Former U.S. president Donald Trump listens as defense lawyer Christopher Kise speaks during the Trump Organization civil fraud trial in New York State Supreme Court in the Manhattan borough of New York City, U.S., December 7, 2023 in this courtroom sketch. REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg
On top of their arrogance, Americans can now also claim to have destroyed the sacredness of elections as a fundamental instrument of democracy, showing us another tragic example of how democracies become empires. The lead author and emperor of this “republican fragility” is the nominee to contest the elections on behalf of US Republicans, Donald Trump.
To observe the patterns where conservative-aligned or populist candidates are contesting elections is quite revealing. One insight that jumps out is that conservatives despise mob politics or mob tactics, except when it serves their own agenda. They will employ mobs to march in support of their cause, but detest mobs who protest against them when they are in power.
For those who study elections, it is fascinating to observe how Donald Trump and Caesar Augustus, Julius Caesar’s adopted successor, show similarities. Both show how their political leadership became an imperial cult, both show an aversion to war other than to expand territory, and both assumed full power to appoint public representatives who wouldn't oppose them. Whereas Caesar Augustus did not want to be known as emperor, he was a de facto emperor and dictator.
Donald Trump throws the word dictator around casually, and many of his supporters like the idea of him being a dictator. With all the pseudo trappings of a republic, with a senate and elections, Caesar Augustus alone decided which candidates won, disregarding how the people voted.
The 500-year-old Roman Republic became an empire with an emperor under his leadership in 27CE. His empire-building project and its consequences finally led to the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 CE. A lesson we must all learn: Those who fight to establish a republic, must be comfortable with being out of power for a period and still defend the workings of that republic, otherwise it will only become a bus stop on the journey to dictatorship.
For each republic, that moment when they stand between defending the republic and caving into a leadership cult and empire syndrome is never obvious to them. Lewis Mumford, in his book, The City in History, writes that while Roman citizens gorged themselves on sumptuous foods and feasting, “Rome became an unsustainable welfare state, with over 200 000 citizens living on daily handouts from the public storehouses.
Out of the 365 days a year, over 200 eventually became public holidays”, and 93 were devoted to circuses and games for entertainment, all paid out of the public purse. This moment has been well captured in Thomas Coles’ 1836 painting, titled The Course of Empire: Destruction.
What does this all mean for our 30-year-old republic facing only its seventh election? When one analyses election posters, the parliamentary and extra-parliamentary behaviour of elected officials, and those mass insult sessions called manifesto launches, one sees how rapidly our 30-year-old republic no longer defends its republican mandate to be a house for all the people, but instead verges dangerously into leadership cults, promising greater welfare, and flirts with notions of dictatorial power. The insults, the doomsday messages, and the intolerance of others “that are not in my party” are the beginning of South Africa’s dangerous journey towards dictatorship. Modern elections have become about annihilating the opposition and its voters and, when in power, only governing for those who voted for you.
Caesar Augustus thought that by giving himself all power and taking away the power of the people while increasing their pleasures, he was securing the republic. He was wrong. He set the stage for its invasion and ultimate destruction.
His leadership became a cult. He refused criticism. He destroyed those who opposed him. He and his predecessor, Julius, sowed the seeds that grew to destroy the republic. We must be aware of those who pretend to advance our pleasures and our prosperity, while they are the de facto destroyers of our republic.
* Lorenzo A. Davids.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
Do you have something on your mind; or want to comment on the big stories of the day? We would love to hear from you. Please send your letters to arglet@inl.co.za.
All letters to be considered for publication, must contain full names, addresses and contact details (not for publication)