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Learning from history’s lessons develops the human response to disaster. Our existence proves wisdom is usually learned the hard way. But in our current era, we are privileged to learn most things the easy way — we can rely on the mistakes of our ancestors to show us right from wrong.

For example, we know that proper sewage systems are crucial to preventing diseases like typhoid or cholera because of the hygienic issues that arose with urbanization in the late 19th century. Since we learned proper sanitation greatly decreases the spread of these diseases, we don’t often have outbreaks of the same magnitude.

You might think our historical knowledge and natural desire to advance society would deter us from toying with the same terrible ideas that have historically resulted in pain. But the nuances of history and predictability of patterns right now reveal a different story.

While learning history is our best tool in fighting injustice and combating corruption, it’s also a blueprint for ill-intentioned people in power. The media frequently tiptoes around this reality nowadays as President Donald Trump’s second term has begun with a litany of policy decisions and rhetoric that take direct inspiration from alarming global narratives.

In analyzing our current political moment through this lens, we walk a fine line. To compare the Trump administration to the most evil dictatorial regimes in global history without any context can be harmful, as comparing oppression and brutality can be difficult to fairly gauge and risks insensitivity.

But discussing relevant historical tragedy when clear warning signs are exposed is thoroughly justified. We can’t delegitimize the genuine threat the current administration poses to the residents of this country and the rest of the world.

Trump’s referred to undocumented immigrants as “animals” and has publicly declared on more than one occasion that they are “poisoning the blood” of our country — long before the American people elected him to lead the United States for the second time.

These comments were immediately likened to those made by Adolf Hitler far before his seizure of power. This notion of “pure blood” is one that began before Hitler’s reign, dating back to the Progressive era in the United States when social discrimination and suppression was justified with the racist, now-disproved pseudoscience known as eugenics.

While these remarks — among many others made during his 2024 campaign — were alarming, Trump was still elected on fair grounds as our 47th president. His position was decided by the principles of democracy, but his attempts to increase his power upon taking office are overtly inspired by historic instances of authoritarianism. His ideas directly contradict the tenets proposed and honored in our constitution.

“He who saves his Country does not violate any Law,” Trump posted on X Saturday. The Napoleonic ascription didn’t make it past the public’s scrutiny as social media users and news sources underscored its resemblance to Napoleon Bonaparte’s controlling, devastating rhetoric that rendered the French population politically immobile.

When Trump declares himself above the law and akin to Bonaparte, it denounces the foundational values of our country. Trump’s use of language that blatantly dehumanizes immigrants is bigoted and racist. When he purposefully evokes historic tragedy to rouse hatred and build a facade of uncheckable might, it’s no accident.

The language does damage enough on its own, but Trump hasn’t stopped at rhetorical references to authoritarian regimes of the past. Over the first month of his presidency, Trump’s executive orders, purges and attempts to expand his scope of power have been tragically predictable. We’ve already learned this lesson and seen this trajectory before.

Comparing Trump’s policy and language to some of history’s most repressive, deadly regimes must be done sensitively, but is no longer radical. Trump uses his style of crushing, provocative policy intentionally to force and overwhelm those who oppose his immorality into silence while he restructures our American democracy.

To call out such behavior wherever we have the opportunity is our best chance at slowing further regression. Sitting idly by while Trump and his associates give us real warnings of intention runs us the risk of stumbling into the exact type of evil America has historically combatted. Knowing the patterns of history before it’s cemented as our reality once more is key — we must remain ahead of Trump’s wake of bipartisan destruction.

Maya Aguirre is a junior majoring in magazine journalism and history. She can be reached at msaguirr@syr.edu.

Published on February 19, 2025 at 11:09 pm