How can two men, with no regard for humanity, who lack(ed) compassion, have such an imprint on history? What binds these two personalities together?
With less than 3 weeks before the next US presidential elections, I thought I shed some light on the style of political leadership of D. Trump and A. Hitler, why and how they have succeeded in persuading so many of their followers to do the unthinkable and believe the improbable.
I am talking about two political leaders, both elected to office (although neither by a majority), both elected to office in the middle of their countries’ internal struggle and search for economic and social equilibrium, and who quickly attracted the attention of a world community dealing social volatility. They are Donald Trump and Adolf Hitler, whose memorable message to their constituents was “MAKE AMERICA/GERMANY GREAT AGAIN”.
They are insecure individuals who privately suffered from lack of self esteem, and who loved being the center of attention. Both leaders were fans of mass manipulation and control of public opinion using the available technologies and press services to further spread their demagoguery. Hitler, upon arrival to office in 1933 used radio, press and newsreel to warn of the presence of too many ethnic groups he considered a danger to the Aryan race. Trump’s strategy is identical, except he is doing it himself through social media telling conservative white Middle America that their future is in jeopardy if “rapist, drug lords and killer gangs continued to migrate to the USA”.
Both leaders possess over sized egos that prohibited them from considering the views of their associates and partners and believed that those of different religions, ethnic minorities and people of color are not as entitled to the same rights. Hitler treated Jews like animals and predators. Donald Trump thought immigrants were responsible for spreading disease and suspected them of wanting to take over America. They were proponents of stricter border controls and strongly fought for erecting walls to keep “parasites” out. They were authoritarians who had no regard for the law of the land and exhibited total disrespect for the free press. They were hypocrites who degraded their adversaries and called their political opponents mental midgets.
Two leaders accused of mass murder, each in his own way – one for gassing people alive; the other for committing mass genocide, on his own people, by ignoring a deadly pandemic.
Finally, when we look at Trump’s use of Federal agents to arrest, harass, and imprison protesters in Oregon, we are sadly reminded of Hitler’s use of his secret police, the Gestapo, in 1934. Hitler was an evil dictator and like him, “Trump is pretentious, ill-tempered, belligerent, grossly disrespectful and a liar”. He foments chaos, violence and encourages civil discord like Hitler did. Hitler attacked and undermined the judicial system and the electoral process. So has Trump while the US Congress was investigating Russia’s meddling in the 2016 presidential elections, as well as the NY supreme court when he was investigated for alleged tax evasion.
Even before the outcome of the 2016 presidential election Trump warned it was rigged, not ever thinking he would ever beat Hillary Clinton. He is doing the same thing ahead of the November 2020 election by undermining the mail-in voting system and asking his supporters to harass voters.
Interesting to notice that both leaders were the center of many rumors of their private romantic/sexual lives and cared little about destroying those with whom they had relations (topic for another time)
*This article is strictly for the purposes of comparing leadership styles and is not meant to condone or condemn either individual mentioned within.
Leadership Challenges of the 21st Century 