Bread, Circuses and Snipers on the Roof: Welcome to Modern Victoria
From ancient Rome to modern Victoria, sport and spectacle are used to distract from crime, decay — and political accountability.
The poet Juvenal called it panem et circenses — bread and circuses.
Writing around AD 100, Juvenal reckoned his fellow Romans were far too quick to trade their freedom for free food and entertainment — sort of like Victorians.
Premier Jacinta Allan took time out from ignoring the State’s crime crisis to brag about the Boxing Day Test crowd.
She triumphantly tweeted…
93,442.
The biggest cricket crowd ever at the MCG.
Just another day in Australia’s sports and major events capital.
Had she not clarified that 93,442 was the Boxing Day Test attendance number, I would have thought she was referring to the number of pot holes currently causing severe tyre damage in Victoria.
It’s certainly an impressive crowd at the cricket. But it begs the question, what role did Jacinta Allan play?
If you guessed “absolutely none”, congratulations, you understand how cricket works.
We now have a Victorian Premier who claims credit for events she had nothing to do with, while denying responsibility for those she very much did. A neat trick, and one Rome would have appreciated.
There was a machete attack on Christmas Eve and a firebombing of a Rabbi’s car on Christmas Day.
Little wonder Jacinta Allan wants to talk about the cricket. Like Juvenal said, bread and circuses.
Anything to forget what a heavily depressed, highly taxed, crime riddled State Victoria has become.
‘Howzat?’ or ‘Allah Akbar’?
While it’s true Jacinta Allan can’t take any credit for the record crowd, perhaps her federal Labor mates can.
Is an MCG packed to the rafters a great achievement? Or is it the natural consequence of overpopulation?
Of the 93,442 attendees, how many were passionate cricket fans, and how many were homeless Victorians who saw the MCG as a rare opportunity to access clean bathrooms and running water?
The record attendance figure was likely boosted by the presence of Victoria Police’s Critical Incident Response Team featuring officers deployed around the stadium with longarm semi-automatic rifles as well as snipers positioned on the stadium roof.
Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush told Channel Seven, “This overt presence is about adding another layer of protection to make sure cricket fans feel safe.”
I grew up in the 80s when the only thing MCG cricket fans had to fear was being hit by a cricket ball launched into the crowd by Viv Richards.
These days you’re sitting in the stands with one eye on the game and another eye on the suspicious looking chap three seats across who keeps muttering “Howzat?” — or is he saying “Allah Akbar”? It’s hard to tell above all the noise.
Oh and one more thing, when Jacinta Allan boasts that a record MCG crowd represents “just another day in Australia’s sports and major events capital”… how’s all planning going for Victoria’s Commonwealth Games… you know, the ones now being held in Glasgow?
___
Republished with thanks to The James Macpherson Report. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
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The more worrying issue with this Govt from Andrews through to Jacinta is that the majority of Victorians voted them in. Was it an ex Police chief that said on TV “this is the most corrupt Govt Victoria has ever had”! A Govt that a top Cop calls the most corrupt yet the people voted them in, and back in. A state being run by politicians that couldn’t lay straight in bed and lying through their teeth every time they opened their mouths to the point it was an insult to the intelligence watching them speak and yet the people of Victoria, where I live kept giving them the tick of approval.
It’s obvious that they had a formula that worked, that what to some of us was obvious deception and outright dishonesty appeared as true leadership to the masses. When some of us saw the pathetic attempts to shirk off responsibility for failures hearing “I know nothing about that” or “thats a question for someone else to answer” “todays not the day for those questions” (Dans and Jacintas go to answers) others saw and see them as legitimate answers by leaders who are a guiding us through the dark times of our modern world. It’s a collective blindness and collective almost hypnosis using particular speaking methods and sugestive answering to fool the masses into believing they are not only in control but are steering the ship in the right direction. Its painful to watch as they drive the ship which is the state onto rocks not only running it aground but creating damage beyond repair to the fabric of our society.
Which brings me to my final point. We serve one of two masters, there is no in between. The Victorian Govt can only be doing the bidding of God or the Devil in their service as leaders. Just like in the Bible, there was Godly leaders and ungodly leaders. We see the consequences of the ungodly in Saul in 1 Samuel. We read too that God in Judgment on secular immoral peoples turns them over to their own lusts and desires, to wicked leaders to ruin.
Think this. Gay Pride days and Gay flags flown, the use of Gods Rainbow as a symbol for lgbtq, leaders marching with gays dressed in debauched ways in front of people in the streets, legalised mass murder abortion, legal euthanasia, trans rights, teaching of gay and trans in primary schools to children, Ivf (the impregnation of women with other mens sperm and the binning of living embryos like trash in the thousands) the allowing of marches against Gods people the Jews and the calling out to Gas them! Look at what is allowed on TV in peoples homes that children have access to 24/7, sex, murder, blasphemy, people using the Lords name in vain every second sentence, God this, Jesus that, Holy this, Holy that, adultery, witchcraft etc etc….. Victoria has what the people deserve. We have leaders under direct influence from evil spirits. Do you think this is possible? Yes it is, they either serve God or the Devil and just like Gods people have the help of His Holy spirit as guidance and help in their lives those who are obstinately ungodly have the spirit of antichrist with them as their influence, demonic influence. Note not The Antichrist, but an antichrist spirit, one against God and everything He stands for. The Victorian people have the Govt they voted for, the Govt that allows all the evil of gay rights and abortion murder, the Govt that allows them to mock God, to march against His people and call for their death. Is God expected to bless those people? Give them goodness? Or give them over to their own lusts and desrires and give them the leaders they deserve. Victoria is rotten from the people up to its very Govt and has the Govt they deserve. This is way way beyond just pointing the finger at the leadership, this is the people, society as a whole being judged. Victorias leadership is the culmination of the lifestyle lived and wanted by the people.
Fireworks tonight in Melbourne-another sign of Labors fiscal ability- while people go hungry, people are in fear because of their faith and our roads are in total disrepair and we face a water restrictions because of a drought that all regional Victorians knew about 2 years ago . G o Victoria! :(
Jon. The majority of Victorians did NOT vote for this govt, the current govt only got about 34% of the primary votes. The current federal govt only got about 37% of the primary vote. This is the result of the corrupted preferential voting system. When preferential voting is forced upon voters it’s insulting to claim the party that formed govt got voted in by a majority. Take a look at how the preferential voting system works.
It’s the system we have. WE need to learn to use it properly!! We are stupid, lazy uncaring voters!! I have handed out how to vote cards for many elections now – people come in to vote, totally uncaring, not wanting to be there. Seriously, yeah both in Victoria and federally , Labor received barely a third of the primary vote ( maybe voters were pissed off enough to not put Labor first) but because people are frigging lazy or uninterested or plain stupid, they then put Labor second – VIC and federal Labor won on preferences. People are lazy. We have a preferential system, it’s not rocket science, a 10 minute watch of Topher Fields preferential voting marbles video would teach every single Australian how to use the system! It is our fault. Sorry – it ain’t the system – it’s us!!
Jon D – totally agree. We get exactly what we deserve. However, we probably need to chuck the useless Liberal party in the Andrews/ Allen mix – Libs offer absolutely no alternative to the crap , corrupt Labor parties statewide and federally. They are simply Labor lite.
I do believe that God alone can save our country – we need to turn back to Him 🙏
Great article James.
How SHOCKING that you DARE say such things about some of our ‘leaders’ … AND that we readers dare to agree with you !!
And the 5 comments ahead of me – well, you say it all in response … except perhaps these things Jesus said :
Unless we REPENT, we too will ALSO perish.
And : Repent and believe the Gospel …
When we are pointing out someone else’s (perhaps totally real) failings, we have THREE fingers pointing back to ourselves !
Consider Romans 2 : 1 – 6
Friends, let’s be biblical Daniels.
Firstly :
Let’s not only acknowledge our God’s sovereign rule – let’s YIELD OURSELVES to Him, and be uncompromising in our declaration that HE rules, and that HIS will WILL be done. Even in our own lives.
Secondly :
Let’s separate ourselves to our God and His guidance in our daily thoughts, words and deeds.
To Him alone be ALL the glory and honour.
And to ourselves, our families, friends and neighbours : may God’s mercy and grace to us through Jesus Christ, have great victory and be seen by many …
I’ve been watching this degradation of our country now for over forty five years and as I saw things deteriorating and tried to discuss with others what I was perceiving I was laughed at or people just rolled their eyes. I saw Deuteronomy 28 unfolding all this time. We as a nation have turned from our amazing God and are now suffering the consequences.
I asked the Lord what could be done about it and he said repent and pray
and he gave me this prayer part of which I will share below…
Father open our hearts to you and to one another.
Reconcile and heal our peoples, the black man and the white.
Make us thankful for what we have and who we are and give us courage, resilience and faith in the face of adversity.
Give us a vision for our country; many peoples but one nation where justice and mercy prevail and
righteousness exalts our land.
Give us the independence and freedom to be that peculiar people “Aussy’s” who’s desire it is to serve the Lord their God
and to love their mates as themselves. Let your spirit rest upon us Lord
The spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of council and might, the spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord.
Help us Lord so that your people who are called by your name will humble themselves,
and pray and seek your face and turn from their wicked ways that you may hear from heaven, forgive our sin and heal our land.
Father there is none other that can help us; for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory.
Oh Australia! My country! Her very name is music to me. God bless Australia!
In that name above every name, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen
This is what happens when a State or nation rejects Christianity and when the “Education” System teaches (indoctrinates ) with nothing but Woke rubbish, ie people are no longer able to think for themselves , but, Greed (promises of HEC debt reduction , etc ) override the realisation that all these Freebies will have to be paid by ALL of us !The Allan govt’s policy of “Bread + Circuses ” keep Jacinta Allan and the Labor Party in power while some people die waiting before they are seen by doctors in Emergency, and pot-holes wreck cars, etc. Tasmania ‘s economy is a “basket case ” which can’t provide employment for the young who are forced to leave the State, the roads are a mess, public transport almost non-existent, people can’t afford heating , etc, but, another Football Oval at a massive cost which will leave Tasmania in debt forever has been approved by all ? politicians ! Surely the billions would be better spent on creation of industries ? Apart from digging holes in the ground WHAT does Australia produce ? Plastic or paper shopping bags and toilet rolls ! Federally WASTE and more WASTE ! “Bread + Circuses ” forever while the Allan Govt and Federal politicians live it up at our expense in something resembling the life of excess of French aristocrats before the French Revolution . When will idiots stop voting for these parasites?
Hey Shane, Amen !! Thank you.
Yep, God has TOLD US what He requires of us – individually, and as a nation :
to act justly,
to love mercy,
and to walk humbly before our God.
So be it.