Historical Note:
In 40 AD, the Emperor Caligula announced he would conquer Britain and marched his army to the water’s edge of the English Channel.
Things didn’t work out, but Caligula was determined not to go back to Rome in humiliation.
So he had his troops devote their time to walking the beaches, gathering seashells. It was menial, and it was useless, and the army was not at all happy. They had trained for combat, not seashells.
He then had the troops load up sacks with the shells. Back in Rome, the troops marched through the streets with what the cheering crowds were told were riches won in glorious battle. It didn’t help his image when folks figured out they were cheering for shells.
Modern note:
In 2025, Donald Trump had troops march into the streets of Washington to fight crime. Things didn’t work out. Crime was already down because police were doing a pretty good job. The local populace resented the intrusion and protested some of the excesses of the ICE secret police.
So Trump had the troops walk around safe tourist spots where crime didn’t much happen. And he had those in military service, people who had trained for combat, devote their time to picking up litter.
Trumpsters around the country cheer as they are told troops are battling criminals.
Additional parallel:
Caligula became known as a coward and a bully and a sexual predator, who used his power to attack anyone who dared to criticize, ordered his closest aides to exalt him, and demanded his subjects worship him as a god.
1,985 years later, history rhymes.
No seashells this time.
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