Flanked by a bust of Julius Caesar, Beck brought out a literal red pill and a blue pill and after the viewer symbolically took the red pill (by not changing the channel), he broke into his version of HBO’s Rome, only one without nudity and done entirely on a chalkboard. Successfully connecting America to Rome. Easy. Successfully connecting Rome to The Matrix? That’s only something Beck could accomplish. As for that first connection, Beck had a lot of evidence to choose from. He pointed to the FCC’s proposed rationing of the Internet (making sure to note FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski’s first name) as well as the Senate’s passing of the Food Safety Bill as signs that America might be going the way of that great empire of old.

Really though, we should be more concerned about our country heading the way of the Matrix films. A period of prosperity and awesomeness followed only by a disappointing mess redeemed only by Monica Bellucci’s tight dress. Fortunately, as Beck promised later in the show, we aren’t at the end of the timeline and we can still save our nation. The choice is yours. We don’t have to be Neo.

Oh, wait. I’m sorry. I meant “Nero.”

Check out the clip from Fox News below: