Complacency about danger posed by Trump

Racist slurs revive racism that was simmering under the surface, writes

from Sterrewag.

Dawie Jacobs

Seven decades ago, a racist immigrant from Austria, driven by a belief in white supremacy, decided to put Germany first and to rid the country of people who looked different and had different beliefs.

He rebuilt the German economy, largely on the back of the weapons industry amid war talk.

He invented the strategy of repeating a lie so often that people started believing it.

It took many people, including other world leaders, many years to realise the danger he posed to relations among the community of nations and to world peace. His views led to persecution of millions of people, even beyond the borders of Germany.

After all, what is wrong with putting your country first?

Seven decades later, a man from an immigrant family, driven by racist and white supremacy sentiments, decided to put his country first and to rid it of people with different looks and beliefs.

He also seems to have economic success, boosted by a booming weapons industry amid war talk.

He seems to have perfected Hitler’s strategy of repeating a lie until most believe it.

His racist slurs revived racism that was simmering under the surface and it burst into the open, not only in his own country, but much wider afield, also in SA. What is happening in the US has already started spreading, especially to Europe on a populist wave.

There is still a degree of complacency about the danger Donald Trump poses.