President Donald Trump plans to pull about 20,000 U.S. troops from Europe, according to a leading Italian news agency.
A European diplomatic source told ANSA that Trump, who entered office on Monday for a second term, wants to reduce the American contingent in Europe by about 20 percent and plans to ask for a “financial contribution” for the maintenance of the remaining troops.
Why the Hitler comparison? The idea that people thought Hitler was stupid in particular seems like something that would need backup.
Modern day Germans themselves say Hitler’s style is very comical. The Mein Kampf is basically incoherent ramblings. So it’s very likely that 1930-40s Germans also thought the same of Hitler. Nonetheless, he still managed to be influential and capture the imagination and attention of the world (I will get to that later).
It’s a misleading to think of intelligence as being broadly both knowledgeable and rational. Many psychologists are now rethinking what intelligence means. For many, intelligence means excelling more at specific cognitive ability. It’s well known that autistic folks are extremely skillful at certain things, even if they lack skills or knowledge in others. That being said, an AskHistorians post discussed about that many people did think Hitler was stupid. But if he is that dumb, he would not be able to rile up the emotion of masses and gain power now, would he not? Would a conventionally stupid person be able to pull that and attain power? Politicians and authoritarians are able to exploit gaps to take power for themselves. That still takes certain skills and cognitive ability that most of us don’t have. Ancient Greek philosophers have already observed how demagogues manages to convince the average people to vote certain way. Trump have done the same.
Cope all we want and call someone dumb all we want, but we’re not the ones in charge. We have said the same to other dictators like Gaddafi, Amin, Mussolini and Hitler. Even if they got themselves killed at the end and lacking foresight to realise never get too drunk in power, but they’re the ones who got grabbed the reins of power and lasted for as long as they could. That again take certain skills (even if they are lacking in other areas).
Maybe the we’re the ones who are dumb for not seeing it. The ones in the White House, in the fiftieth floor of GM or Facebook headquarters, or presidential palace; those with power are thinking those in prisons, receptionists working for bare minimum wage, kids working to mine lithium for Tesla’s electric battery for its vehicle, and a mother of two working two jobs to make ends meet are still the dumb ones electing and worshipping them rich. And those who think of themselves as “smart” are probably the ones who are actually dumb for underestimating a supposed dumb person who are in power.