The Modern American Prometheus
Donald Trump is possibly the most powerful man in America. His meteoric rise to the top of the Republican presidential ticket this primary season has cultural, historical, and future ramifications that I think too many Americans are missing.
Americans, as a nation, have become incredibly short sighted. For three out of his four years in office, Trump was a good president. He presided over an improving economy, stopped the meteoric rise of ISIS in the middle-east, was a friend to Israel — including moving the embassy to Jerusalem and overseeing the Abraham Accords, and had many other accomplishments that solidified his base.
Then, 2020 happened. He shut down the U.S. economy and ballooned our national debt for Covid stimulus, which essentially reversed his economic achievements. By locking down for Covid, capitulating to Dr. Anthony Fauci, and spearheading the Covid “vaccine” with his Project Warp Speed, he gave away his power to bureaucrats who abused the American people. He refused to step up to the BLM/Antifa riots in the wake of George Floyd’s death that resulted in the deaths of dozens of Americans and billions of dollars in damages to homes and businesses across the country. He also funded the very voting policy changes that cost him re-election by signing the CARES Act.
Yet, here we are in another election cycle. Trump is currently under indictment for 91 charges in multiple lawsuits and legal challenges. His dedicated base who put him in office in 2016 has apparently decided to completely forget about his abject failures in 2020. They believe that they MUST vote for him because he is the only candidate who can and will stand up to the media and Democrat lawfare. His supporters are propping him up as a proxy fighter to seek revenge on all those they perceive to be political enemies.
This, unfortunately, is not without precedent.
The Golem
Made from clay and given life by Jewish Rabbis, the Golem protected Jewish settlements from attack. The only safety net was deactivating the creature by the Sabbath. When this restriction was not met, the Golem turned on the people who created it and began to destroy the city that it was supposed to guard.
I see Mr. Trump as the American Golem. Half of our population feels like it is under attack. For the past several years, tradition has been uprooted. Our previously agreed upon social categories of race, gender, and sexuality have been deconstructed. Our definition of marriage has been altered to now include same-sex couples, and religious freedoms are under assault.
As a response to the crisis, we are giving life to a strongman. Republicans are looking for someone who will protect tradition, regardless of the potential dangers of giving power to a creature whom we cannot control. My biggest fear is that we will not be able to deactivate Trump. What havoc might he wreak?
Trump is our Golem. He is our Frankenstein monster; the Modern Prometheus.
Octavian
The Roman Republic was facing multiple military threats, not unlike the tumultuous situation our country is facing with Iran, N. Korea, and Russia. Octavian, also known as Augustus, was a mighty general. He was part of the Roman Triumvirate that won victory over several enemies.
Augustus promised to uphold the Roman traditions and protect Rome through strength. He promised to make Rome great again. With a desire for a strong leader who would protect Rome, the Senate agreed to disband the Republic and grant Augustus the power of Caesar.
Once again, Donald Trump promises to win, to protect tradition, and to make America great again. He constantly berates those currently in power, and openly talks about how inept they are. Like Octavian, Trump will use his power selfishly, as made evidence by his history of business and political abuse. He has no respect for the Constitution or Republic. Trump is for Trump, and we must all comply or be destroyed.
Early 20th Century Germany
In the 1920s, Germany faced a number of problems that are mirrored in today’s America. Reeling from the effects of World War I, the country faced an economic disaster. There were internal civil conflicts (Weimar Republic vs Bavaria).
An upstart fought against those in power, at first through violent revolution, but eventually gave that up for a political one. His first election was won through support of the lower-middle class. This man promised to make Germany great again. He was considered, at the time, as being a “demagogue and gutter politician.”
He believed that Germans were superior to all other cultures. He was the “anti-establishment” candidate, who often derided the political class who lie to the people just to get votes. He blamed others for manipulating currency and running a “crooked and speculative economy” that harmed Germany.
This presidential candidate railed against “cowardly pacifism” and campaigned on the idea that “only a genius” could best represent the voters and restore German greatness.
This man gained traction as the inevitable response of the German “tradition of nationalism, militarism, worship of success, and of force, and the exaltation of state.”
Of courses, I am sure you have now deduced that I am referring to Adolf Hitler.
I am not inferring that Trump will bring about the Holocaust, just that the circumstances around the election of one of the greatest monsters in history strongly resemble those that we are facing in today’s America.
If we replace Germany with America, Hitler with Trump, and the Jews with illegals, Muslims, or China, the similarities (other than overt racism and genocide, of course) are difficult to ignore.
Why Trump is Dangerous in 2024
We have seen examples of turning to a “strongman” throughout history and mythology. Choosing a strong leader is the cry of the oppressed. A strong leader reflects on the electorate, and we often wish to appear strong. This is our nationalistic tendency, and it can unite a nation under the banner of patriotism. However, what makes a strong leader a wise or dangerous choice can often make the difference between a successful country and one who ends up ruled by a totalitarian force.
From 2016–2019, I do believe Trump was the wise choice. I did not support him in 2016, but those first few years made me change many of my opinions. His actions, however chaotic, benefited the country in many ways. His narcissism worked to the advantage of this nation.
However, 2020 demonstrated that his capitulation to evil forces almost led to totalitarianism. His actions since he lost the election show that his narcissistic tendencies this time around will likely only serve his ego at the cost of the nation.
He is running a campaigned based on the past, with very little vision for the future. Whereas his past speeches were based on American exceptionalism and America first policies, 2023 has been almost exclusively about what “they” have done to him — the “stolen” election, the “traitors” who no longer support or are actively running against him in the primary, and the dozens of lawsuits against him.
This election is personal. It is a revenge fantasy.
Compare this campaign to 2015–16, and you will see that he is not the same man running, and voters should treat him as an unknown candidate. We should all reassess his policies accordingly, because they are not the same as they were.
He has softened on the border, on abortion, on gender confusion, and on the economy. He refuses accountability for his role in Covid lockdowns, Fauci, and the vaccine — in fact, he has doubled down on them.
If Donald Trump is elected as our American Golem, we will have no power to control him. He will be untethered by concerns about re-election (which some of his supporters would consider a strength). He will be our Golem. Our Frankenstein monster. Our American Prometheus.
