Where Is Our Marcus Aurelius?

If you haven't already noticed, Stoicism has been back in style for the past few years and Marcus Aurelius, its most famous practitioner, is all the rage. Even Jerry Seinfeld follows the old Roman emperor's philosophy and uses it in his everyday life. Why now? Why would a philosophy developed by the ancient Greeks in 300 BC and carried on by the Romans, suddenly become relevant in our contemporary society?

In its simplest form, Stoicism is a philosophical system based on the principles of goodness and peace of mind gained from living a life of virtue in accordance with nature. In his famous book, Meditations, Marcus Aurelius speaks often about the importance of ethics and moral integrity, stating unequivocally, "If it is not right, do not do it. If it is not true, do not say it." He is also a bit of a psychologist when he advises, "You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength." And regarding nature, he takes a pantheistic approach, saying, "Constantly regard the universe as having one living being, having one substance and one soul."

It goes without saying, of course, that Stoicism has no place in our current political system today. Quite the contrary. Not too long ago Trump whined loudly enough for all to hear: "Where's my Roy Cohn?" Meaning where's my mentor and shyster lawyer who always gets me out of trouble and scares the hell out of my enemies? Roy Cohn, you'll remember, originally worked for Senator Joe McCarthy, the delusional alcoholic who saw communists hiding in every crack and crevice in America and ruined the lives of many innocent citizens. In addition to working for McCarthy, Cohn was a closeted gay man who persecuted homosexuals and a "self-loathing Jew" who targeted left-wing Jews and helped prosecute Julius and Ethel Rosenberg.

It's unlikely whether Trump will ever find a replacement as loathsome as Cohn, although he's making a good start with Todd Blanche. But it's not just Blanche. It's his entire despicable coterie of sycophantic billionaires like Musk and Ellison and Bezos, to name a few, who will say or do anything to become richer and more powerful at the expense of the American public. But have they finally gone too far? Is history finally catching up with them?

After 45 years of trickle-down Reaganomics, unending tax cuts for the rich, and a $40 trillion dollar national debt, are Americans finally catching on to the fact that these guys are not their friends -- they're just a bunch of greedy pricks who are making life worse for all of us. And what about the unnecessary and destructive wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iran that killed hundreds of thousands and cost trillions? Or the shitty for-profit healthcare system that rewards uncaring CEOs, routinely refuses life-saving medical treatments, and bankrupts individuals? (Is it any wonder why some people glorify Luigi Mangione?) And on top of all this, you have a brain-addled incompetent president who does nothing but lie and scam money for himself and his family as the United States becomes the pariah of the world. And that's just the beginning. We all know there's so much more to add to this list of grievances.

Now no one has ever accused Americans of being quick learners or good critical thinkers, but they're smart enough to know when they can't pay the rent, or afford their medical care, or have enough money for groceries. So is it possible that at long last they're starting to awaken from their decades-long somnambulistic trance and ask the question: Where's our Marcus Aurelius? Where's our Stoic leader who is in tune with nature and values virtue and moral integrity above all else? Where's our courageous champion who is willing to stand up to the ruthless billionaires and special interests and fight for issues like single payer healthcare, raising the minimum wage, and affordable college tuition?

It's been my experience that when an individual (or a society) really needs something or wants something, they get it. Just look at our history, starting with the colonists who wanted freedom from England, the exploited workers who created labor unions, the election of FDR who got us out of the Depression and improved the lives of average citizens, and on and on. Sure it takes time and many suffer and die in the process, but it does happen. And we are ripe for change. We're like the alcoholic or drug addict who is at the nadir of their existence and either wants to end it all or fly right.

Perhaps that's why Stoicism is making a comeback. We need it, we feel it, and we gotta have it. The destructive zeitgeist of cutthroat capitalism and greed is good and screw the next guy to get more for yourself that began in the Reagan era has brought us to the inner sanctum of Dante's inferno. And we either wise up and do the right thing or perish. Let's be clear, there have always been individuals in our society who have exemplified Stoic values. Think FDR, who was called a "socialist" by Republicans, or more recently, Bernie Sanders, who Trump calls a "communist." The title doesn't matter. Just realize it for what it is: pure propaganda, a smear tactic that turns working class people against their own interests so they vote for the interests of the ruling class.

As Gore Vidal once noted, "Persuading people to vote against their own best interests has been the awesome genius of the American political elite from the beginning."

So with the November elections right around the corner, we'll soon know whether voters will finally do the right thing and vote for candidates who will improve their lives - Yes, Democratic Socialists! -- or whether they'll be fooled again and vote for candidates who appeal to their prejudices, then laugh behind their backs as they take away their jobs, their healthcare, and their human dignity.