"For over a thousand years Roman conquerors returning from the wars..."

[baldguy]

"...enjoyed the honor of triumph, a tumultuous parade. In the procession came trumpeteers, musicians and strange animals from conquered territories, together with carts laden with treasure and captured armaments. The conquerors rode in a triumphal chariot, the dazed prisoners walking in chains before him. Sometimes his children robed in white stood with him in the chariot or rode the trace horses. A slave stood behind the conqueror holding a golden crown and whispering in his ear a warning: that all glory is fleeting." - Gen. George C. Patton

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I think we need something different in this day and age. A Secret Service agent should stand behind the President. Every time the President tells a lie (meaning: a statement which is contrary to the public record), the agent should perpetrate some small humiliation on him: a pie in the face, a bucket of water over his head, hit him in the head with a clown's foam hammer, etc. If the President can get through an address unmolested, then we can be sure of his veracity.

I fear that several instances would arise each day where Bush would have to extinguish flaming bags of dog poo set on his desk.

[Philosoraptor]

1. there are too many similarities between us and Rome

too many to count actually.

[BreweryYardRat]

5. Not really.

The socio-political structure of the world today is completely different than Roman times.

However, I'll admit the modern media is far too similar to "bread and circuses."

[daninthemoon]

2. You can always tell when * is lying. His lips are moving.

[FormerDem06]

3. Do you want this to apply to every President?

Because Clinton, Bush Sr, and Reagan would have spent 80% of their time kicking the dog poop as well.

[baldguy]

8. What did Clinton lie about?

Monica: OK, that's one pie in the face.

What else?


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That's right. Nothing. Through the entire 8 yr Clinton term he would have gotten maybe 3-4 pies in the face.


OTOH, Bush lies about everything - what he had for breakfast; the size of the fish he caught last week on vacation; the color of his socks...

Just last week, he tried to connect Iraq to 9/11 AGAIN, but 40 seconds later when he was asked directly what Iraq had to do with 9/11 he said "Nothing!"

And he tried to make that connection last night AGAIN.

Bush would need a back-hoe for a pooper-scooper.

[Ganja Ninja]

4. I think we should develop a helmet that all politicians should be ...

required to wear. It would have a built-in bullshit detector and a flashing light on top of it to let everyone know when it's going off.

[petronius]

9. Well, if nothing else, that would be a boon for the sun-glasses industry!

The glare from Washington would be blinding...

[UTUSN]

6. We have not changed. I don't have the exact quote, but

somewhere GIBBON says that at some point in the expansion of the Empire, with war after war, the citizens of Rome went about their normal lives, not protesting whatever the latest war was about, so long as they had enough bread (and circuses). This is SO today.

[leveymg]

7. You have to win a war to get a parade, except Caligula

The Emperor of Seashells, who was assassinated by his own Praetorian Guard.