Caesar at the Rubicon

Julius Caesar and his formidable Roman army crossed the Rubicon River in 49 B.C. It was a momentous thing to do.

Even today, people describe an important decision or event as “crossing the Rubicon,” especially if there is no easy way to undo the result.

In ancient Rome, the illegal crossing meant the end of its functioning democracy and the beginning of its military empire.

We see in Donald Trump another ambitious tyrant, ready to use his nation’s troops to control areas within his own country.

His assaults against a free press and the nation’s colleges are obvious. In some cases, our Constitution is all there is left to preserve a democracy that used to be “of the people, by the people, and for the people.”

We can see this erosion in our foreign policy as well. With 800 military bases overseas and a trillion dollars each year devoted to making war, we are fighting in any number........

© The Leader Herald