things 2020 AD, the idea begins with a tweet.

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In 2020, the incoming admin's social media director, Dan Scavino, tweeted the following meme -

Following the posting of the meme, "#Nero" began trending on Twitter to discredit Trump for not taking the spread of Covid-19 'seriously' (22 deaths and 546 cases is not a civilization ending event). After Scavino places the tweet, his work for the day is done; he's confident that the media machine with take over and do the rest of the work for him.

And of course, they do.

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"Fiddling while Rome burns" is a phrase that literally means "fiddling around" instead of taking care of business; it has become synonymous with irresponsibility. But did Nero actually play a fiddle, or an instrument of any kind, as fires raged in Rome?

Here's the true story, according to Nero's personal biographer, Suetonius.

Nero was a vile man who "practiced every sort of obscenity,” ranging from incest to cruelty to animals to homicide. But, in 64 AD, legend has it that Nero was so moved by the sight of the great city in flames that he performed a now-lost epic poem about the destruction of Troy from atop the walls of Rome.

The confusion about the "fiddle" comes in to play from another Greek historian's addendum to the tale putting Nero in a theatrical outfit - a "cithara player’s garb"- for his poetic recitation. A 'cithara' happens to be the forerunner to the lute, an instrument which later became what we know today as the guitar.

The saying is now synonymous with ineffectual leadership during a time of crisis. But it can also be used to describe a lack of caring and it is in this context where I make my parallel.

What are you doing while the Nation, while the world, is burning? Yes, some of you are protesting but most of these protests are beyond irrelevant. In other words, ransacking your local Target is NOT an act of quiet civil disobedience. So, you're a Nero.

If you're super gluing your hand to the walls in museums or throwing cans of soup over the greatest artworks known to mankind, you're a Nero.

Undergoing gender reassignment surgery under the advisement of your Facebook 'friends'? Nero.

Protesting the 'copious CO2 levels' because you believe the World Economic Forum's 'data'? Nero.

If you're in a group of all white faces at a Black Lives Matter protest and there's not one black face to be seen, you're a 'woke' Nero.

We currently live in a world filled to the brim with Neros. Content to watch the United States burn while filming it for Tic Toc, but NOT worried about the many, many ways that the Constitution (the very document that gives you those rights) is being trammeled to dust (and yes, Tic Toc IS run by the Chinese Communist Party).

It's time to act. TO REALLY ACT.

It's time to turn all that energy toward a different foe, the real foe - our authoritarian federal government. The time for 'Neroism' is over; he's dead and was never relevant anyway. It's time to really awaken to the truth that we're being lead down this path by forces that we cannot comprehend for reasons we cannot fathom.

Get involved in your government, whether that's locally or in your state. Your elected 'representatives' are failing you so you must always keep a bit of distrust of their promises in your heart. So go out and get elected yourself.

Make a speech at the town square - loudly.

Or go online and write, like I am. Even if I can reach out and touch the mind of one person, it'll be worth the effort. A million voices raised as one in the name of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness is our most powerful weapon.

Or create, invent, and innovate. Remember, that's what this nation is supposed to be best at ("the best and the brightest" is what they used to say). Unhappy with fossil fuels and CO2? Instead of being a Nero walking around with a sign discover the next-level energy resource. Wind turbines, solar panels, and electric cars are defiantly not the answer to our long-term energy needs.

Put away childish things and childish notions.

It's time to lose the word "woke".

It's time to wake up.