Two thousand years on, it seems that the Romans did more than get the drains in good shape (who mentioned drains?).  Old Gaius Sempronicus Gracchus in the second century BC figured out that the populace wouldn’t notice that they were being stripped of their political freedom as long as they were well fed and entertained (guess what, Gaius was a politician).  It took a couple of hundred years before Decimus Junius Juvenalis (a satirical poet) pointed out that the ovine masses had become so distracted by mindless self-gratification that the senators could trample all over them without raising more than the odd bleat (if any of this isn’t correct, blame the internet).   

Anyway, I’ve decided to have a bleating rant and, if anyone else isn’t satisfied with bread and circuses, just send your comments to this correspondent via the Shocklach website.  

REFUSE COLLECTION SERVICE PRONOUNCED SUCCESS  (9 January, 2010)

DOUBLEPLUSUNGOOD  (4 January, 2010)

LOVE TRUTH AND PARDON ERROR  (12 November, 2009)

AUDI ALTERAM PARTEM  (27 October, 2009)

THE TIERS OF DOOM (27 August, 2009) 

 

THE GAS NETWORK  (19 August, 2009) 

 

LIES, DAMNED LIES AND STATISTICS  (28 July, 2009)

 

CONCRETE AND THE COUNTRYSIDE (24 July, 2009)

 

THE TOWER OF BABEL  (12 May, 2009)

 

Acti labores jucundi   (12 April, 2009)

 

JOBS FOR THE BOYS  (28 March, 2009)

 

THE OFFICIAL ENGAGEMENT  (15 February, 2009)

 

THE PROPERTY SPECULATION GAME (14 February, 2009)

 

CLIMATE CHANGE  (31 January, 2009)

 

THE PROPAGANDA MACHINE (23 January, 2009)