The biggest one yet

Years ago few could have imagined that a sociopathic personality could do so much harm to the office of the presidency and yet here we are. There is presently an unraveling happening, a coarseness which was previously thought part of ancient history being fed by a kind of charlatanism upheld by social media chaos; the great equalizer for the malevolent and the ignorant.

The parallels with the early 20th century are clear and the lessons of history worth recalling because failure to learn from them virtually guarantees their repetition. The drastic change alone from 1930 to 1940 should be enough of a reminder about how quickly things can turn sour.

Trump didn't invent ignorance, stupidity, arrogance or deception but he is the type of figure who personifies them and somehow capitalizes on the temperature and mood of a society to catapult themselves into leadership. These despots expose the rot that lives within every culture that you don't dare encourage and even while others have done the same and met their downfall, we risk ignoring how much damage can be done before they eventually get there.

Americans keep saying their next election is the biggest one yet but I think it's fair to say it's no longer an exaggeration. That many people have no idea what they are doing at the ballot box should not exactly surprise you if you've lived long enough and maybe justifiably worry you.