Just a little bit of history repeating

How many times do you recall a teacher calling to your attention the fact that history repeats itself?

Well, my old Chaminade history teacher, Mr. Fox, was right.

In 55 B.C., the philosopher Cicero said, “What have we learned in the past 2,000 (or so) years? The budget should be balanced, the treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest we become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance.”

Cicero went on to say, “They evidently learned nothing.”

Unfortunately, these words ring even truer today — for our nation, our state and even our county. Some level of debt, bankruptcy or arrogance threatens every level of government in our country.

The situation in Western Europe is even worse. In Greece, the frustration caused by the current economic meltdown has caused many of its citizens to begin rioting. The story is the same in Spain and Italy, where thousands of protesters are aggressively striking and rioting against corporate greed and what they believe is a corrupt political system.

The economic struggles these people are facing are creating a dangerous attitude. If the protests are not handled properly, there may be revolutions. If you don’t believe me, take a look at what’s happening in many of the Arab countries.

Before people run out into the streets to protest, however, they should consider what reforms can be instituted in order to revive economic development in their nation. In Greece, people who have worked for the government are permitted to retire after 20 years at the equivalent of $50,000 for little to no work. Many don’t want to give up their very lucrative retirement plans even though their government can no longer afford them. It’s rather ironic that the same government workers are leading the riots in Greece.