In words published in October 2020, on the cusp of the U.S. presidential election, British historian Laurence Rees wrote: “Qualities that would have excluded him from power in more settled times were now perceived by many as strengths rather than weaknesses: his lack of political experience was seen as refreshing, given the failure of conventional politicians to fix the crisis; his inability to listen to others’ points of view and reach a compromise was viewed as a positive since many now wanted a ‘strong man’ to take control; his hatred of democracy was embraced because it seemed that the democratic system had been instrumental in creating the mess in which the United States now wallowed.”
Wait, I’m sorry. I’ve misquoted Rees. He didn’t say the United States; he said Germany. He was writing about an election in 1933, not one in 2016. My mistake. The rest of the quote has been rechecked for accuracy. I apologize for any confusion my error might have created.
— David A. James
Fairbanks
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