Boris Johnson: “Roman relics are a fantastic reminder, a memento mori to us today, of a very very important fact which is sometimes called into question by what they call a weak view of history. And that is that humanity, civilization, society, can go backwards as well as forwards.”
26 comments
Article here:
https://www.politico.eu/article/boris-johnson-likens-climate-change-to-fall-of-the-roman-empire-cop26-g20/
Ironic you should say that, m8
That’s a great statement and point
didn’t he study classics?
> humanity, civilization, society, can go backwards as well as forwards.”
Case in point: Brexit.
I’d be inclined to agree if I didn’t know Johnson meant the fall of the Roman Empire rather than the fall of the Roman Republic.
A rotund monument to *panem et circenses*, when a failing system of government ruled by a closed non-meritocratic oligarchy in terminal decline tried to generate public approval using populist distraction rather than by addressing real issues. And the colosseum.
Wow bojo said something profound, shocked I am
Climate change, pandemics and the mass migrations of people is what did the Western Roman Empire in.
Good thing we’re not facing anything like that today! ^/s
I just realized how strange it is that Britain has a PM called Boris.
Imagine if Putin was called Edward Putin.
What a nice addition these would be for the British museum. Keep an eye on him! /s
Uh… Is that a supercazzola?
As mentioned by others. He studied the classics, speaks Latin and even a bit of ancient Greek. Here is Boris debating Ancient Greece vs Rome.
It’s good humoured.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2k448JqQyj8
And people/historians blame Rome leaders – not it’s people – for its downfall.
Yeah, Brexit is a great example of going backwards.
I’m pretty sure that’s a mistranscription. “A Whig view of history” would make much more sense in that context than “a weak view of history.”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whig_history
As he and his pals shit all over Britain. Fucking hypocrite.
Some took it as a warning, he took it as a challenge
Human progress is subjective. I’m sure the Etruscans felt advanced. And those who participated in the Roman Republic. And the rulers and Senators and generals of the Roman Empire. “Backwards” and “forwards” mean what exactly? Civilizations are complex and go through many, many changes over time. Assigning a value to it or saying it moves forward or backwards is kind of simple-minded.
I see that he is really inspired by the going backwards part.
This is cursed.
His hair looks almost decent.
You know very rarely are people in high positions wasted away, but Boris Johnson is a genuinely intelligent guy. I think he would be a fantastic educator and make a much more profound change than he could ever as PM
Oh how the Brits deserve him!
I’m guessing for Boris the buffoon is only an act, behind which there is an actually smart and well-educated man?
A newspaper in my country paraphrased this quote to: “Boris Johnson stated our society will collapse like to Roman Empire”
I feel like they might have cut a corner or two on that one.
I used to get the impression from media that Boris was gonna be a British Trump, but Trump would never say anything remotely this insightful.
Said the man trying to do away with metric to enjoy “Brexit freedoms.”