Toga Party, Anyone?

The Romans were well-known for their embrace of bread and circuses. Indeed, an excerpt from Wikipedia sums it all up rather nicely:

In a political context, the phrase means to generate public approval, not by excellence in public service or public policy, but by diversion, distraction or by satisfying the most immediate or base requirements of a populace[1] — by offering a palliative: for example food (bread) or entertainment (circuses).

Juvenal, [a Roman poet of the late first and early second century AD ] who originated the phrase, used it to decry the selfishness of common people and their neglect of wider concerns.... The phrase implies a population's erosion or ignorance of civic duty as a priority.

Without question, the age of bread and circuses has come to Ontario as the Ford government fiendishly slashes funding for the kinds of programs that make for a healthy and sane society (more to come after the release of the budget later this week). Education, health care, living wages - all are under attack in the name of 'fiscal responsibility', aka making life harder for the average person and compromising the province's future.

But to distract Ontarians from the true source of their troubles, Doug Ford is about to unveil the answer to all of our problems: tailgate parties at which participants are permitted to bring their own alcohol (could there be anything finer?).

With Ontario government officials confirming Thursday’s budget from Finance Minister Vic Fedeli will pave the way for fans to bring their own beer to party in the parking lot, opposition parties branded the measure a “distraction” from Premier Doug Ford’s political woes over increasing class sizes in schools and changes in funding for children with autism.

“I have no trouble with people enjoying tailgating,” said Green Leader Mike Schreiner. “What I’m more worried about is what this may say about what’s going to be in the budget on Thursday.

“It seems like whenever this government is ready to deliver bad news, they liberate something around alcohol.”

Premier Ford says he wants to treat people like adults when it comes to drinking and tailgating parties. If you start the following clip at about the 45-second mark, I think you will get the full-flavour of 'adult' behaviour at such gatherings:


I cannot help but think that once this kind of activity is legalized and has the effect of cementing Mr. Ford's reputation as 'for the people,' more diversionary tactics will come along. For example, as the Ontario legislature becomes more raucous and fractious, will the solution be found in having Toga Party days at Queens Park?



Ontario - yours to discover, at least for the time being.