Bread And Circuses

“Give them bread and circuses and they will never revolt”

— Juvenal

In Roman times, there wasn't much else to give them.  In today's world, the list is exhaustive and growing exponentially.  So, there is little fear in aristocratic circles regarding the unrest of the poor if, in fact, they even notice.  There was a time in my life when this aspect of society drove me to drink.  Now, I only admire it from afar and applaud the engineers of this wonderful little locomotive of perpetual social malaise.

“Morality covers our conduct, not what goes on inside our heads.”

— J. G. Ballard

If it is morality that covers our conduct, then it would be architecture that masks a city's conduct. Every city, from every country, is scrambling to build the highest tower, the most modern design or the most beautiful cultural artifact all in the hope that it will obfuscate the mass from the dirty truth.

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 And if this doesn't work, then professional sports, high speed internet and high tech shopping areas will help mask the cancer spreading throughout the lands. The concept of giving the people "bread and circuses" to keep them occupied is quite an old practice for a reason: it works like a charm.

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Shenzhen - a photo list by Scott Tate