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View Full Version : Washington Post said the Fed "crossed the Rubicon"




Rhys
03-28-2008, 09:08 PM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/27/AR2008032703662_pf.html

Couple days ago I posted about 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'. To easily continue that point, when the Washington Post said the Fed "crossed the Rubicon" with these bailouts what they mean is this:

In the Republic of Rome, the Generals were allowed almost free reign to fight war. They were allowed to do this on the other side of a small stream in Norther Italy called the Rubicon. They were not allowed to cross the Rubicon with their army and arms. The Rubicon was the norther border of Italy and off limits.

Roughly 40-60 BC Julius Caesar "crossed the Rubicon" and destroyed the Republic of Rome forever, in it's place the Roman Empire.

The Washington Post said that the Fed has "crossed the Rubicon." Is the Republic destroyed forever? Do they even know what they said?

jlaker
03-28-2008, 09:26 PM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/27/AR2008032703662_pf.html

Couple days ago I posted about 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'. To easily continue that point, when the Washington Post said the Fed "crossed the Rubicon" with these bailouts what they mean is this:

In the Republic of Rome, the Generals were allowed almost free reign to fight war. They were allowed to do this on the other side of a small stream in Norther Italy called the Rubicon. They were not allowed to cross the Rubicon with their army and arms. The Rubicon was the norther border of Italy and off limits.

Roughly 40-60 BC Julius Caesar "crossed the Rubicon" and destroyed the Republic of Rome forever, in it's place the Roman Empire.

The Washington Post said that the Fed has "crossed the Rubicon." Is the Republic destroyed forever? Do they even know what they said?

:eek:

wgadget
03-28-2008, 09:40 PM
Furthermore, "The die is cast."

What does "The die is cast" said by Julius Caesar mean?

Dr. dig responds:
Julius Caesar said the words "the die is cast" (or rather he said it in Latin: "jacta alea est!") when he crossed the river Rubicon. This river was the boundary between ancient Italy and the province of Cisalpine Gaul. When Julius Caesar crossed the river in 49 B.C., he passed beyond the limits of his province of Cisalpine Gaul and became an invader in Italy, thus starting a war with Pompey and the Senate of Rome.

Caesar used the phrase as a metaphor to express the fact that he had crossed the river, and there was no going back.

raiha
03-28-2008, 10:09 PM
I'm sure the Washington Post knows what it is saying. Within a few months of crossing the Rubicon, Caesar was master of Rome and Italy. He was elected by the senate as consul and appointed dictator for "life,' unprecedented in Rome. So when he trashed the Roman Constitution and illegally took this step, Cicero, a great Roman lawyer of the day lamented: "Our beloved Republic is no more."

Similarities between Caesar and Bush:

Both held ultimate command of the military.
Both suspended civilian authority.(Ah'm working on this one says GB)
Both rode slipshod over the Constitution.
Both intimidated the civil authorities and compromised the law of the land in the name of public safety.
Dubya's wife does not look like Cleopatra, neither does she bathe in asp's milk.

Banana
03-28-2008, 10:10 PM
Caesar used the phrase as a metaphor to express the fact that he had crossed the river, and there was no going back.

Erm, I think it's because die is plural for dice. In other words, he rolled the die and essentially gambled the Roman Empire/Republic with it.


As for the article, I wanted to note this:


The Fed has made a special lending facility -- essentially a bottomless pit of cash -- available to large investment banks for at least the next six months. Even if that program is allowed to expire this fall, the Fed's actions will have lasting impact, economists and Wall Street veterans said.


More worrisome, in the view of top Fed officials: The parties that do business with investment banks might be less careful about monitoring whether the bank will be able to honor obscure financial contracts if they assume the Fed will back up those contracts. That would eliminate a key form of self-regulation for investment banks.


The central bank was created in 1913 to prevent the banking crises that were commonplace in the 19th century. The idea was that the Fed would be a backstop, offering a limitless source of cash if people got the bright idea to pull all their money at once out of an otherwise sound bank.

Is this a recent phenomenon or are MSM wising up to the scam of Fed?

raiha
03-29-2008, 12:17 AM
Is this a recent phenomenon or are MSM wising up to the scam of Fed?

Fat lot that will do anyone given Bush is giving them unlimited power this w/e.

Join The Paul Side
03-29-2008, 02:50 AM
Is there any way to stop this from happening or is it a done deal already? It's just a proposal thusfar, right? Do we have time to raise hell about it? :confused:

And who is supposed to give the Fed these powers? Congress?

raiha
03-29-2008, 02:55 AM
Howze about a revolution? :cool:

No seriously...what does this mean? It sounds awful. All my survival instincts are shuddering on a cellular level at this proposal. But what are the implications????

Rhys
03-29-2008, 12:09 PM
Howze about a revolution? :cool:

No seriously...what does this mean? It sounds awful. All my survival instincts are shuddering on a cellular level at this proposal. But what are the implications????

who knows. hopefully it can be avoided. civil unrest, famine, property destruction, racial divisions... the outcome could be anything.

the good old system system we're proud of is still in place if we go back to it.

kpitcher
03-30-2008, 04:10 AM
Along this line, I suggest anyone who hasn't seen it rent the HBO series Rome. HBO spent over 100 million on the first season alone and it was money well spent. Along with Deadwood, it's some historical based fiction that is great entertainment. First season basically deals with Ceasar's rise to power.

The best concept, how two 'average' citizens - the stars of the show - helped change history. Of course, not necessarily for the better.