THE AMERICAN POSEIDON ADVENTURE

Last night I watched a drama-documentary about Albert Einstein. Fortunately, it focused less on his scientific achievements and more on his experiences during the rise of Nazi Germany and his social philosophy.

Einstein was deeply saddened by the bombing of Hiroshima. Although his work laid part of the scientific foundation that ultimately made the atomic bomb possible, he played no direct role in its development. In fact, because of his political activism, the U.S. government considered him a security risk and denied him access to the Manhattan Project. His principal involvement was signing the famous 1939 letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt warning that Nazi Germany might be developing an atomic weapon. That letter helped spur the Manhattan Project. Einstein later reflected, “Had I known that the Germans would not succeed in producing an atomic bomb, I never would have lifted a finger.”

Since 2016, I have written repeatedly about what I view as the nationalistic and autocratic tendencies of Trump’s leadership, coupled with what I believe are narcissistic traits and an extraordinary pursuit of personal power. In my opinion, this pursuit of power is driven less by advancing America’s interests than by satisfying an insatiable need for personal validation. I believe that tendency is reflected in his repeated false statements, constant search for attention, and habit of elevating himself by demeaning others.

In my view, these characteristics have contributed to a downward spiral affecting civil rights, the equitable distribution of wealth, the national debt, America’s international reputation, and its global leadership. I believe the long-term economic and national security consequences will be significant. We have witnessed the nation drawn into what I consider an unnecessary conflict driven by ego, aggressive federal interventions in cities viewed as politically opposed to the administration, increased government involvement in private industry that some have compared to the consolidation of political and economic power in Vladimir Putin’s Russia, and reductions in healthcare and food assistance that critics argue weaken both the social fabric and workforce stability. At the same time, Trump has used the powers of his office in ways that benefit himself politically and financially, along with members of his administration and congressional allies.

After witnessing Germany’s transformation from an educated and cultured society into one consumed by hatred and violence, Einstein concluded that the greatest danger was not simply the dictators themselves but the willingness of ordinary people to remain passive. As he famously observed:

“The world is a dangerous place, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.”

History offers sobering parallels. In January 1933, Hitler was appointed Chancellor through constitutional means. In the March 1933 elections, the Nazi Party received approximately 44 percent of the vote and, with coalition support and widespread intimidation, secured a parliamentary majority that enabled Hitler to consolidate power. Trump was elected President in 2016 through the Electoral College while losing the national popular vote. In 2024, he won both the Electoral College and the popular vote by approximately 2.3 million votes, although about 3.1 million fewer Americans voted than had voted in the 2020 election.

Within weeks of taking office, Hitler persuaded the Reichstag to pass the Enabling Act, permitting his government to enact laws without parliamentary approval. Many observers have drawn comparisons, between that concentration of executive authority and the increasing reliance on executive orders by Trump when Congress is unwilling or unable to act.

The next stage of Nazi consolidation was even more ominous. Germany became a one-party state. Opposition parties were outlawed. Political opponents were branded enemies of the nation. Elections continued, but only Nazi-approved candidates appeared on the ballot. In my view, some recent efforts to reshape election administration, including proposals such as the SAVE Act and various executive actions affecting federal election policy, reflect an effort to exert greater control over the electoral process. I also believe that threats of criminal investigations of election officials are being promoted to intimidate both election workers and voters.

The final step in authoritarian consolidation is control of information. Independent journalism gives way to state-approved narratives, leaving citizens with propaganda rather than objective reporting. We have witnessed the lies, misstatements, clandestine acts and deals the Trump administration has been able to hide or misrepresent impacting American integrity and stability.

To date, the federal courts have largely continued to enforce constitutional limits and the rule of law. By contrast, Congress, particularly under Republican control, has too often failed to exercise its constitutional role as a co-equal branch of government.

Einstein was, by nature, a pacifist. Yet his experiences with Nazi Germany changed his understanding of when force became morally necessary. He wrote:

“I am a dedicated but not an absolute pacifist; this means that I am opposed to the use of force under any circumstances except when confronted by an enemy who pursues the destruction of life as an end in itself.”

That statement reflected his painful conclusion that democracy and liberty sometimes require active defense.

When I consider President Trump’s increasingly erratic behavior and his concentration of political power, I cannot help but see echoes, warning signs of Germany in 1933. I understand why many Americans supported him. Some admired the image he projected of success and strength. Others believed the country had moved too far to the left politically. Those are legitimate political judgments.

But every democracy eventually asks its citizens a larger question: not whether they agreed with every promise a leader made, but whether they are willing to defend the institutions that preserve liberty.

Einstein understood, as we need to, that responsibility rested not only with leaders but with citizens themselves. Reflecting on Germany, he wrote:

“The Germans as a people are responsible for these mass murders…. Behind the Nazi Party stood the German people, who elected Hitler after he had made his shameful intentions unmistakably clear in his book and in his speeches.”

Einstein’s admonition, similar to Theodore Roosevelt’s is that democracies ultimately rise or fall not only because of their leaders but because of the choices made by their citizens.

America still has constitutional institutions. We still have independent courts. We still have elections. We still possess the most powerful peaceful instrument available to citizens in a democracy: the vote.

The Constitution provides the means to change this course, not through violence or rebellion, but through civic engagement, informed debate, and the ballot box.

We still have time.

We still have the power.

We still have the vote.

VOTE!!!

RESIST!!! & EDUCATE!!!