21st Century Progressivism

Tag: Jair Bolsonaro

  • With Best Wishes, I am, Sincerely, Donald Trump

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    I was surprised recently to learn that Donald Trump has been signing his tariff documents “With Best Wishes, I am, Sincerely, Donald Trump.” The reason for my surprise is the last time Jair Bolsonaro ran for office in Brazil he boasted that only God could oust him, and he was promptly ousted.

    Bolsonaro Loses His Election

    I commented on Bolsonaro’s brazenness at the time. He seemed to have no fear about what God might actually think about a politician claiming His support. It seemed reasonable to assume that when someone makes such a declaration in public and for their own advantage, they present an opportunity for God to agree or disagree. We can’t say for sure if God had anything to do with what happened, but the election didn’t go well for Bolsonaro.

    I Am, He Whispers

    It could be argued that Donald Trump learned from what happened to Bolsonaro, even if he didn’t quite believe it had anything to do with God. He’s been signing his tariff documents “I am”, but in an unobtrusive way, as though it’s part of his signature. Perhaps he’s doing it that way because then he can deny that’s what he meant. However, it is not us he will have to convince if worse comes to worse. So what exactly does Trump mean by his use of this phrase?

    What Does “I Am” Mean?

    Several Old Testament texts use the phrase “I am.” In Exodus 3:14, Moses asks Yahweh (God) for His name and God responds, ‘“I AM WHO I AM.” In John 8, Jesus uses the Greek phrase ἐγώ εἰμι (egō eimi – literally: “I – I Am”) to refer to himself. This phrase occurs 21 times in that Gospel. Considering Trump has been telling the world he’s the ‘chosen one’, it’s not likely he doesn’t understand the significance of signing “I am” on his official documents. Maybe he really believes it. But then why the timidity?

    Either he really believes it and is willing to take the consequences, or he knows it’s not true. But as it is, instead of openly stating egō eimi, it’s more like a whisper. Why whisper if it’s true? And if it’s not true, I think it would be a bigger offense than Bolsonaro claiming God’s support for a political office. Especially since the Trump Administration is not behaving in a Godly way and they know it. They’re acting more like the devil.

    If Trump were to continue this practice now that it’s out in the open, he would be openly declaring that he is Yahweh/Jesus. I don’t think he wants to go there. This needs to stop.

  • Trump: If Jesus Were to Count The Votes

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    Back in 2022, Jair Bolsonaro claimed that only God could oust him. He probably didn’t realize he was challenging God. Certainly he didn’t plan to make a public demonstration of God’s indifference. He was trying to influence voters. In retrospect, he played the lottery with God and lost. Donald Trump recently made a similar claim. Trump claimed that if Jesus were to count the votes, he, Donald Trump, would win California.

    “If Jesus Christ came down and was the vote counter, I would win California, OK?” Trump said. “In other words, if we had an honest vote counter, a really honest vote counter — I do great with Hispanics, great, I mean at a level no Republican has ever done. But if we had an honest vote counter, I would win California.”

    As reported by Lydia O’Connor, HuffPost

    Trump’s challenge was not as blatant as Bolsonaro’s–you could even call it a positive-thinking prayer–‘if Jesus Christ came down to count the vote’. But the challenge was real just the same. And like Bolsonaro, Trump wasn’t really talking to God. When he told his public that Jesus favored him, he was trying to influence voters, both before and after the election.

    Trump is also similar to Bolsonaro in that he put Jesus on the spot for his own benefit. Both men turned a secular election into a religious contest between the candidate and God. And even the most committed secular person knows that when humans challenge God, humans lose. (In Trump’s case we can only hope.)

    Bolsonaro lost his election. It wasn’t exactly miraculous that he didn’t win. His campaign was already in trouble before he made this remark. This is also true of Trump’s campaign.

    According to the polls, the 2024 election could go either way. But now that Trump has claimed Jesus’s favor (and this isn’t the first time he has done so) his victory will have supernatural meaning for his supporters. For one thing, if he wins it will imply Jesus’s approval of his political agenda going forward. A loss, on the other hand, will be the fault of vote counters. So, it seems that Trump has hedged his bet. However, he may not be thinking of the same Jesus the Bible is talking about.

    The Bible is clear about what we should expect if Jesus returns. Everyone will be judged–including the dead. Jesus will usher in the Kingdom of God and renew the universe. The current world will end and a new creation will begin–a perfect world without sin or suffering. The righteous will receive eternal life in Heaven and the wicked will face eternal damnation. It doesn’t say anything about an election.

    The biblical account is a fearful thing for most people. But we have human leaders in the United States who are looking down from on high as if it has already come to pass. It’s really not surprising that their candidate presumes Jesus wants to count the vote in a US election in 2024.

    I have a few questions: Does Jesus need billionaires and flawed candidates to influence the world? Does God need corrupt Supreme Court Justices to rule for him? If Jesus is running this show, why did we have to endure all the long months of drama, lies, manipulation and threats? And why now, after 248 years of secular governance? If they’re so superior, why can’t they work within the system?

    I think I know why. This is all happening because 21st century progressives came up with their own plan. That’s how conservatism works. Conservatives don’t have a plan until someone else comes forward with new ideas. No wonder the whole enterprise seems patched together like a super-hero fantasy. Trump knows exactly who is helping him, and Jesus isn’t on the donor list.