The heroes of the Roman Republic were my role models from my childhood. I always tried to behave with dignity, grace, and self-restraint. Patriotism always prevailed over the will to power. I may not have met my standard in every case, but I can honestly say that I always tried.
I don’t see that in America today. The citizenry is reasonably independent and well educated; I will give them that. America is the most powerful and prosperous nation on the planet. But what are the citizens doing with their advantages? Demagogues, largely operating on cable TV and social media, drive the train. No one respects science, traditions, and the law. We have people dressed as furry Vikings storming the Capitol. Mob rule fed by unscrupulous politicians and the media–it was my worst fear, even in the 18th century.
Ben Franklin once described our system as a republic, if we could keep it. Right now, I don’t know if Americans even want to keep it. Nearly half of them would vote for Caligula over Cato if you gave them the choice today.