8 Comments
User's avatar
The Upside of Dissonance's avatar

We seem to do this in cycles until we learn to keep our eyes open to everyone's humanity. We always seem to want to be saved from someone else by someone else but never to take responsibility for our membership in humanity by being good and demanding goodness.

Expand full comment
Gail Murrow's avatar

Well done

Expand full comment
David Livingstone Smith's avatar

Thank you.

Expand full comment
richard dorset's avatar

Did Kennedy clan have similar effect on believers?

Expand full comment
David Livingstone Smith's avatar

I doubt it, but it's an empirical question.

Expand full comment
Pearl Red Moon's avatar

I have a feeling he will be an excellent President and that the US will experience something like a mini renaissance of confidence and patriotism.

You wrote very commpellingly about Germany and the Hitler era, but attempts to suggest Trump is any sort of comparison has become a tiresome trope. Trump wasn't even interested in pursuing political power until the end of his 6th decade of life....leaving it somewhat late to emulate the evil one, plus the US hasn't been in any sort of comparable situation to 1930s Germany.

Expand full comment
David Livingstone Smith's avatar

Well, I don't claim that Trump emulates Hitler nor do I claim that the situation in the US resembles Germany in 1932!

Expand full comment
Pearl Red Moon's avatar

well, you have clearly fooled me.

Expand full comment