The election revealed the willingness of ‘normal folk’ to accept proffered attitudes and revealed the rapacity of captains of industry. It also suggested a deficiency of compassion and empathy.
The promise to make the country great again had considerable appeal.
The promise brought memories of a time before failures on the international front; memories of a unified populace; memories of a time when non-binary sexual expression was anathema; memories of a time when neighbors did not speak a different and incomprehensible language; memories of a time when military might was unmatched by any other country; a time when foul language and revealing clothing was only for the lowest of classes. The promise also coincided with a need to bolster feelings of national exceptionalism.
The promise to remove people of a different culture who were not supposed to be here in the first place had considerable appeal.
It was conceivable that those people took away jobs from citizens who had generations of roots here. It was possible those people used unfair advantages in controlling some segments of the country’s economy. They seemed to show little respect for the country’s history and traditions. Perhaps they even contributed to crime.
The promise to unbridle business and industry had considerable appeal.
The country once flourished when corporations could compete without unnecessary restrictions on their operations. The greatest levels of production were made when workers knew that any excessive demands on their part only diminished the country. Corporate taxes handicapped the economy. Great wealth often led to great innovation.
But few would deny that Germany’s election of 1933 eventually led to horrific outcomes. We have an obligation to prevent that particular history from repeating here in the U.S.