‘Panem et Circensus’
29 of April 2011
29 of April 2011
‘Panem et Circensus’, literally means ‘Bread and Circuses’, it is a historical term that takes its roots in the Roman Empire. This has become a universal formula for ensuring the well-being of the population, and thus is used as a political strategy of mass control worldwide. It allowed to direct the minds of people away from the ongoing problems towards the specific staged events. Feeding the eyes and the stomachs was instrumental in keeping the population engaged, happy and under control, and was particularly useful during the times of crisis.
However, today at the time when the country is struggling to afford to provide its people with the basic necessities, such as good healthcare, welfare and education the government replaces the ’bread and circuses’ with circuses alone using the mass media, creating a ‘hungry fairytale’.
