Poll: Which Historical Figure Does Trump Most Resemble?
Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.” ~ writer and philosopher George Santayana
Reporting on the likely author of that quote, Big Think reported that, in its original form, the quote read, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
Wikiquote reported that “a variety of [other] paraphrases and variants” have emerged over the years:
- Those who do not remember their past are condemned to repeat their mistakes.
- Those who do not read history are doomed to repeat it.
- Those who fail to learn from the mistakes of their predecessors are destined to repeat them.
- Those who do not know history’s mistakes are doomed to repeat them.
Continuing, Wikiquote reported that “there is a similar quote by Edmund Burke (in Revolution in France) that often leads to misattribution: ‘People will not look forward to posterity, who never look backward to their ancestors.'”
Today’s poll ask readers to choose which of four historic figures Trump most resembles in their estimation.
Joseph McCarthy
Biography reported that “undaunted by his shortcomings, McCarthy cast himself as an unrelenting patriot and protector of the American ideal. On the other side of the argument, his detractors claimed McCarthy was on a witch hunt and used his power to trample civil liberties and greatly damage the careers of leftists, intellectuals and artists.”
Here are a few examples of parallels between Trump and McCarthy that we explored in an article published in January 2016 titled “Mentored By An Aide To Joseph McCarthy – Donald Trump Embodies The Tyranny Of His Heroes.”
- Trump vows to vilify and crush those who dare speak out against him – “If someone screws you, screw them back.“
- He mocks those others admire – “[John McCain]’s not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured, okay? I hate to tell you.“
- He admires and extols the worst of human values and nature – mentored by former McCarthy henchman Roy Cohn and praising tyrants like North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong-un, Russia’s Vladimir Putin. Far be it for him to praise the likes of Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi or Nelson Mandela – “What a sad thing that the memory of Nelson Mandela will be stained by the phony sign language moron who is in every picture at funeral!“
- And here’s Trump’s take on contrition…. remorse – “When we go in church and I drink the little wine, which is about the only wine I drink, and I eat the little cracker — I guess that’s a form of asking forgiveness.“
Benito Mussolini
As with McCarthy, there is a lot we could say about Mussolini, but instead we are going to quote the first portion of an article about the Italian leader titled: “When investigators threatened his power, he declared himself dictator” that was published earlier this week by The Washington Post:
He threatened the press, joked about ruling for life and bullied everyone, including the allies who helped him get into office, while enjoying a cult following among his base. When a special judicial investigation threatened to reveal his financial corruption and complicity in criminal acts, he did not hesitate to destroy the democracy he led to remain in power.
Benito Mussolini created the world’s first Fascist dictatorship not just as a counter to the powerful Italian left — that’s a well-known story — but also as a desperate act to avoid prosecution….
Mussolini undermined the institutions and culture of Italian democracy persistently and methodically. He denounced any negative press coverage of him as “abusive” and “criminal,” and demanded that the offending reporters and editors be fired… He dismissed officials who were insufficiently servile. He bullied Parliament into passage of an electoral law that guaranteed his coalition’s victory in the 1924 elections. And he stayed silent when Fascists beat up or killed opposition politicians.
Adolph Hitler
First of all we want to clear the air about the inclusion of Hitler as an option. The Guardian reported a few years ago about about an internet meme known as Godwin’s Law:
Back in 1990 – before users referred to the internet as the World Wide Web and a negligible number of mavericks held discussions on Usenet newsgroups, the Well, and Bulletin board systems (BBS) – Mike Godwin, then an Austin law student, created one of the first internet memes. It was called “Godwin’s Law of Nazi Analogies”, and the assertion went like this: “As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one.”
Setting that aside, human rights group The Anne Frank Center took to Twitter last summer to post a comparison of Trump’s America and Hitler’s Germany which warned of “alarming parallels” between Trump and the infamous Nazi leader.
Alarming parallels of history escalate. pic.twitter.com/5P708XVa5h
— Anne Frank Center (@AnneFrankCenter) August 8, 2017
The Independent reached out to the Anne Frank Center’s director reporting that: “The post did not specifically mention Trump or Hitler but the center’s executive director said the comparison was intended.”
Richard Nixon
As the comparisons are well-known, with Special Counsel Robert Mueller closing in on the Trump administration, we are going to refer to a Politico article discussing Trump’s historical antecedents.
Trump is less populist, more demagogue, invoking the likes of President Richard Nixon. At least that’s what Sean Wilentz, George Henry Davis 1886 Professor of American History, says. “Trump is a Mixmaster blend of the right-wing Republican politics of the past 50 years. He literally recycles Nixon’s demogogy about ‘the silent majority’ and Reagan’s fantasy call to ‘’make America great again,’” Wilentz writes. “Trump is both the creature and exploiter of that radicalism, cynicism and kiss-my-ass bullying culture. He’s a dreamboat all the more attractive for his snarling vulgarity.”
He has some of the worst in all the samples above. So far, his
ReplyDeletelegacy IMO, has been to create between a divide between the far
far right and the rest of America. Local TV today had anti-mask
people screaming that the 'far left' is stealing their rights.
Essentially we are nation of science believers and those that
prefer fiction. We are making history and it ain't proud.
Indeed we are making history BB Idaho. Not only it ain't a proud history it is an extremely embarrassing history. One that only an anti American blind trumper see it any differently.
DeleteCan the answer be D... All of the Above?
ReplyDeleteSure. With tRump's seriously damaged psyche he likely suffers from mutiple personality as well as extreme narcissistic personality disorder.
DeleteTrump is an old man, 74 with the mind of a 9 year old schoolyard bully.
ReplyDeleteOf the historical list, Hitler shot himself in the head at 56. Nixon was
61 when he resigned and Mussolini was also 61 when partisans hung his body
by the feet at a gas station. Alcoholic Joe McCarthy (an early mentor of
Nixon) died at only 48 of hepatic failure. Such is infamy. Their common
trait was love of power, colorful made up lies and a bizarre ability to
create a following of true believers. So RN, go ahead and put a photo of
the Arrogant one up there with the others!
BB and RN... how does Trump think he's gonna run again in 2024? He'll be 78, by his ow words, well past the sell date.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I hope he freezes out the field and keep the velvet gloved idiots on the sidelines. America will be better for it.
I hear that Dave and hope that is what happens. Personally, and it bothers a small part of me to say this because I was, at one time, a proud republican. But I really wouldn't care one bit if djt froze himself and the entire gop field out forever hereafter. djt and the current gop are, to say least, not worthy of respect let alone holding public office.
DeleteAmerica will only be better off IF and WHEN the djt sycophants and cultists put aside their ideology of division and hate and fully accept and embrace diversity and inclusion. I for one am not holding my breath.
I was thinking about your pictures earlier today. The judges the conservative base, and maybe you? love, notwithstanding... where should we place McConnell in history. Does his picture belong up there too? What level of responsibility should be assigned to him? Does McConnell warrant a chapter in a new "Profiles in Courage" for his leadership, or an entire chapter titled "How to squander your legacy"?
ReplyDeleteHe is the majority leader in the senate and I am certain he is actually representing the will of the voters in his STATE/party and is not at all concerned with the will of the majorirty of folks in the nation. Further mcconnell is only concerned about maintaing power and being able to excercise control in such a way that the rethuglican/evangelical trumper agenda is emmeshed in our body politic.
DeleteHopefully Georgia seats 2 democrats in the run off elections and moscow mitch the bitch mcconnell loses his ability to exercise control.
Yes, his picture could, and very well should, be up there with Joseph McCarthy and the rest.
moscow mitch the bitch mcconnell is worse in IMO than tRump actually. But I suppose that is open to disagreement.
"He has some of the worst in all the samples above."
ReplyDeleteExactly what I intended to write, but BB-Idaho expressed it first.
My parents and older siblings lived through WWII. The current anti-mask Trumpers would have had to be placed in a looney bin if they had to make the sacrifices and inconveniences my and other families had to make to help the war effort.
I see the anti-maskers and anti-social distancers as a bunch of spoiled snowflake brats. If they had been around during WWII, we'd all be speaking German now.
I have no respect for these selfish idiots!
I have no respect for these selfish idiots..
DeleteCopy that. And I can imagine 78+ million people agree with us.
STFU ASSHOLE!
ReplyDeleteBiden is an old man, 79 with the mind of a 90 year old
ReplyDeleteSo anonymous, just as all trumptard cultists you are entitled to your non thinking opionins. As such you have absolutely nothing of value to say or offer. Your obvious inability to recognize truth, integrity, decency, intelligence, empathy, and honor sets you apart from folks that actually posses such admirble and positivce character traits. You on the other hand, like your adored cult leader tRump The Giant Orange Turd, apparently haven't so much as a scintilla of intelligence or commen sense. So, I suggest you refrain from leaving comments here in the future because if the quality of your comment is as this one is (or like the one I didn't publish) they WILL be summarily deleted upon detection.
DeleteNow, don't let the door hit you on the a** as you leave.