Attribution: Nabokov at English Wikipedia  

Trump Looks at Borders

I started this blog on the twenty-ninth of August, 2015. At that time, I had no political agenda for the blog. I had plenty of political opinions, but the blog’s only purpose was to support my coming novel Cyan and write how-to and behind the scenes posts for young writers.

Less than three weeks later, Donald Trump entered my consciousness. I didn’t take him seriously at first — almost no one did — but the things he said and the positions he took were not something I could ignore.

So, on Sept. 15, 2015, I interrupted myself to write the post I am partially reprinting here. It was my first statement on Trump, and pretty much my first awareness of him. I said . . .

— << >> —

This is not normally a political blog, but as I am a citizen, there are times to speak out.

Have you ever asked yourself, “How could Germany have been fooled into following Adolph Hitler?” The answer is on your television this morning, and it is Donald Trump.

I’m not saying that Trump is a Nazi. I don’t see him as evil, merely foolish. (That was a decade ago. His Nazi leanings and deep evil is no longer in question.) But the techniques that have brought him to prominence are the same techniques that Hitler used.

First, appeal to a country’s deepest fears.

Second, claim to be the only one to have the answer.

Third, claim that your opponents are all cowardly and incompetent or, to use Trump’s favorite word — stupid.

The tactics are false. But the fears are real, so Trump promises his followers a wall to keep the world out. There is no wall strong enough to do it.

— << >> —

That same morning, September 15, 2015, Hungary closed its borders against middle-eastern refugees with a wall of razor wire.

I have a strong feeling for Hungary. The Hungarian Uprising of 1956 forms my first political memory. I was eight, and I remember sitting in front of the TV with my parents watching the streams of refugees escaping Soviet reprisals. Eventually 200,000 Hungarians fled their homeland. That memory makes it particularly hard for me to watch Hungary put up a wall against Syrian refugees fleeing genocide.

In another time and place, backed by Russia, East Germany built a wall across Berlin in 1961. It slowed the flow of refugees escaping from tyranny, but it did not stop them. And it didn’t stop the later fall of East Germany.

There is a fence across our southern border of the US that doesn’t stop those hungry enough to jump it. Trump wants a wall to hold out “illegals” and a massive sweep through our country to deport the “illegals” who are already here. He wants to declare that the 14th amendment doesn’t really mean what it says, in order to authorize the deportation of American citizens, born her just like you and I were.

Hitler would be proud. East Germany would understand. Russia is laughing.

— << >> —

Looking back, it is clear that the Trump agenda we see in 2025 was already his plan in 2015. I just couldn’t imagine him becoming President.

No one could imagine that he would win, then lose, then win again.

— << >> —

So my blog for new writers is back, and Trump is back. I wish I could spend all my time talking about writing, but times are too dangerous for that.

There is a lot I plan to do and say about writing. I will be releasing a five book series of novels next year, and two books on writing in 2027. You will hear all about them in this blog.

But we also have to talk about Trump, in this post, in two posts of poetry next week, and in many other posts sandwiched between more pleasant things. I wish times were better, but everyone has to deal with reality.