What era does MAGAts' 'greatness' refer to?

4 weeks ago 4

ARTICLE AD BOX

Trump as Napoleon. Not a real photo.

"Policies come and go, allies are cast out as enemies and then welcomed back ... thing[s] may change from the beginning of a speech to the end. But the slogan never changes: Make America Great Again. It’s been so steady that everyone knows it just by its initials, MAGA. You talk about MAGA followers or the MAGA Party [or MAGAts] , and everyone knows what you mean. ...

"And yet, every day we see Trump tear down the things that have made America great ... What era does 'greatness' refer to?

"Look at some of the things Trump thinks will make America 'great again' and ask yourself what era they belong to. ['Great again'? When exactly?] Invariably, they fit a Napoleonic view of greatness, not a 21st-century view: Territorial expansion. ... Mercantile dominance ... Manliness ... A Great Leader. ...

"But think for a minute about what has made America great these last hundred years: Science.... Trustworthy institutions... The rule of law... Education... Alliances and treaties... Immigration... Moral leadership... Freedom....

"Now look at what the Trump administration has been doing. ...

Trump’s attempt to cut America off from the world economy via his ever-shifting tariffs, and his focus on tax cuts in spite of trillion-dollar deficits has prompted a “sell America” response from the rest of the world....
Trump’s profiting from his office, his abuse of government power for private revenge, his reluctance to follow court orders, and his attempts to take over independent agencies all threaten the rule of law that American prosperity is based on. Whether or not your business can thrive in America may depend on how many $Trump memecoins you own. And if the Federal Reserve comes under his control, the entire economy will depend on his unpredictable whims.
Trump has declared war on Harvard specifically and on US higher education in general. ...
His ambivalence about supporting Ukraine and constant flirting with Putin have convinced [former?] allies that America is unreliable. ...
The US now has an openly racist attitude towards immigrants... Even foreign tourists are afraid to come here....
Under Trump, you are free to praise him and agree with him. Otherwise, you should keep your head down. Legal immigrants who disagree with Trump risk having their visas revoked and even being kidnapped off the streets by masked government agents. American citizens who oppose him in court or in the press may be targeted for retribution.

"So is Trump pursuing national greatness? Yes, but according to a notion of greatness that passed its sell-by date centuries ago. He aspires to a Napoleonic greatness and is oblivious to everything that makes a 21st-century nation great. ..."

~ Doug Muder from his post 'The Greatness Paradox'

Read Entire Article