American Hercules? Or Caesar?

by Roger Mitchell, Stevensville

Be careful what you wish for. You might get it.

Love him adoringly or hate him vehemently, in just a few days, Donald J. Trump will become the next President of the United States, unless, of course, something occurs which prevents him taking office. What will happen then is anybody’s guess–the highest degree of Heaven or the lowest degree of Hell not being ruled out–depending on your own personal viewpoint. What is certain is that, regardless of what Trump proposes or acts on, he will have the widespread support of a very large percentage of the country, even if his actions directly infringe on the freedoms and liberties which this country was founded on and prospered under for so many years. 

Such is the state of affairs we live in. America has reached the Age of Hero-worship and Trump will likely go down in history as the first demi-god of the US, perhaps the only one ever to ascend to that giddy, oxygen-starved height. As quickly as world affairs are moving today, it is not certain whether the United States will even survive the next four years in its current form, let alone give rise to another, more commanding figure of Herculean stature. I’m willing to bet that Trump will be a “once-in-an-empire” type figure. While there will be other leaders after him, there is no one else that I know of who has the overpowering macho charisma (and the groupie following) to gain such prominence. Trump may be the last American president and the first American dictator. The transition is at hand and does not bode well for our future. Remember that Nero and Caligula ruled after Augustus Caesar. 

It should be noted, however, that he only has a few years (at the most) to do his best (worst?). Whether naturally or with assistance, he will die and the world will continue to turn without him. It would behoove us not to expect too much from him nor to expect that his actions would long survive him. It would be a mistake to look to him as the “savior” of all that we hold dear and true. Contrary to popular belief in some circles, he is not The Messiah, but only one in a long string of false messiahs, most of whom have already departed after stamping their own personal “mark” on the world’s forehead. Be careful not to place too much hope in him. You will probably be disappointed. 

Full faith and credit in the US government has brought us to this point. Where we go from here is unknown.