THE AMERICAN PATRICIAN AND UNBRIDLED CORRUPTION

Cicero addressing the Roman Senate (illustration by Baldwin H and Kathryn C Ward/Corbis)

Dr. Juan R. Céspedes, Ph.D.

Sine Labore Nihil

August 2, 2025

As a boy and throughout most of my subsequent life, I felt optimistic about America’s future. Economically we always prospered, we were militarily prepared, and children grew up signing “America the Beautiful” and other patriotic songs in grade school. We dealt successfully with a few unavoidable potholes along the political roadway. Aside from a relatively few members of the “Sans-culottes” wing of the Democrat Party (who still criticize, even despise, anything a Republican does while in the driver’s seat of the presidency), it appeared that good sense would always prevail and the republic that Washington, Franklin, Adams, and Jefferson crafted would survive. We had leaders that we could look up to, the “American Dream” was a reality regardless of your socioeconomic status, race, and education, and we trusted the professional integrity of the press and governmental institutions. A prima facie example of this would be the political relationship between Ronald Reagan and “Tip” O’Neill during the 1980s. This friendship between the president and one of his rivals shows a relationship of deep trust across political differences. Much has been written about this relationship that was both political and personal. Reagan, the 40th president of the United States, and Thomas “Tip” O’Neill, the Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1977 to 1987, were political opposites. Arguably, their relationship was centered on intelligent gamesmanship, but Reagan, the Republican, and O’Neill, the Democrat, could temporarily disregard their differences and problem-solve in the midst of their political rivalry. They even enjoyed socializing, having drinks and a few laughs after working hours. Sadly, today this seems both unbelievable and unattainable.

As an observer of the current piranha-laden political environment, I am, for the first time, increasingly and profoundly concerned about our nation’s future. It now seems entirely possible that within the foreseeable future, there are those that could irreversibly alter the American democratic political system. The ancient Roman adage, “Truth is victorious over everything” (i.e., Vincit Omnia Veritas) should be embraced by all who believe in that parchment signed in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787, in a meeting called the Constitutional Convention. Truth has enduring importance and power. It may also be very disturbing to some. Consider the Obama-Clinton orchestrated Russiagate coup d’etat; Hilary’s and Hunter’s laptops; the abuse of power for financial gain; cocaine in the White House; the utter failure of the 25th amendment; blanket pardons given in advance for offenses where no one has been convicted or even charged; an autopen operating a la Hotchkiss gun “full auto”; foreign policy catastrophes and betrayals; the fiascoes of the American Rescue Plan, the Green New Deal, and Build Back Better; FBI, CIA, Justice Department and other governmental corruption and political weaponization; shameless influence peddling; phony non-profit foundations and shell companies; illegal possession of classified documents; Democrat Party Conventions devoid of the principles associated with democracy; the putrefaction and demise of honesty in government and journalism. The list is much longer, and sadder, and unnecessary for those with open eyes and a memory. I am waiting with abated breath to see the end results.

“This has never happened before!” ….oh, you say? Let’s take a brief trip through classical history.

While the Roman legal system developed principles that would eventually be copied by the more advanced and enlightened civilizations throughout the world (i.e., the famous Twelve Tables providing a framework of laws accessible by and equally applied to all citizens, and the idea of jus gentium — “the law of the people”), as time went by justice was unfair with near consistency, and social class and status impacted what you could get away with, or be charged with. Roman society was hierarchical. Patricians were the aristocratic elite, influential and very powerful; the equestrians were the monied class, less powerful politically, but they possessed wealth, and if you were a senator you certainly didn’t want to completely alienate them; the plebeians were the vast majority of the population, comprised of craftsmen, shop keepers, laborers — they needed to be keep relatively content with games at the Colosseum and other freebies, so they wouldn’t think of rebellion; and finally the freedmen and slaves. Influence went from highest, the patricians, then steeply sloped downward to the lowest, the slaves who had no rights. The Emperor could override all court proceedings and decisions, providing cause or arbitrarily.

Get Professoremio’s stories in your inbox

Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.

Remember me for faster sign in

Sound familiar? The following is a case study of a modern-day equestrian versus a patrician:

Martha Stewart was convicted of activity related to illegal “insider trading” and served five months in prison and two years of supervised release, along a fine of $30,000. Although a well known and likable TV personality, this soft spoken and gentle person was, at best, a political featherweight. Although found guilty, Martha Stewart was a scapegoat that never harmed a fly. Stewart didn’t make any money on her trade, simply tried to avoid a loss of approximately $45,000. Nancy Pelosi, an unquestionable political heavyweight who made more than $50,000,000 in the stock market last year alone, is an untouchable patrician. She was born into a family of influential Democrats, starting with her father who was Mayor of Baltimore for 12 years, after serving for five terms in Congress. For 30 years Nancy Pelosi has represented California’s 11th congressional district, San Francisco. She has led House Democrats for more than 12 years and previously served as House Democratic Whip. She has been the chief architect of generation-defining legislation, a powerful leader feared by her political foes, who made colleagues toe the political line, and who raised huge sums of money for the reelection of those that were “team players”. Her husband, Paul, the founder of a venture capital investment firm, is an untouchable patrician as well. The obvious connection between Paul’s business and Nancy’s “insider trading” is anathema to the liberal leaning press at large. In 2023 something happens at the Pelosi’s $20,000,000 security-laden mansion that, at first, is highly confusing. For some reason, Paul Pelosi opens the door of his home at 2:00 AM and lets another man into his house [can we say “invites him in”, and why would you let a someone enter at that ungodly hour?] In subsequent police questioning, the man in question, David DePape, confessed that he broke in through a door at the rear of the house], and sometime afterwards, there is reportedly a struggle and the “invitee/invader”, has the proverbial book thrown at him by the San Francisco police and the justice system. The men in blue in an equally blue city and blue state charge DePape with attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, burglary, and a number of other additional felonies. A federal grand jury indicted DePape, charging him with one count of assault upon an immediate family member of a U.S. official with the intent to impede, intimidate, or interfere with the official while engaged in the performance of official duties, or with intent retaliate against the official on account of the performance of official duties, and one count of attempted kidnapping of a U.S. official on account of the performance of official duties. Prosecutors argued that DePape actions amounted to terrorism. “This sentence is a warning: violence against those who serve the public and their families will not be tolerated,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will aggressively prosecute those who target public servants and their families with violence.” DePape gets LIFE IN PRISON WITHOUT POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE! The reader should bear in mind that regardless of what you believe happened, Nancy Pelosi was not present, and equally, if not more importantly, NO ONE DIED. As of this writing, in California the maximum penalty for “breaking and entering” into a residence is six years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Let’s return to the historical antecedents.

Those audacious letters, “SPQR”, which stood for “The Senate and People of Rome” (i.e., “Senatus Populusque Romanus”), and which were carried triumphantly in banners in front of the Roman legions, which were chiseled in the walls of public buildings, and official documents, soon became a joke and a recognized foundational myth for the average Roman citizen. Those walking along the Viae and Strata of Rome were completely cognizant of their place in a highly stratified society, where social standing and associated rights were almost completely determined by birth, wealth, and ancestry. Cicero, the famous Roman orator, statesman, lawyer, philosopher, and writer was a vocal and continuous critic of Roman injustice and corruption. He introduced Romans to Greek philosophy, created a Latin philosophical vocabulary, and contributed important works on ethics. In the senate as well as publicly, he demonstrated excellent skills as orator and lawyer. Cicero strongly believed in the importance of justice and personal virtue in public life. In his speeches Cicero exposed corrupt practices by Roman provincial administrators and railed against abuses of power. He was loved by the public and loathed by his enemies. His goal was to become a consul. However, none of his accomplishments or service to Rome saved him. Cicero’s political enemies had him executed as a political vendetta rather than due to any illegality that he committed.

Does that sound familiar too?

San Francisco, the now crime-ridden, dirty, decadent city of sidewalks with fecal matter and discarded needles — a city that looks more and more like a third world country — a city where there are no real consequences for criminals, a city where the plebeians have realized that the patricians don’t give a damn, and that the equestrians have been co-opted, are now wisely leaving in droves to Texas, Florida and other red states. An additional and sublime irony is that the blatantly corrupt Merrick Garland Garland’s has slow-walked, ignored, or blocked investigations of the Biden administration and the Biden family’s illegal activities and corruption.

The corruption that Rome faced is now faced by our American Republic. Throughout history, the elites never want to relinquish their power, their societal privileges, and immunity. In the classic and accepted model of jurisprudence, deterrence depends on the expected consequences of a criminal act. Like in Ancient Rome, our elites strive to be above the law. Our democracy is at an inflection point. With election procedures and other laws subverted, and the American Democrat Party’s policies becoming an entitlement driven and racially divisive blueprint that punishes capital in order to create a socialistic and autocratic United States, Americans feel rightfully threatened. Remember Barack Obama proclaiming as Election Day approached in 2008, “We are five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America”? It was a plainly stated portent of his plans and those of the American Democrat Party. There are powerful modern-day patricians, institutions that support them, and other forces seeking to dismantle our way of life. They will not give up, and only redouble their efforts. They obfuscate and lie in order to achieve their goals. Yet, as our founders understood from the inception of our political experiment, the health of our democracy depends on the actions its citizens are willing to take to preserve it. Democracy is not a spectator sport, and honest citizens must enter the political arena to make their voices heard.

Today our country faces a threat with those who have a myopic and dangerous vision. The advocates of this myopic vision believe they are the holders of unquestionable truths concerning humanity, history, and social evolution. They also believe that in order to make their myopic vision a reality, no person, groups of persons, social customs, organizations, or governments be permitted to obstruct their goals. Everything and everyone is expendable. I strongly encourage you to become informed and read about this very real and existential threat at….https://www.amazon.com/Myopic-Vision-Totalitarianism-Authoritarianism-Statism/dp/1468091255

Interested in reading more? Access to my books are literally at your fingertips...here.