Jason Jacoby - The Oculus We've Stopped Counting Rubicons

During the last days of the Roman Republic, the country was fragmenting under the pressure of political infighting and corruption.

Background 

Big money began  to influence policy.

Julius  Caesar was an aristocrat with huge ambition  and popular  support. 

He was named governor  of a Province  of Gaul. 

He was summoned  home by the Senate. 

The Rubicon was a small river separating Rome proper from its provinces( territories). 

• No general was allowed  to bring his army across the Rubicon as it was seen as a threat both figuratively  and politically  to the Republic. 
• On January 10, 49 BC , Caesar in defiance of this norm and in defiance  of the Senate crossed the Rubicon  with his army...
•  He gambled the Senate would cave in, which it did and he was declared dictator ( a position  only granted in emergency,  existing for the term of the emergency) for life.
•  The Republic essentially was dead and Civil War erupted 5 years later with his assassination 

Our Republic has had norms and rules established  since our founding, both to limit  power and maintain social integrity.

Obama declared  his die is cast by declaring an era of fundamental  change.

The Rubicons  crossed  since then by the Democrats:

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