Something about this post on Lorain reminded me of the old quote about Bread and Circuses. An old Roman play used the phrase to criticize the cheap tricks used to pacify the populace – the masses only cared about bread and circuses to the detriment of long-term concerns, and politicians only offered them those things to gain popularity and not have to make tough decisions.
For a long time, I thought of it more as the base level of services that the politicians have to provide in order to keep the people satisfied. If they can do more, great; if not, and that keeps the people happy, tant mieux. A problem, I think, is that government sometimes fails to provide even this base level of services. Besides children going hungry, playgrounds and public recreation areas are cut back, adults have fewer social outlets and there aren’t many opportunities for mass involvement as a group.
What if Bread and Circus was used to judge government efficacy?
Last week I drove through East Cleveland. Boarded up houses and boarded up stores lined the potholed streets. There was no bread, there were no circuses. Instead, I could imagine people questioning why they were living there in the first place. What was there to do? Break into the abandoned buildings? Drive down the street trying to dodge the dogs running wild? Then I drove up Monticello; there’s a park where, on summer afternoons and evenings, swarms of young men play basketball. It’s a simple thing – providing basketball courts – but it gave them an opportunity to do what they loved, to dream, to play, to compete, to be part of a team, and to get exercise, which is something that so many people don’t get. Imagine combining that with lessons on life – on eating well, saving money, investing, working, learning. Imagine a program that offered kids coaching! On those courts the next LeBron could arise. If Malcolm Gladwell is right, they could get the 10,000 hours required for mastery, and lead the next generation of basketball superstars. Generations of boys after them would be able to play on those courts and imagine that they, too could play in the NBA, and girls could grow up to the WNBA. The cost to the city, as far as I can see, would be minimal, and the benefits if these kids are kept healthy and active, would be massive in terms of lower crime, lower health care costs, more team play and involvement, lower drug use, etc.
City Vision: Project Cleveland 