Metaphor is a powerful tool for exploring the recesses of the human mind. One such metaphor is the tale of the Trojan Horse. It is more than an archetype drawn from ancient history; it is a living part of the contemporary world.
Donald Trump, for example, is his own Trojan Horse. What you see is not what you get. Behind his disarming smile lies a dark and brooding personality. Washington welcomed Trump into the city on Inauguration Day. Little did anyone realize at the time all the havoc he would cause. The Machiavellian rules of New York real estate became those for conducting the affairs of state. In the end the big lie of a stolen election spurred Trump’s “ragtag insurrectionists” into invading the Capitol.
Trump and his political devotees pose a continuing threat to American democracy. Under the guise of preventing election fraud, many Republican legislatures have begun rewriting their election laws in order to restrict voting. Once again “Jim Crow” has raised his ugly head. Ironically, the Democrats and the Republicans, like the Greeks and the Trojans, are at one another’s throats. Is history a reflection of itself?
Stanley D. Ivie
Richfield