VOLUNTARY COLLAPSE OF DIGNITY

“MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN”?

By Dejan Krstic

Scene One – Berlin, February 27, 1933: A massive fire broke out in the German Parliament building (Reichstag) in Berlin, causing enormous material damage. The Nazis immediately blamed the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) and used this event as an excuse to persecute communists and other opposition forces. This event marked the further course of German history, as Hitler exploited the disaster to consolidate his power and enforce repressive measures against his political opponents. A journalist from Reichsrundfunkgesellschaft (Germany’s state radio network) asked a passerby what he thought about the situation, to which he responded: “I’m not a supporter of Hitler, but I’m certainly not going to support the communists either!”

Scene Two – Cleveland, USA, November 5, 2024: CNN reports that Donald Trump has been elected President of the United States for a second term, decisively defeating Kamala Harris. In a brief street poll in Cleveland, a young woman in her 30s, white, said: *I’m not a big fan of Trump’s policies, but there’s no way I would vote for Kamala!”

The analysis of German voters’ support for Hitler is best left to historians, but we’ll attempt to “explain” how it’s possible that someone like Donald Trump could win a second presidential election in the United States.

PEOPLE, HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE?

At a campaign rally in Iowa in 2016, Trump famously said: “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters.” With this statement, he aimed to underscore the loyalty of his supporters, and he was right — he went on to defeat Hillary Clinton and become the 45th President of the United States. Eight years later, Donald’s narrative has become much more vulgar. During this year’s campaign, he lied on an epic scale, used rhetoric that dehumanized migrants by calling them “animals” and accusing them of “poisoning the nation’s blood.” He claimed that teachers in some American schools were changing students’ genders without parental consent. At a rally in Milwaukee, in front of thousands of his supporters, Trump grabbed a microphone stand and mimed an act of oral sex.

Of course, this wasn’t the end. Throughout the campaign, he insulted women, suggested he would use the military to deal with political opponents, and repeatedly talked about the size of golfer Arnold Palmer’s penis, reminiscing about a time they showered together. These are just a few examples from Trump’s arsenal of vulgarity.

Trump’s first victory in 2016 could be seen as a fluke, a deviation from the norm, a mistake. But now, America has chosen him for a second term, effectively playing out the worst-case scenario. A convicted criminal, a chronic liar who attempted to overturn the previous election results and incited an armed mob to storm the Capitol, a man who calls America “a garbage can for the modern world,” has been reelected.

To answer how this is possible, we first need to ask — who voted for “handsome Donald”?

THE VOTERS: WHO AND WHY?

First up, the Yugoslavs! Once again, Serbs, Bosniaks, and Croats living in America gave unwavering support to the Republicans. Since emigrating to the US 30 years ago, many elderly Yugoslavs, despite not knowing English, have benefited from state welfare programs, free healthcare, and ultimately pensions. Unlike the Democrats, Trump advocates drastic cuts to social programs, repealing Obama’s healthcare reforms, and privatizing social security. Yet, this demographic, accustomed to illogical choices back home, continues their habits abroad. Serbs, for example, haven’t forgiven the Democrats for the NATO bombing, while their neighbors conveniently forget the support they received during the civil war.

Trump embodies a typical Balkan charlatan — posing as a “man of the people,” pretending to be devoutly religious, while treating women like cattle. His only fault? He doesn’t drink rakija, but his hatred of foreigners earned him a pass on that.

Next, the Latin Americans. Toward the end of Trump’s campaign, during a rally at Madison Square Garden in New York, a little-known comedian Tony Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico “a floating island of garbage” and criticized Mexicans for overbreeding. Despite such insults, Cubans, Mexicans, and Puerto Ricans seemed more invested in the Republicans’ commitment to “family values” and banning abortion than acknowledging Trump’s disdain for immigrants, including members of their own families.

Finally, let’s address women. This is the second time “Macho Donald” has defeated a female opponent, largely thanks to female voters. Shockingly, 55% of white women consciously voted against their own rights, supporting a demagogue whose primary agenda is to let the state control contraception, artificial insemination, and abortion.

WHAT NOW?

Trump has promised the largest deportation of migrants in U.S. history, sweeping tariffs on imports, freezing environmental agreements, overhauling healthcare, and introducing ideological changes to education. Domestically, many fear he will use the military against political opponents. If Trump’s rhetoric translates into action, the United States may soon resemble a dictatorship akin to the one we began this story with.

Two possible scenarios emerge. In the first, nothing dramatic happens—just like eight years ago. Savvier advisors will let Trump bask in media attention, posing as a peacemaker while gifting Putin captured territories and relegating Zelensky to history. Meanwhile, immigrant Elon Musk might bring order to the country, while Melania handles things in the bedroom.

The second, more dire scenario, suggests that Trump’s first term was merely a rehearsal for global chaos. With wars raging in Ukraine and Gaza, nationalism rising across Europe, and right-wing parties in power in countries like Italy, Austria, Hungary, and potentially Germany, the stage is set for disaster.

The intellectual elite, whose political correctness helped bring Trump and his ilk to power, fear the approach of a Third World War. Meanwhile, conspiracy theorists argue that the global elite has already assigned roles: political wolves will continue spreading hate, military hawks will fight and die, while the sheep — locked in their homes — watch it all unfold on live TV.

Meanwhile, the horror in Gaza might last forever.