Name those leaders!
Leader A was a fascist, dictatorial with extreme right-wing views. So is Leader B.
Leader A came to power on promises to lift economically-depressed people, to right wrongs imposed by neighboring countries and certain minorities within. He vowed to make his country great again. He told people what they wanted to hear. Leader B came to power on promises to lift economically-depressed people, and to “drain the swamp” of government corruption. He vowed to make his country great again. He told people what they wanted to hear.
Leader A spoke with charisma that rendered his favored people spellbound, creating cult-like worship of his strong-man persona. He appealed to the worst instincts and fears of his people. Same for leader B.
Leader A thought he knew more than the generals he commanded. Leader B thinks he knows more than not just his generals, but everyone else.
Leader A was the embodiment of white supremacy and anti semitism. Leader B is, at minimum, tolerant of white supremacy, anti semitism, and racial bigotry.
Leader A claimed to be a Catholic Christian; in practice he was not. Leader B claims to be a Presbyterian Christian; in practice he is not.
Leader A demanded loyalty of his subordinates, ridding himself of those who would criticize him. Same for Leader B.
Leader A liked to see large pictures of himself on buildings. Leader B likes to see his name in large letters on buildings.
Leader A decreed there would be no free press, that only government-approved propaganda would be allowed. Leader B, legally unable to throttle the free press, declares the press (excluding Fox) to be “the enemy of the people” and constant perpetrators of “fake news.”
Leader A saw millions of people, foreign and domestic, die unnecessarily because of his brutal leadership. Leader B has seen thousands of his people get sick or die because he withheld vital information critically needed for their health safety.
Leader A was not an insecure showman needing constant public reinforcement of his greatness. Leader B is.
Am I being too harsh on Leader B? Probably. Still, I think the parallels are noteworthy.
Bob Moores
Chestertown
Beverly Smith says
Bob there is much I agree with in your article, but comparing the sculpture of the Roman Emperor Augustus Caesar to the resident in the White House does Augustus a DISERVICE. Their personalities and decisions as defined in contemporary terms may well be similar. However, in his time Augustus did follow through on some of his promises for the people of the Empire. True Augustus’ government, style and personality are definitely NOT what we would want in our leader today. Considering the extreme time difference and accepted norms of each time, Augustus was not as bad.
SO, here is the art historian standing up for Augustus.
First and least important is the fact that the sculpture pictured, “Augustus of Prima Porta” (13 CE) was made posthumously, not that Augustus would have disapproved. Second the Catholic religion did not exist during the time of Augustus. T least his actions indicated he strongly believed in the Roman gods. In fact twice the Roman Senate offered to declare him a God and twice he refused. The Roman’s believed his family was actually descended from the Gods, specifically Venus. On the third offer from the Senate, he accepted and was given the name Augustus.
Augustus did three major things for Rome. Yes he was a dictator and exerted brutal military force to bring all parts of the Empire under his absolute control, but that also initiated what is call the “Pax Romana”, a 200 year peace for the Empire. His significant attention to infrastructure generated the founding of the Flaminian Rome, an extensive roadway through out the empire allowing trade and commerce to flourish. Yes, the military could move quickly as well. Also on the issue of infrastructure he boasted correctly he found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble. No doubt slave labor was employed in building the marble structures, but Roman citizens also had construction jobs. Another simple example of job creation can be found in the incredible number of bakeries everywhere in Rome.
Stephen Schaare says
Yes, too harsh. By no means surprising.
Ed Plaisance says
Leader A is obviously Hitler. All the clues point to him.
Since Augustus Caesar died in 14 A.D. he could not have claimed to be be a Catholic Christian. The other clues also eliminate him as Leader A.
No, you are not being too harsh on Leader B.
Bob Moores says
Dear Beverly, thanks for the history. I didn’t know those facts about Augustus. Interesting. However, my article was not about Augustus. I just used his image as an example of a well-known leader. Maybe my hints on the identity of Leader A should have been made more obvious. Hint: Leader A started World War II. Of course the scale of harm done by Leader A is much larger than that of Leader B, but I wanted to note that similarities of megalomania and other traits are strikingly similar.