Bread And Circuses

An AI Explanation of the phrase:

The phrase "Give them bread and circuses, and they will never revolt" is a popular paraphrase of a sentiment from the Roman poet Juvenal, criticising how rulers pacify the masses with food and entertainment to avoid political unrest. It describes a strategy to control the population by distracting them from civic duties.

So here's the thing. We know that there are people who want to join us here at the high table. The rule that everybody knows is that if you are not born into a high family, then you will never get a place here, and if you are born into a high family, as long as you follow the rules, then you might have a place here.

We must also make the lower classes think they can aspire and ascend to a place here, but we know they never will.

How do we keep them happy when they realise that they will always be poor and hungry?

We tell them that if they work hard, improvement and progress will come to them, though we do not specify a date. We also give them tickets for competitions, and the prize will be a place at our top table, which will give them hope and keep them quiet. Every so often, we will announce winners, but it will be someone they actually know. However, when they see the winners at the faux top table, they will believe that one day it will be them, despite the rule that everyone knows stating they can never be part of us.

Why not? Seriously, if someone shows they are good enough, why can't they join us?

Why not? They are lower-class and can never be part of us because of who they are. If we give them games to watch, enough to eat, and a chance to work, so they can hope their ticket will be the winning one, then they won't complain. As long as they have something to occupy their tiny minds and some direction from their superiors, they will always be compliant. We never have too much trouble. Sometimes they get drunk on sack, but security takes care of them.

Rules have to be adhered to. They cannot be broken, or the whole system will fall apart. We have what is ours, and they are allowed a life and to do what we say. That is the way it always has been and always will be.

How do WE progress if we don't encourage THEM to progress to our level?

That can never happen because it would break the rule. There are those that RULE and those that SERVE. We RULE, they SERVE, and they are happy to do it. They don't want or need any more.

But....

Why are you always pushing for change? You know that would destroy everything we have, everything we are, and you want things to fracture and fall apart. Tell me why? How would that benefit anybody? Our society only thrives because the rules are adhered to stringently by everybody. Do you want that to change? No, don't answer that, I know what you will say.

Day after day, these conversations went on, and the assumption was that the status quo would always be maintained by the metaphorical "bread and circuses".

They never spoke to, or consulted the outsiders, the lower classes or asked them what they wanted or what their opinions were.

Then the revolution came, and there was no more high table or upper class. The rule that everyone knew was smashed into a million pieces.