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August 18, 2020 - 3:00pm
It seems one of the iron rules of US politics that Americans, whenever the country finds itself in trouble, reach for parallels with ancient Rome. Bernie Sanders, speaking at the Virtual Democratic Convention last night, came up with a particularly memorable soundbite. “Nero fiddled while Rome burned. Trump golfs.”
"Nero fiddled while Rome burned. Trump golfs" – Bernie Sanders
The Senator from Vermont took on a somewhat new role in his address to the Democratic National Convention — that of party unifier https://t.co/CXBAXtYbdP pic.twitter.com/lYDSLyssaC
— Bloomberg (@business) August 18, 2020
The comparison is an unfair one. Nero’s response to the great fire of Rome, which over the course of a nine day period in July AD 64 swept the world’s largest city, and left anything between a quarter and a third of it as smoking rubble, was highly impressive. Although he had been absent from the capital when the inferno broke out, he showed admirable energy in tackling it the moment he was brought the news.
Hurrying back to Rome, he found crowds of smoke-blackened refugees huddling wherever they could, while behind them the silhouette of the city was topped across its expanse by a towering tsunami of flame. Immediately, battling to create firebreaks, Nero took command of a frantic labour of demolition. He opened up both the public buildings on the Campus Martius and his own private estates to the homeless. He constructed emergency accommodation. He slashed the price of grain. If Trump had responded to Covid-19 with even a fraction of the focus and resolve shown by Nero when faced by the great catastrophe of the fire, the United States might be in a happier place today.
Yet Sanders’ comparison was not wholly wrong. The story that Nero fiddled while Rome burned — dismissed by Tacitus, a historian ever ready to believe the worst of the emperor, as mere ‘rumour’ — was believed, not because it was authentic, but because it seemed as though it should be. Nero, like Trump, had recognised a profound truth about his countrymen: that in their fascination with the shocking and the fantastical there lurked opportunity as well as menace. Scandal was corrosive to the authority of a natural showman only if there were an attempt to cover it up. Flaunt it, revel in it, rub the nose of the respectable in it, and there was no reason why people should not thrill to the spectacle.
Nero did not fiddle while Rome burned — but he did, throughout his reign, treat the city as a stage-set for a drama in which he was the one, the only star. Trump, over the course of his presidency, has been similarly impatient to bend reality to his own understanding of it: an understanding bound to the mighty wheel of his own ego. His lies, his fantasies, his displays of braggadocio are potent, not because people necessarily take them at face value, but because — at least until Covid-19 reached America’s shores — they tended to be more entertaining than the truth.
“American life,” Bruno Maçães proposed in his most recent book, History Has Begun, “continuously emphasises its own artificiality in a way that reminds participants that, deep down, they are experiencing a story.” Sanders’ comparison of Trump to Nero, a man still remembered 2,000 years on for his displays of flamboyant showmanship, is, to that degree, a compliment: an acknowledgement of his malign genius as an entertainer.
Tom Holland is a writer, popular historian and cricketer. He is not an actor. His most recent book is PAX
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SubscribeThat’s the trouble with orange man, he is so .. so .. orange?
Tom, you assume that America has performed badly with the Virus crisis, but per capita it is the middle range of countries. I presume that you know that America is run as a Federal State, and as such the President does not control it all directly. Therefore just blaming Trump, merely shows your prejudices, rather than enlightening anybody.
How about an positive article on the new accord between Israel and the UAE, which must surely be a step in the right direction. As it was helped on it’s way by Mr Trump you could praise him!
Nick, didn’t you know that pandemics only affect the US when a republican is president? Pay no mind to the fact that states with Democrat governors account for 60% of total deaths, and have an average deaths per million of 510 compared to Republican states’ 356.
I saw a report that 19 of the 20 most violent cities in the US are run by Democrats. Seems to be accurate too. Having said that, Trump or Biden is a case of Hobson’s choice.
That’s right. Not just a recent slight majority, but most of them are supermajorities, and have been for decades.
Without going too deep, it mostly stems from the “War on Poverty”, LBJ’s civil rights legislation. Whenever we Americans declare war on something (poverty, drugs, terrorism, guns), the incidental effects tend to be worse, but ignored.
Democrats tried to right wrongs of historic racism by jerry-rigging the economy to “help” those affected. But they did not take any praxeological considerations, and ended up incentivizing, for example, single motherhood”which then skyrocketed not just in the black community, but in poor communities across all races. And as countless studies show, fatherlessness is one of the best predictors of antisocial behavior and incarceration.
What was also incentivized was the Democrats’ reliance on the black vote to stay in power. So whether it was intended or not, they do not have much political incentive to see upward mobility in the communities they appear to be so “passionate” and “empathetic” about.
After decades of repeating cycles of crime and poverty in these cities, a lot of folks are starting to “wake up” to the reality of things like the 19/20 stat referenced.
It’s not that Trump has the answer. It’s just that to some extent, Democrats clearly don’t, and the jig is up. Which is why there is a not-so-small cohort of blacks for Trump who are willing to take a risk on him, rather than be treated as a monolith by a party that seems to have just maintained a status quo for decades. And in some ways, the risk was showing some good signs”pre Covid”as we saw historic lows in black unemployment.
Hobson’s choice is accurate. But I don’t blame people for looking at a Biden/Kamala and thinking it will just be more of the same. He wrote laws for almost 4 decades, including devastating crime bills that people like Kamala, a prosecutor (AKA a cop with a law degree), then used to unjustly incarcerate people for measly non-violent drug offenses.
For all the talk about “systemic racism”, the average liberal democrat seems to have developed an overnight blindspot for two of the worst architects of it.
Nick, you are correct, the author is a dull witted fool who simply cannot see what Trump is doing for the US.
Trump was a necessary evil, much in the same way that the Great Fire of London got rid of the plague in the 1660s. We needed someone like him to expose the rot at the heart of American politics. Because of this, he is rabidly hated by the establishment.
Aside from the fact that the people (by 3M) voted against him and he LOST the Midterms elections in 2018.
Yes, US politics are rotten but the solution is not a degenerate like Trump.
Actually Trump didn’t lose the 2018 mid-term elections. Rather it was a draw. If you recall, the republicans gained seats in the Senate while losing control of the House.
And Trump is certainly not a degenerate. Name calling doesn’t help. Prior to COVID, the US economy was going like gang busters with the lowest black and hispanic unemployment numbers in history. Judging from the stock market, I have no doubt that the US will come back with a bang. The US stock
market is now significantly higher than it was at its highest point in February prior to the COVID crash.
Name-calling helps him, if anything.
Name calling is all he’s got, because the Dimocrats ain’t got nothing to offer the American people.
Take California out of the count, and Trump won the popular vote. That is why the US has the EC, so that one or two large populous states do not dominate.
The reason the electoral college was instituted was to give Slave holding Stages equal power to the Northern States.
In fact the South also held that slaves were not human beings but wanted them to be counted for national elections the North compromised and allowed them to be counted as 3/5 of a person.
This gave Southern States more power in the national legislatures.
A low information vote I see.
Again, here is Jeremy, spewing forth bilge-water. Putting forth a a DemocratSlaveryParty lie as Jeremy, who has no original thoughts, is want to do. Jeremy, understand 3M illegals, parasites in cities and dead people don’t matter. We don’t elect a president yet mob rule. Our states elect a president. Now b****r back to your cave until the next time you crawl forth to vomit out more ignorant statements.
I’m always worried when historians have such a poor grasp of current events. If they’re not capable of interpreting what’s staring them in the face today how can they be trusted with anything else – Max Hastings is the best example of this, a man who believed that Iraq had WMD because he “couldn’t believe a British PM would lie” churning out big doorstoppers about WW2. How can you believe someone with such poor judgement?
The Democrat states such as NY, NJ have done appallingly badly and treated any offers of help from Trump as verging on a new civil war. They’re a lot more culpable than Trump.
Stick to the old books, Tommy.
Well said. You could also have included Margaret MacMillan (historian) and Simon Jenkins (bluffer).
I’ll raise you Simon Schama.
Noteworthy that all three men have been awarded Knighthoods, and the female, a Companion of Honour
Yes sir, ‘gold’ indeed for the Schama beast!
Perhaps we should also include Andrew Roberts?
Not sure about Roberts. I’ve never read any books by him as he seems to be a self-parody of some old fogey but at least he’s reasonably prescient on current affairs which is my low bar for trusting historians.
I think you are right.
I find Roberts a bit gung-ho at times, but also refreshingly acerbic about much of the present nonsense that passes for History, so unreservedly withdraw that question.
Speaking of sticking to books, especially new ones about the Orange Haired Anti-Christ why not check out these 3 for starters – the first two are by former (staunch) Republican operatives
Running Against the Devil by Rick Wilson
Trumpocalypse Restoring America’s Democracy by David Frum
Its Even Worse Than You Think by David Cay Johnston
Bore off. If I want a reading list (David Frum a staunch Republican ffs) I’ll be sure to ask.
Rick Wilson is a foul, nasty little political condottiere, the kind of “operative” who made money for himself while losing elections for his client, and I wouldn’t waste saliva spitting on him.
No, he is a staunch anti-Trumper, Deep State traitor who is bought and paid.
Ah, the usual circular logic –
Trump is bad because he is awful.
Specifics, anyone. Well, maybe the immigrant families separated in camps. Oops, that program was started by Obama. Trump made it worse, tbs, but still… Otherwise, I never hear anything specific, just comparisons to Hitler without evidence.
I don’t particularly like Trump, but I’m actually starting to like him a little mainly because liberal criticisms are so vehemently ad hominen and empty of actual content.
Same here. I’ve actually started thinking he might be the better choice . Listening to Michelle Obama trying to persuade people to vote for Biden was like she was reading a night time story to the children. Cringeworthy! I feel he treats the citizens as adults and says what he has to say . He might be wrong at times but the choice is there, which we have seen erode away here.
-Tom Holland, UnHerd, August 2020
I greatly admire Tom Holland’s historical works but his articles on Unherd are boring and predictable rants about popularism.
Sadly, for me at least, his poor take on current affairs diminishes his historical works.
Being critical about Trump is failing to be critical about yourself because let’s face it, this guy never has been an intellectual opponent for anyone at all. The only question the democrats have to ask themselves is how did WE let this happen? Because they are responsible for what’s happening right now, even more than Trump. When it comes to covid btw, there’s no evidence whatsoever that Trump has anything to do with the spread of the virus. The city is burning because of social negligence that has been going on for decades. The dream is coming to an end, so it seems…
“That’s rather unfair to…Nero”.
What a ludicrous remark. Nero according to most of the available sources, was a ‘homicidal lunatic’. Some of his crimes might even shock seasoned UnHerd readers, and therefore I shall be brief.
However to recall but a few, the murder of his Mother, his step brother, at least one wife, and to cap it all, the rape of the Vestal Virgin, Rubria!
No wonder Pliny the Elder described him as “the enemy of mankind”.
For both Holland and Saunders to make any such comparison whatsoever, is just banal.
I think he just had some attachment issues, hence the mother business, and a few other things. Much nicer than Little Boots though. I wonder what comes after the Orange One?
Yes in would not to be hard to be an
improvement on Little Boots.
I’ve no idea who will follow the Orange one. However I do recall in that splendid TV drama, ” The Prisoner”, that when an escape was attempted, the cry was “Orange Alert!”. Subsequently, it was followed by the release of that huge balloon that hurtled across the sea to smother its victim. Splendid!
Perhaps something similar will happen in November?
‘The reason why criticism will never end is that anything can be compared to anything else and anything can be contrasted with anything else.’
– Prof Raymond Tallis, Theorrhoeia and After
Most ‘scholarship’ in the humanities has all the probative value of whale music.
Perhaps if all of the dim-witted (even psychotic) movers and shakers who now presume to rule the world spent half an hour or more a day actually listening to or tuning into the extraordinary sounds that whales produce the world may just become a saner place.
I expect they’ll be leaving soon, along with the dolphins . . .
Good quotation. Professor Tallis is an admirable man.
This has to be the biggest example of total garbage published in Unherd. The author would do well to consult with Freddie Sayers in matters Covid. When one looks at the numbers, overall the US has done no worse, and if not better, than many large European countries including the UK, Italy, Spain and France.
Further, the US is not one country but really 50 countries, and any brief examination of the numbers will indicate a wide variation from State to State.
It is unlikely that the US could have done any better, although they may have done just as well had they adopted the Swedish approach.
50 countries? As a US citizen, I’d have to quibble that it’s more regional really. About 5 or 6 regions, with Texas being its own!
Do you mean the numbers of deaths or the numbers of cases? As I think Mr Trump said, if you test more people you find more cases:-)
Stick to history Mr Holland, there you know your stuff. We can see whats happening in contemporary politics for ourselves by watching it on You-tube or whatever media is not censored by left leaning US tech companies. As has been pointed out below, the Obama administration has done far worse, both by illegally weaponizing the FBI and DOJ against Trump and his allies prior to the 2016 election and starting off the caging of illegal immigrant children which the Democrats with egregious hypocrisy lay at Trumps door.
I don’t like Trump as a person. But I don’t come to this site to read ad hominem attacks disguised as somehow being historically relevant to contemporary politics because Bernie Sanders said so.
We only have Holland’s word for it that his take on historical events isn’t as equally half-witted.
Nero Life Matters!
edit
I can’t believe I just read this from a reputable publication:
Nero helped his city during/after the fire”how noble! And then immediately constructed a lavish and extravagant palace on the land cleared by the blaze, which is mainly why the rumor spread that he had the fire started.
Imagine being so blind with orange-man-rage that you actually become a Nero apologist.
Person A: “Trump is literally like Nero lol”
Person B: “lol no way that’s literally like an insult to Nero lmao lol”
God, you people are so predictable and boring. You’re the flip side of right wing dingbats who hated Obama because his named rhymed with “Osama”, except there’s way more of you.
I know it’s become fashionable to question Tacitus’ historical accounts (strange how other historians are never held to the same standard, only the ones who document early Christianity), but are we really saying Trump is worse than Nero?
He murdered his way to the top, reigned with violence, debauchery, extravagance, and killed his step brother and mother (whom he allegedly slept with). Even if you dismiss Tacitus’ “dubious” account of potentially 10s of thousands of Christians executed, Nero was still murderous megalomaniac pedo who castrated a boy and made him his wife.
What exact “fraction” of Nero’s “focus and resolve” would have been acceptable for Trump to show? Was a China travel ban on January 31, while everyone else had their heads up the ass of a performative impeachment enough? How does that compare against Fauci telling us to “be more concerned with the flu” on Feb 18?
How about Feb 22 when Pelosi was in Chinatown telling people to come down and party”you know, to “pwn” Trump for his “xenophobic” travel ban.
Remember in March/April when hysterical corona-bros were predicting 1-2M covid deaths in the US? We’re currently around a tenth of that. If we want to talk about “fractions”, there’s a fraction worthy of at least some credit to Trump, right? I mean, he’s no NERO, but…
Bashing Trump is the most boring activity I can think of. It’s like scoring in front of an open goal. Or… it’s like a UFC fighter kicking an old man in a wheelchair. You already know who will win (from an intellectual point of view) And by the way : the problems in the US were there long before Trump entered the arena. It’s even probably the case that the whole covid-situation has nothing to do with Trump or whatever policy at all. Thank God for Sweden, again and again and again. Meanwhile the lefties should look at themselves and try to figure out where it went wrong for them. I mean, it doesn’t look good if you’re ass is being kicked by a retard and your only answer is Joe Biden…
A simple anti-Trump anti-populist rant dressed up as all intellectual. As my teenager would say “boring”.
Fact is Holland cares not a shite for the working class that have had their entire careers and jobs either outsourced to China or undercut at home by low cost invaders.
Inexplicably Trump (who is essentially working class himself) gets it. Tom doesn’t.
Not a shite does Tom care. Not a shite.
Amusing that many commenters do not realise that this piece is actually rather complimentary to Trump.
Ehm….somehow I do sense some criticism towards Trump in the article. Quote: ‘If Trump had responded to Covid-19 with even a fraction of the focus and resolve shown by Nero when faced by the great catastrophe of the fire, the United States might be in a happier place today’.
The ‘compliment’ at the end of the article, well , I consider that a cynical one…since I don’t think Tom is very fond of Nero and he definitely considers Trump to be inferior to Nero, whatever the relevance of that inferiority may be….
But in the end it’s about Bernie Sanders . I like the guy being social and all but he also does not seem to have the introspective powers that are needed for the democrats to analyse the rise of Trump-voters.
Mr Holland, typical head-up-his-lib-okole Brit, has no concept of the USA, it’s politics, nor Trump (a person I don’t particularly like, didn’t vote for and would that he get off Twatter). Trump isn’t a Prime Minister, nor up is he a law-maker. He cannot just order individual states (much as he might wantj to do anything that the US Constitution doesn’t allow. Being a typical ignorant, Brit I would excuse Holland his ignorance, but, a bit of research would enlighten him. Alas, this has nothing more to do than Holland’s inherent dislike for Trump. Get your head out Sir. Realize that publishing this drivel of your’s is an embarrassment to your antecedents.
It’s sad and an even sadder reflection on the state of the world that it’s a brave person to write a piece on US politics. Whatever you write is going to be attacked with vitriol by one side or another in the deeply divided politics of the (ironically named?) United States of America.
Trump was the first to raise the alarm about totalitarian China and I know ex-pat Chinese are grateful for that.
Rubbish. As John Boulton the neo-Conservative shows, Trump sucked up to China in his meetings with Xi so that he could be helped by China to get re-elected. Trump cares about nothing but himself.