A damp squib

The electoral process in Nova Roma is proving to be a damp squib. The Libra Alliance candidates are concentrating on the political equivalent of picking fluff out of their navels and examining it closely and intently. In large part their postings are predictable and trite.

We seem set to plunge into a year of uncertainty, with the key question of whom the pilots are going to be of this rickety old barge that the Libra's have built and climbed into. Hopefully the consular candidate Gaius Popillius Laenas will be one of them, for at least he has common sense, ability, personality and flair, qualities that will be much needed in order to keep Nova Roma afloat.

Pompeia Minucia Tiberia Strabo is already planning to extend the jurisdictional arm of the Nova Roman court system to lists not controlled by the "state". This would be a gross infringement of liberty, but of course it is portrayed as necessary in order to bring order to chaos. This Borg like "hive" mentality that the Libra's display, where what is acceptable and unacceptable falls within their own narrow definitions and misguided sense of how Romans thought and acted, is the biggest single threat to popular liberty.

There is always the possibility that someone may post something that could be construed as slanderous, but that is the price one pays for freedom of speech. Equally the poster has responsibility as well as liberty and should he fail to exercise the former sufficient remedies exist through moderation alone.

Political opposition looks set to come under fire should Strabo succeed in altering the jurisdictional limits of the law. Inevitably popular liberty will decline. People who volunteer their time as citizens simply won't tolerate or risk prosecution in the name of freedom of expression; they will leave or remain silent. Resistance will indeed prove futile and objectors will be eliminated through the blunt instrument of proscriptions or assimilated into the silent majority.

Franciscus Apulus Caesar, our Hood to Granny Nova Roma, is simply a European Union advocate. That alone should be enough to disqualify him for the rest of his natural days from any political office in an organization dedicated to the resurgence of Roman civilization. Rome and Brussels are not identical in outlook or attitude. Of course mention has been made on the lists by various people that one can only truly appreciate Rome of antiquity if one lives in modern Rome, surrounded by ruins. This is utter nonsense and reeks of nationalism, which of course runs counter to the EU ideals but since rational and logical thinking have rarely formed part of the EU mandate one should not be surprised.

Gaius Modius Athanasius is not competent to run a whelk stall, let alone Nova Roma. Despite his lack of ability or credibility it remains a possibility that he could be elected, so be prepared to sniff the air and smell that peculiar odour of rotting fish emanating from underneath the curule chair should he win.

Gaius Popillius Laenas is the only candidate that does not pose a threat to popular liberty and free speech. He is astute, balanced, conservative and truly able to work with all sides of the political spectrum.

In election of 2756 the exercise of the second vote allowed Gnaeus Equitius Marinus to rush from the rear of the poll to victory. If citizens vote for Laenas and also vote for a second candidate they run the risk of seeing him defeated. If sufficient people vote for any of the other three candidates as a first choice and sufficient number vote for that person as a second choice, their combined votes could push Laenas out of the race.

For those who are conservative and wish to elect someone who will truly honor the mos maiorum, the Religio and yet also demonstrate the ability to unify Nova Roma, there is only one rational choice; vote for Gaius Popillus Laenas and only vote for this one candidate in the consular race.