If one were to ignore differences in appearance in height, orange versus sparse brown hair, sun tan, and swarthiness compared to pale and rodentlike, one might say that Donald J. Trump and his wily “bro-mate, apearance to have much in common.
Trump, an aspirational dictator, and Vladimir, an accomplished mafia-style tyrant, visibly share an arcane personality disorder (among a few others) of megalomania, mutually presenting in a context of hubris and profound ignorance, the latter, a roadblock to empirical observation and a catalyst to abysmal judgment. In the mutual sharing of such empirically demonstrated lack of judgment, they may be said to be compatible, albeit unequal in tactical intelligence; Trump is beset with the myopic blinders of a neurotic, lifelong quest for adoration, and Putin, more for the primitive demonstrative power and masculinity (Ref: photos of shirtless horsemanship).
In common with the demonstrated persona of all historic autocrats, they are intrinsic megalomaniacs, each suffering from the neurotic ideation of their personal singularity and inherent potential potency, which, history has shown, results in unforeseen and/or disastrous consequences.
In the classic Dickens ‘ novel, “A Tale of Two Cities,” the esteemed Victorian author brilliantly demonstrates the temporal differences between Paris and London, during the French Revolution; notwithstanding the same, the contemplative reader can discern the essential commonalities in the human psyche and personal motivation.
In the contextual observation of our two thematic protagonists, both being authoritarian leaders of their respective Nations, one can easily see significant personal differences between them, yet discern the traditional flaws common to autocratic leaders, viz., flawed judgment, distorted by their egocentric megalomania. So it was, for example, in Napoleon’s disastrous assault against Russia
After publicly declaring that i would be over ” in a few days,” Putin launched an aggressive war against Ukraine (again). Such a boastful declaration, the Ukraine-Russian War is, at present, in its fifth year, with Russia affecting only incremental successes at enormous cost to Russia’s treasury and military forces.
Donald Trump’s ill-advised war against Iran is demonstrably consistent with our present theme, viz., that megalomanic hubris is the precursor of disastrous decisions. In predictable contrast to Donald Trump’s assurances of facile victory, his (and Israel’s) attack on Iran has been costly and, to date, arguably ineffective. It is our reluctant expectation that the war with Iran, under the bizarrely incompetent tutelage of Pete Hegseth, will not be soon resolved, as prognosticated by our delusional President, and, unfortunately, l continue for an extensive period at minimal benefit and great cost to the Nation.
A seriously complicating factor is Iran’s de facto control of the Strait of Hormuz. a relatively narrow (30-mile) waterway through which commercial ships, including our own, must pass. The narrow passage is of vital importance to commercial shipping, notably of oil and seasonally vital agricultural fertilizer. Trump’s aggression has been responsible for Iran’s responsive blockade of this crucially important waterway.
Despite the bellicose threats of our Orange Warrior in Chief, such as “I am going to bomb Iran into the Stone Age,” the blockade and aggressive existence of Iran persist.
Analogous to Ukraine, in the prolonged Russian-Ukrainian War (5 years), it is a pragmatic fact that America is losing the Iran war by not winning it, and Iran is winning the war by not losing it. Donald J. Trump, indeed, has much in common with his Russian Bro-mate and autocratic counterpart.
-p.