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The Folly of Political Assassinations
The folly of assassinations is that they generate the opposite of what the assassin intended. Aside from the tragedy of taking a human life, there is a pattern of how assassinations work against what the assassins aim to accomplish.
Perhaps this realization could prevent assassins before they pull the trigger, if even a small amount of thought replaces the emotion driving the act. Here are six assassinations, spanning over 2,000 years to the present, that illustrate how the folly of assassinations has unfolded repeatedly.
Rome’s Dictator Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar’s assassination might be the most famous in history. He was the leader of the Roman Republic. He held the Roman consulship, which was broadly like being the US President with chief executive powers, subject to limits imposed by the Roman Senate. For four hundred years, the Roman Republic’s Senate chose who would serve as consuls, typically for a one-year term and sharing power with a co-consul.
Caesar broke Roman law when he led his army across the Rubicon River into Rome while serving as a top military governor. This was a treasonous act and sparked a civil war, causing many senators to flee Rome. Caesar defeated his enemies and increased the Senate’s size by appointing his supporters, effectively controlling the Senate.
