Before Bill Clinton’s 1992 campaign for the American Presidency coined the phrase “it’s the economy, stupid”, Roman legislators in the late Republic era had come up with “panem et circenses”, or “bread and circuses”, to describe the lamentable fact about human nature which is the public’s willingness to tolerate just about anything, so long as their bellies are full.
Almost every revolution or overthrowing of a government in human history has some kind of roots in economic disquiet – there’s a reason why “let them eat cake” was such a powerful accusation against the French Queen at the start of that country’s revolution. Keep the public well fed and happy enough with their economic lot, and most people will ignore the excesses and abuses of power of the regime.
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