It would exceed even the intense pathos of Greek tragedy, if the shocking elevation to the Oval Office of Donald Trump, an incapable, egotistical, ignorant, former television game show host, were merely endured, as a one-off aberration of current history, and simply thereafter, conveniently forgotten. Rational sense and a feeling of duty seem to encourage us to examine and perhaps, understand its etiology and basis, so that we can best avoid its repetition.
The reign of a sitting national chief executive, possessing an adolescent need for immediate approval and an egotistical persona, both attached to an empty vessel of incompetence and ignorance, a person lacking perspective and the ability to make consistent and mature judgments, a false demagogue (in the old tradition of the snake oil salesmen), an abuser of women and a bigot, qualifies him for the category of a Nero, or any other historical protagonist, fortunate enough to embody all of these specified traits.
It is the declared intention of this writing to attempt to identify (as understood) our reasons for the successful election of this shameful travesty, to the highest office in the land and the leader of the entire free world; but most importantly, to avoid its replication. In the ominous words of George Santana, “They who cannot remember the past, are doomed to repeat it.”
For some perspective, we can cite other sorts of serious mistakes in history: the sale by Russia of Alaska to the United States for .40 cents per acre, the observable incompetence in the architecture and erection of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the abandonment of the Continent of Australia by the Dutch, after its discovery, on their assessment that it was barren and therefore worthless, arid territory, the initial rejections of J.K. Rowling’s book, Harry Potter ( 22 times), the fiery Hindenburg disaster, caused by filling the giant dirigible with helium, instead of nitrogen, the planetary scale Chernobyl disaster, caused by insufficient carbon rods, and many more historical account of such events. Our [election] disaster, the subject of this note, however occurred intentionally and voluntarily, by a different set of human causes, a lethal combination of unprecedentedly high vote by citizens of inadequate education, and, by contrast, the low numbers of more aware and literate citizens, apparently disaffected with the person of Trump’s opponent.
It is because Mark Twain said,” History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme,” we felt it necessary to respectfully offer the following preventative, and if necessary, ameliorative suggestions:
- Draw upon your patience and resilience; stay politically informed,
- If necessary, vote for the good, if not the perfect, candidate for President, or lower office,
- As possible, try to be active in (local) politics,
- Stand up, fully, for your (and your neighbor’s) rights as American citizens,
- Make your political opinions heard; engage, when possible, in peaceful debate.
- Continue to respect legitimate journalism, ex. N.Y. Times, Wash. Post,
- Remain eternally hopeful and confidently optimistic.
-p.
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