On Wed, 14 Nov 2012 08:01:26 -0500, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:


"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
news
On Tue, 13 Nov 2012 18:14:04 -0500, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:

"Gunner" wrote in message
...
...
"The national budget must be balanced. The public debt must be
reduced; the arrogance of the authorities must be moderated and
controlled. Payments to foreign governments must be reduced,
if the nation doesn't want to go bankrupt. People must again
learn to work, instead of living on public assistance."

(Marcus Tullius Cicero, 55 B.C.)

Instead their Republic descended into civil war followed by
dictatorship.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustus

To which the crowd replied "Got AMMO?"


Nah, back then civilians had no effective way to resist bands of large
men with swords, either soldiers or bandits.

The crowds were easily satisfied with subsidized Bread and Circuses,
the rich and powerful by luxury imports such as silk from China.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk_Road
"The Roman Senate issued, in vain, several edicts to prohibit the
wearing of silk, on economic and moral grounds: the importation of
Chinese silk caused a huge outflow of gold, and silk clothes were
considered to be decadent and immoral"


Sumptuary laws were hardly unique to Ancient Rome. This type of ruling
has actually been quite common throughout history.

The Greeks had one in 700 BC; the Romans had a series of laws
specifying what was legal wear and actions; the Chinese; the
Japanese; there were Islamic dress regulations concerning both members
of the faith and non-believers; Medieval and Renaissance Europe had
various regulation regarding clothing for both Christians and
Heretics; France in the 17th century and even America - In the
Massachusetts Bay Colony, only people with a personal fortune of at
least two hundred pounds could wear lace, silver or gold thread or
buttons, cutwork, embroidery, hatbands, belts, ruffles, capes, and
other articles.

--
Cheers,
John B.