If you look at it, history has an astonishing semblance to a treadmill that seemingly moves forward but actually just keeps on repeating itself. After the destruction of Carthage at the conclusion of the Third Punic War, Numidia became the most important kingdom in North Africa.

Its ruler, Jugurtha was a brilliant and ambitious young man who had served under Scipio in the Spanish Numantine war. Serving in the Roman Legions he had gained a deep knowledge of Roman military tactics. A number of factors led to the eventual war (112 -- 107 BC) of Rome with the Kingdom of Numidia and the defeat of Jugurtha, reducing the country to nothing more than a vassal and then a province of the Roman Empire.

On the Roman side, the leaders of the successful war against Numidia, Gaius Marius and Lucius Cornelius Sulla, both became dictators of Rome later on and interestingly, both were related to the young Gaius Julius Caesar whose hunger for power eventually led to destruction of the Republic. What we see in there is a definite pattern of ruthless people in families who stop at nothing to gain and retain power for themselves and their families and associates.

In today’s America, we have a similar family of the President George W. Bush, and his brother, both seeking fame and historical recognition – it looks like we are stuck with another Marius and Sulla. And who knows what may come after, another Caesar perhaps. It is our own fault if such individuals are allowed to perpetuate themselves and their families in positions of power that can influence all our lives. Whatever freedom is still left in our hands, we should use it to try and keep these individuals - no matter what party they belong to - from taking long-term political office and perpetuating themselves and their families. One is already more than enough!