By Dennis Hartley
(Originally posted on Digby’s Hullabaloo on October 18, 2025)
“When it gets down to having to use violence, then you are playing the system’s game. The establishment will irritate you – pull your beard, flick your face – to make you fight. Because once they’ve got you violent, then they know how to handle you. The only thing they don’t know how to handle is non-violence and humor.”—John Lennon
In my 2012 review of Benoit Jacquot’s Farewell, My Queen (a drama centered on intrigue in the court of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI at Versailles on the eve of the French Revolution), I wrote:
It’s nearly impossible to observe the disconnect of these privileged aristocrats carrying on in their gilded bubble while the impoverished and disenfranchised rabble sharpen up the guillotines without drawing parallels with our current state of affairs (history, if nothing else, is cyclical).
You can go back even further in time, and the same holds true. From my 2012 piece on the 1976 BBC-TV adaptation of I, Claudius:
While an opening line of “I, Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus…” could portend more of a snooze-inducing history lecture, rather than 11 hours of must-see-TV, the 1976 BBC series, adapted from Robert Graves’ 1934 historical novel about ancient Rome’s Julio-Claudian dynasty, was indeed the latter, holding U.S. viewers in thrall for its 12-week run.
While it is quite possible that at the time, my friends and I were slightly more in thrall with the occasional teasing glimpses of semi-nudity than we were with, say, the beauty of Jac Pulman’s writing, the wonder of the performances and historical complexity of the narrative, over the years I have come to realize that I think I learned everything I needed to know about politics from watching (and re-watching) I, Claudius.
It’s all there…the systemic greed and corruption of the ruling plutocracy, the raging hypocrisy, the grandstanding, glad-handing and the back-stabbing (in this case, both figurative and literal). Seriously, over the last 2000 years, not much has changed in the political arena.
Case in point…just this week, I was reminded of a scene from I, Claudius. This was the trigger:
Q: "Are you considering strikes on land in Venezuela?"Trump: "Well, I don't want to tell you exactly, but we are certainly looking at land now because we have the sea very well under control."
Given the Current Occupant’s predilection to utilize the royal “We” as his preferred personal pronoun, coupled with His Imperial Majesty’s somewhat grandiose proclamation that “We have the sea very well under control” (not to mention the Romanesque optics of that gaudily appointed Oval Office), this is the scene that instantly came to mind:
“Your emperor is amongst you once again. All his wars successfully concluded, and the victorious armies brought back to Rome. He had thought, in his divine innocence, that the roads might be lined with cheering crowds; he had thought that the streets might be strewn with flowers; he had thought that there’d be messages to greet him telling him of triumphs to be awarded. And what did he find, this conqueror of the Germans, this victor of the mighty Neptune? The streets empty of crowds and flowers, no triumphs rewarded, no games, no celebrations–but three miserable, old, ex-counsels waiting at the gates to meet him, and a room full of cowardly, stay-at-home senators who have spent all their time in the theatre and in the baths, while he has spent six months, living no better than a private soldier!? Yes! Your emperor has returned! BUT WITH THIS IN HIS HAND! (produces a frighteningly large battle sword from his robes)
(The terrified senators remain silent for a few beats, until one steps forward)Senator: (cautiously) But Jove, you ordered no triumphs!
Caligula: (amazed at the senator’s stupidity) Well, of course I ordered no triumphs, do you think I’d ordered triumphs for myself?!
Senator: But you ordered us not to order any!
Caligula: Yessssss, and you took me at my word, didn’t you? Typical! It didn’t occur to you that I might be leaving it up to you for your love to show itself freely; didn’t occur to you that it might be my natural humility speaking! “I ordered you not to celebrate”. But you ordered celebrations for the anniversary of Actiom, didn’t you? Didn’t forget to celebrate the defeat of my great-grandfather, Marc Antony! How many bottles of wine did you open, toasting his murder while I was doing battle with the sea? (to his soldiers) Show them our booty! Show them the plunder we gathered from old Neptune!
(Four soldiers quickly empty two trunks of their contents; everyone watches in silent horror as thousands of dry seashells spill out onto the floor.)Senator: Seashells?!
Caligula: (chuckling to himself with delight) Yes! Spoils of the sea; loot from old Neptune! Hee-hee! He’ll not take me on again in a hurry…
“Do you think I’d ordered triumphs for myself?!” Which reminds me of another funny story… remember Trump’s counter programming to the first “No Kings Day” last June?
“He had thought, in his divine innocence, that the roads might be lined with cheering crowds; he had thought that the streets might be strewn with flowers…” Well, Mr. President…as your favorite campaign rally song goes: “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” – even when you order a $45 million military parade in honor of your own birthday (give some people an inch, they think they’re a ruler). Historical sidebar-the mad emperor Caligula actually did declare war on the sea. All one can say about that is that he is long gone, but the sea is still here.
But hey…if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Via Snopes this past Thursday:
As activists planned another “No Kings” protest on Oct. 18, 2025, to voice discontent with the administration of Republican U.S. President Donald Trump, a rumor spread on social media that the president was planning a “show of force” by launching missiles over California.
The rumor claimed the administration planned on closing Interstate 5 “to shoot out missiles from ships” and into Camp Pendleton, a training facility for the Marines about 80 miles southeast of Los Angeles.
Users across social media sites such as Instagram (archived), X (archived) and Facebook (archived) shared the claim. Some suggested Trump planned on using the excuse of a military showcase in order to intimidate “No Kings” protesters, citing the administration’s attempts to characterize the protests as anti-American.
Many Snopes readers emailed us to ask about the veracity of this rumor.
On Oct. 15, 2025, the Marines posted a statement on their official website announcing “a live-fire Amphibious Capabilities Demonstration at Red Beach, Camp Pendleton” that would be followed by “a community Beach Bash at Del Mar Beach on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, to mark the Marine Corps’ 250th birthday and America’s Semiquincentennial.”
The statement said “the capabilities demonstration will feature integrated Navy and Marine Corps operations across air, land, and sea” and assured the public that “all training events will occur on approved training ranges and comport with established safety protocols.”
The statement also confirmed “no public highways or transportation routes will be closed” and that the White House would be capturing the event on film for a Nov. 9 television broadcast.
Snopes reached out to the White House for comment on the assertion that Trump intended to use the demonstration as a “show of force” against protesters and will update this article if we receive a response.
You’ve gotta at least give the Prez credit for trying, bless his heart. Meanwhile, members of the Court of the Orange King have kept themselves busy this past week sounding the alarm:
But ahead of the “No Kings” rallies across the country on Saturday, the GOP’s effort has taken a rather stunning turn.
The Trump team and its allies suggested that the rallies, which are likely to draw millions of people, will essentially be chock full of antifa, terrorist sympathizers and even terrorists themselves.
It’s baseless and ugly, yes. But it’s also highly suspect strategically.
The GOP rhetoric surrounding this and the Democratic base more broadly has grown remarkably pitched.
House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana has called them “hate America” rallies and said it’s “all the pro-Hamas wing and, you know, the antifa people.”
Then there was this:
“This interview proved that the Democrat Party’s main constituency are made up of Hamas terrorists, illegal aliens and violent criminals,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Oct. 16.
(Deep breath) Let’s see how the No Kings Day rallies are going so far:
No kid should ever have to protest or advocate for their friends’ basic humanity.But they’re standing up at No Kings anyway.
— Kat Abughazaleh (@katmabu.bsky.social) 2025-10-18T16:24:51.128Z
I understand the FBI is currently looking into whether that America-hating protester is a Hamas terrorist, illegal alien, or a violent criminal.
But seriously, folks:
No Kings-Chicago, IL
— Blue Texas (@turntexasblue.bsky.social) 2025-10-18T17:35:55.259Z
😍 Boston, you are beautiful. #NoKings
— Indivisible ❌👑 (@indivisible.org) 2025-10-18T17:22:53.407Z
No Kings protest kicking off in Washington, D.C. Here’s the view down Pennsylvania Avenue from near the front. Street is totally packed for blocks.
— Alejandro Alvarez (@aletakesphotos.bsky.social) 2025-10-18T16:57:24.230Z
Video: No Kings protests against Trump in New York City.
So overall (if I may paraphrase Huey Lewis) …things are rockin’ in DC, San Antone and the Liberty Town, Boston and Baton Rouge, Tulsa, Austin, Oklahoma City, Seattle, San Francisco, too. The heart of democracy is still beating. On that note, let’s keep the party going!
The Beatles – “Revolution”
Frank Zappa – “Trouble Every Day”
Elvis Costello – “Night Rally”
Green Day – “American Idiot”
The Clash – “Clampdown”
Woody Guthrie – “All You Fascists Bound to Lose”
Bob Marley & the Wailers – “Get Up, Stand Up”
Graham Nash – “Chicago“
The Style Council – “The Whole Point of No Return”
Tracy Chapman – “Talkin’ About a Revolution”
John Lennon – “Power to the People”
Sly & the Family Stone – “Stand!”
Heaven 17 – “(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang”
Public Enemy – “Fight the Power”
Rage Against the Machine – “Take the Power Back”
Gil Scott-Heron – “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”
The Honeydrippers – “Impeach the President”
The Buffalo Springfield – “For What It’s Worth”
Billy Bragg – “There is Power in a Union”
Malvina Reynolds – “It Isn’t Nice”
Pete Seeger – “We Shall Overcome”
Previous posts with related themes:
On Mad Kings, Death Cults, and Altman’s Secret Honor
In the Seattle Mist with Confederate Dead