In order to galvanise his supporters, President Donald Trump relies on spreading a false myth of "American greatness." This also means he frequently presents a distorted view of American history.
This was seen at his speech on Friday (25th May) to graduates of the US Naval Academy, where he boasted that "our ancestors tamed a continent":
"Together there is nothing Americans can't do, absolutely nothing. In recent years, and even decades, too many people have forgotten that truth. They've forgotten that our ancestors trounced an empire, tamed a continent, and triumphed over the worst evils in history.
America is the greatest fighting force for peace, justice and freedom in the history of the world. We have become a lot stronger lately. We are not going to apologize for America. We are going to stand up for America."
While it's true that America gained independence from the British Empire in 1783, it can hardly claim to have "trounced" it.
Indeed, the result of that conflict may have had a lot more to do with the fact that the British Empire was also at war with the French, Spanish, and Dutch empires at the time, and happened to place a lot more importance on its West Indian colonies than the much less profitable American colonies. So, erm...well done, America!
Indeed, the result of that conflict may have had a lot more to do with the fact that the British Empire was also at war with the French, Spanish, and Dutch empires at the time, and happened to place a lot more importance on its West Indian colonies than the much less profitable American colonies. So, erm...well done, America!
It should also be pointed out that this achievement, meagre though it was, had literally nothing to do with Trump's ancestors, who were mainly in Germany and the Outer Hebrides at the time. This make his use of the actual words "our ancestors" a little problematic to say the least. If anything, his ancestors would have been on the other side.
As for Trump's claim that America "tamed a continent," this is also an extremely shaky statement to make.
At the time that European Americans expanded across the continental land mass of North America, they were faced mainly by people armed with sticks, with no resistance to smallpox, and unable to handle alcohol, leading many of them to sign away their land and sell their daughters for a bottle of sweet-tasting whisky.
Let's face it, the army of Luxembourg or even the Lichtenstein Boy Scouts could have made substantial military progress against foes like that. Indeed, even the Canadians managed it, LOL.
So, using this as a feather to stick in your cap looks more like an inferiority complex than a genuine boast of undying greatness.
I won't bother to deconstruct that tosh about "triumphing" over the "worst evils in history," whatever that means, except to say that there were over 150 other countries involved in those complex historical events and the Americans were late to both World Wars.
At the time that European Americans expanded across the continental land mass of North America, they were faced mainly by people armed with sticks, with no resistance to smallpox, and unable to handle alcohol, leading many of them to sign away their land and sell their daughters for a bottle of sweet-tasting whisky.
Let's face it, the army of Luxembourg or even the Lichtenstein Boy Scouts could have made substantial military progress against foes like that. Indeed, even the Canadians managed it, LOL.
So, using this as a feather to stick in your cap looks more like an inferiority complex than a genuine boast of undying greatness.
I won't bother to deconstruct that tosh about "triumphing" over the "worst evils in history," whatever that means, except to say that there were over 150 other countries involved in those complex historical events and the Americans were late to both World Wars.
But I guess that what Trump is really saying here is that Americans are Europeans and Europeans are great. I think all sane and sensible people could agree on that. Any other interpretation would simply be to cast Trump in the role of an insincere boaster claiming fake victories.
Perhaps that is why the Left has been so triggered by these comments.
Perhaps that is why the Left has been so triggered by these comments.
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