Germany Had Its Own Malignant Narcissist at the Helm and His Name Wasn't Hitler
Not sure if this article at the New Yorker, an historical touchstone, has made the rounds at DU. However, the parallels of the non-leadership and narcissistic antics of Kaiser Wilhelm and Babyfingers Trumpster is remarkable, sobering.
The Kaiser ruled Germany from 1888-1918. He was finally forced to abdicate and lived out his life in the Netherlands but not before causing considerable havoc and outrage on the world stage. His petulant and inconsistent ravings are very reminiscent, as is his fondness for all things military and aversion to any and all criticism.
This paragraph caught my eye for its gobsmacking familiarity:
In fact, Wilhelm didn’t accomplish very much. The general staff of the German Army agreed that the Kaiser couldn’t “lead three soldiers over a gutter.” He had neither the attention span nor the ability. “Distractions, whether they are little games with his army or navy, travelling or hunting—are everything to him,” a disillusioned former mentor wrote. “He reads very little apart from newspaper cuttings, hardly writes anything himself apart from marginalia on reports and considers those talks best which are quickly over and done with.” The Kaiser’s entourage compiled press cuttings for him, mostly about himself, which he read as obsessively as Trump watches television. A critical story would send him into paroxysms of fury.
Can’t say this information provides any great comfort. Wilhelm’s tenure includes the Great Slaughter, aka WWI. But we have certainly been here before. Sadly, on multiple occasions.
Interesting piece and a clear warning. The good news is that the Trumpster is not a monarch, despite his on-going delusions.
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/what-happens-when-a-bad-tempered-distractible-doofus-runs-an-empire
= new reply since forum marked as read
I too was astonished. It's almost as some terrible reincarnation happened on our timeline. Remarkable how awful they both were/are and how many disturbing behavioral traits they share.
Was it Mark Twain who said: history does not repeat itself but it often rhymes. 
Shown on the Cartoon Network. Yeah, it's a perfect fit 
