30 May 2012

Stuffing ourselves with junk... mind and body




Juvenal (1st & 2nd Century A.D.) was an ancient Roman writer. He is said to have written some of the most biting satire of all time.

Ironically, he could be writing for our times as well...

Juvenal lamented that the progressive thinking society of the early Roman Republic had degenrated under the authoritarian Caesars to such an extent that the public cared for only two things - both freely available: Bread and circuses, or panem et circenses in Latin.

Today's parallels would be cheap fast food on every street and the ubiquitous electronic sheeple-herding device, corporate-run TV.

A man of much forsight - or perhaps only a fortuitous civilisational loop that brings us back to a similar juncture in time - Juvenal also asked that question we ask more often today: Who will watch the watchers? Or quis custodiet ipsos custodes in Latin.

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