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A transcript-matched topic anchored by excerpts such as "...because he said that, he was beaten to death by the Senate, these elderly aristocrats who were insulted that a young man could possibly..."
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A transcript-matched topic anchored by excerpts such as "...because he said that, he was beaten to death by the Senate, these elderly aristocrats who were insulted that a young man could possibly..."
He argues that older people, especially very old officeholders, increasingly dominate society and policy, with gerontocracy visible in the U.S. Senate and former leaders such as Joe Biden, Mitch McConnell, Dianne Feinstein, and Chuck Grassley.
The American mixed regime lets local republican democracy coexist with national monarchical action through the president, while Senate approval checks favoritism in appointments.
Senate confirmation works in Jiang’s account because fear of public embarrassment and norms inhibit presidential favoritism more than formal rules alone.
Jiang says a Senate composed of aristocratic ruling houses produces corruption when power is evenly divided, because the houses can mainly agree to share corruption together.
The immediate post-Caesar struggle is a multi-sided legitimacy game: Antony, Octavian, Lepidus, Cicero, and the conspirators all seek power through different claims to Caesar, armies, or the Senate.
The second triumvirate is described as a brutal dictatorship that begins by killing enemies, including Cicero, and replacing about a third of the Senate with allies.
Caesar could not imagine being murdered in the Senate because Rome's city boundary, the Senate, and Caesar's declared sacrosanct body were protected by religious and civic taboos.
Antony's will gives Octavian a public pretext to attack because Antony assigns Roman land to his children with Cleopatra, who are foreign citizens, without Senate authority.
"...because he said that, he was beaten to death by the Senate, these elderly aristocrats who were insulted that a young man could possibly..."
"There's no money in the pension fund for you. Because all that money is gone. Why? Because there are too many retirees and not..."
"...States, and this is Mitch McConnell, who is head of the Senate. They're both retired now. Okay? But they were both in their 80s,..."
"...won't give up power if they die. This is the US Senate. Again, the most powerful political institution in America. These are people who..."
"...appoint officials, they have to be vetted and approved by the Senate. Okay? And this is new. Usually, a king can appoint whoever he..."
"...be the secretary of state. Okay? The son appears before the Senate and it is like a job interview. And the son is an..."
"Okay? The power of public opinion, it's very, very strong. But what's important is that on norms and values. As long as people buy..."
"...It was important for them to maintain republican institutions like the Senate, even though it was to the detriment of the management of the..."
"And so the Senate was a huge problem because they basically monopolized wealth. And there was a lot of discontent in the provinces. There..."
"now a volatile Game of Thrones situation Game of Thrones Mark Anthony considers himself the legitimate here of Caesar and refuses to acknowledge Octavia..."
"...who are conservatives and who believe in the primacy of a Senate. So Cicero is right now in charge of the Senate and everyone..."
"But so so is Mark Anthony. And lepidus also wants to be a heir as well. And then on the other side are Decimus..."
The conversation starts with Iran, but it quickly becomes a wider map of how Jiang thinks history moves.
Western decline looks like immigration crisis, unaffordable housing, assisted death, fake prosperity, debt, surveillance, and war.
America begins here as a cure for civilization: a clean-slate game built from Enlightenment rights, self-help, property, and fair rules.
Byzantium survives for a thousand years because it solves Rome's political problem.
Rome does not hand Octavian power because he is the best general, the most charismatic speaker, or the obvious heir.
Julius Caesar was not only a general or politician.
Hannibal can destroy an army, but he cannot make Rome accept defeat.
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