Bread and circuses means a superficial means of appeasement. In politics, it described generating public approval through diversion, not through exemplary service or policy but through the satisfaction of immediate, shallow requirements of the populace. And it implies the erosion of civic duty among the concerns for the common people. https://en.wikipedia.org/.... And it is a perfect description of what is happening in the United States.
I've thought about this problem often, and we can see this mounting in the United States every year. The news media talks more and more about personalities, odd events, violence. Not about real issues. And the monied oligarchy does whatever it can to create circuses, dole out portions of bread, and leave most of society hanging in limbo while those with money tend to their yachts, play golf, and control everything they can. Meanwhile, the mass of people are diverted to viewing shows like “American Ninja Warrior” http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/... to try to forget their woes and find some sort of amusement in life.
Donald Trump is a perfect “bread and circuses” candidate. He trumpets his personal wealth as a selling point but apparently spends little on his own campaign. http://www.wsj.com/... He engages in name-calling, scuffles with the press, criticizes his his fellow candidates. He is trying to create an aura, and he will do anything to attract attention to himself. All he wants is a high Q score.
https://en.wikipedia.org/....
Bernie Sanders is the opposite. He has a well thought out policy program and responds to criticism. For example, when Black Lives Matter took over his right to speak in Seattle, he responded by releasing a comprehensive racial justice program and hiring a young racial justice activist as national press secretary. http://thinkprogress.org/... He is moving ahead. He is getting a better Q score, but he is also adding to the discussion about policy.
Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, is biding her time (other than raising more and more money). Her public schedule seems to lack major rallies http://hillaryspeeches.com/... unlike Bernie. https://www.facebook.com/... who got over 100,000 people to attend rallies on the West Coast.
But this entire campaign is taking place in a world in which crazy things are happening. We have increasing examples of climate change – drought, huge storms – and yet the government seems to be disorganized with a lot of pushback. We have increasing population coupled with increasing cost of living, especially in food. We are in a world of perpetual war. Attempts to find peace (such as the Iran treaty) are met with fierce opposition. We have toxic rivers resulting from closed down mines. International terrorism. New diseases. Energy issues. http://www.businessinsider.com/... And yet we lack hard-nosed discussion and a move towards solving these problems. Bread and circuses divert our attention.
What will happen? Who can tell? But without a concerted effort in the United States to find traction towards change in its own society, our country will continue to deteriorate. One thing is certain: if we elect establishment candidates, we shall get no improvement. It will take something like Bernie's revolution to create the real change we sought in 2008 and never got.