Friday, June 19, 2009

Even Cicero got it right.

"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance."

- Cicero - 55 BC

Who knew that Cicero had a crystal ball that could see 2009 from way back then?

17 comments:

Sue said...

What a GREAT quote!

I may borrow it for my blog, if you wouldn't mind.

I have linked your blog to mine. Hope to read more insights in the weeks to come.
Thanks!
-Sue

Anonymous said...

Caesar had him killed, didn't he?

cube said...

No crystal ball, just common sense. Something that is in short supply nowadays.

Anonymous said...

Cicero was to Rome what Obama is to the United States. An arrogant, petty, self-absorbed political parasite whose only achievement was in rhetoric. He eventually realized his just dues.

So I guess there is hope for us yet.

Anonymous said...

Cube, what is 'common sense' anyway. It seems to ring a bell, but it's been so long, I'm not sure what it is anymore.

Good quote Z!

Anonymous said...

What we need is not merely a politician, what we need is a gladiator!

Pris

Always On Watch said...

Regardless of Cicero's flaws, that quotation is spot on.

Law and Order Teacher said...

Z,
The quote is more important than the man. I'll agree with Mustang in this part of his comment, his "only achievement is in rhetoric."

Sue said...

Whoops,
I meant to link to my other blog using THIS profile...

Thanks for your kind comments. Looking forward to sharing thoughts and ideas!

-Sue

Brooke said...

The more things change, the more they stay the same, huh?

Ugh.

Chuck said...

Almost 2000 years later and we still can't get it right

Anonymous said...

There are so many lessons that were learned the hard way by others thousands of years ago. But too many of us are still too stupid and still too lazy to learn from their mistakes.

Khaki Elephant said...

I love it!

psi bond said...

Found on the Internet:

The budget should be balanced, the treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt, the mobs should be forced to work and not depend on government for subsistence.

Source: Attributed to MARCUS TULLIUS CICERO, Congressional Record, April 25, 1968, vol. 114, p. 10635. This passage was reprinted in U.S. News & World Report, July 29, 1968, p. 15. Still later, a contributor reported this to The Review of the News, June 30, 1971, p. 19, and he also attributed this to Cicero. No evidence has been found to confirm that Cicero said these words, and it is almost certainly spurious.

Another site states: “Source: attributed but questionable”

Although Cicero was a political conservative and could have said it, he probably did not. He was assassinated on orders of the Triumvirate in 43 BCE. Many of his works were preserved because the Church considered him “a righteous pagan” — psi bond

JMarler said...

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/c/cicero-plan.htm

The real original quote was:

"The arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and assistance to foreign hands should be curtailed, lest Rome fall."

But it's still a good quote.

Z said...

Thanks, Marler.

It's a quote we should all heed, whoever said it, which, of course, is so not the point.

psi bond said...

The arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and assistance to foreign hands should be curtailed, lest Rome fall.

This ancient quote from the real Cicero has little applicability today. Liberals and conservatives can all agree on the first part, but no one can seriously contend that foreign aid will bring about America’s fall. Of the U.S. budget, it is too small a part, but one that U.S. presidents have traditionally used to gain compliance with perceived U.S. national interests.