Discussion: Bruce Springsteen Questions Trump's Competence For Office

With 2 notes of cautions, this is possibly a little encouraging, kind of, maybe.

What’s encouraging here is that starting in 1933 many prominent German artists and entertainers spoke out publicly to make something like the same point as Springsteen has made. Et voila, from 1933, a mere 13 years or so later the tyrant was dead and the nation, most of the continent and much of the world in ruins.

So that’s the upside.

The first caution is that it is facile, ignorant and represents abuse of the rational concepts underlying the study of history of human civilization to resort to the idea of ‘history repeating itself’.

The second is that the U.S. federal election of November 2016 is far more problematical for this nation and for the planet than the German federal election of March 1933.

Thus, while it appears historical analogy may offer some vaguely sort of promise that this current American nightmare will end, possibly less than a handful of years beyond a decade, with much of the planet looking like a heap of smoking ruins, it’s important to bear in mind that

  • the winner of the 1933 German election had a broader base of support then (a plurality of 44% on a turnout of 89% of the electorate, for a ‘support rate’ of 40%),
    than the winner of the 2016 American election (a minority of 46% on a turnout of 55%, for a ‘support rate’ of 27%);

  • the earlier winner was a homicidal ideologue motivated largely by crackpot nativist ideological obsessions towards mass genocide on a global scale, whereas the later is a sexist grifter motivated largely by personal greed towards serial petty vindictiveness and general spoliation.

  • in 1933 there existed functioning bilateral and multilateral mutual defense treaties capable of supporting a broad international coalition against German aggression, as well as two isolated potential super powers each of which could be turned into a war machine capable, in combination, of overwhelming the German war machine, whereas it appears neither condition exists coming into 2017.

Alternate version:

Mega-rich entertainer who wears a tuxedo at the White House but wears a costume of jeans and T-shirt when performing, makes a public statement out of concern for his investment portfolio.

Name: Bruce Springsteen

Net worth: $460 mil

Rank (Among American Celebrities): 14

Age: 67

Key source of fortune: Grossed more than $1.5 billion over decades of touring

Future growth: Even as he pushes 70, the Boss continues to sell out wherever he plays.

Star-worthy asset: A 200-acre horse farm worth $10 million–plus in Colts Neck, New Jersey