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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dougsmit, post: 8060046, member: 19463&quot;]Removing a tax would endear a ruler to one segment of the population who would return the favor by following that leader even when his other actions might hurt another group.&nbsp; A small sales tax was of little import to wealthy senators who might be executed or have entire estates confiscated.&nbsp; The line between mad and clever might be hard to define. This program made a good point with the analogy of the funhouse mirrors.&nbsp; Some are convex; some concave; none are truly flat. Who was emperor and what he did to others made more difference to one class than another.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>IMO the greatest point made here was the way too many of us get our &#039;knowledge&#039; of history from historical fiction including the revered &#039;I, Claudius&#039;.&nbsp; The study of history is a lot like law and medicine where much time is consumed by the correction of &#039;errors&#039; of the past.&nbsp; Getting everyone to agree on which parts are &#039;error&#039; and which are &#039;truth&#039; will never come easily. </p><p><a href="https://literarydevices.net/absolute-power-corrupts-absolutely/" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://literarydevices.net/absolute-power-corrupts-absolutely/" rel="nofollow">https://literarydevices.net/absolute-power-corrupts-absolutely/</a>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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