Donald Trump: America's Czar
He will usher in a new Golden Age
How often do you think about the Roman Empire?
When Paige, a tiktoker, posed the question about the Roman Empire, the responses she received were diverse and intriguing. She was ‘shocked by the responses’ and couldn’t help but elicit a feminist response of derision and ridicule, particularly from her male friends.
The shock in Paige’s voice was palpable as she emphasised that this was a trend among straight men in the West. When she asked her homosexual friends the same question, their response was ‘rarely.’ This video sparked a social media sensation, becoming a hot online topic for weeks.
The video of Paige’s question sparked a social media sensation, prompting a deeper societal reflection. It became a talking point online for weeks, providing crucial context for the overall thesis of this essay. It focuses primarily on the inaugural speech of President Donald Trump this past weekend, in which Trump spoke for half an hour about his goals and ambitions for America during his term. In his speech, He stated that his message to America was to “Act with courage, vigour and vitality of history’s greatest civilisation; the United States will once again consider itself a growing territory, one that increases our wealth expands, expands our territory, builds our cities and raises our expectations and carries the flag into new and beautiful horizons.”
This speech evokes memories of the fifth century BC when Julius Caesar of Rome, like the United States today, was in a state of chaos and, in some cases, civil war. To prevent this, the Roman Senate appointed Julius Caesar as dictator to restore order to the city. However, Julius was assassinated before any expansion could take place. The title of Caesar, the Roman phrase to describe Emperor, was first extended to Octavian, who became the new Caesar after successfully quelling the rebellion of Mark Antony and Cleopatra. These historical parallels provide a unique perspective on Trump’s speech, which echoes the rhetoric of imperial expansion and the use of military power, drawing a direct connection between Trump's speech and the historical events of the Roman Empire.
It’s important to note that I am not suggesting in any way that Trump’s speech serves as an attempt to end the Republic of the United States and replace it with an imperial monarchy, despite what some may believe. This is a critical point to remember as we analyse Trump’s rhetoric and historical context.
This speech, for me, invokes the feelings associated with the imperialism that America is attempting to embark on, something that they have been doing financially since 1945.
All Trump is seeking to do with these claims about the expansion of territory is to put a military emphasis on this expansion; when Rome was a republic, the military played a significant role in the functions of the state and how the state was seen across the world seen generals would be elected consul, which was the term of military governorship, and head of the Senate ruler of Rome during the Imperial period.
This rhetoric will speak to America’s male audience. In particular, their desire to serve their country will be significantly enthused by this message of expanding horizons for those concerned with America’s perceived lack of isolation as a result of the speech have forgotten that since America withdrew from the world in 2020, the world has become a much more dangerous place both in terms of military and influence as America’s enemies such as China and Iran have made no secret about their strategic goals for territory and military dominance.
This is particularly true regarding China’s involvement in the BRICS confederation of countries in which Foreign Minister Li Qing emphasises that the Confederation in its expanded form is a “Manifestation of the collective rise of the global South.”
This statement and militaristic posture from China have alarmed foreign policy hawks in Washington for a long time, and these announcements from Trump indicate that America is pushing back against these movements.
So, one could see the expansion of territory as not so much imperialist expansion but more a way of counteracting geopolitical adversaries from gaining footholds and undermining Western influence; whether that is the case or not remains to be seen.
This jingoistic approach to foreign policy and rhetoric anyway would chime with the historical traditions of America concerning expansion, and as Trump said in the speech, ‘Manifest Destiny’ a Roman-like idea that the expansion of the United States across the North American continent was both justified and inevitable-is fundamental to the underpinning of Western civilisation and these objectives as well as the commitment to end indoctrination of children in school system all points to a country that has regained its self-confidence and is willing to liberate its authority and power to return to something similar to the civilisation’s that came before it.
His expansionism has already begun with Trump declaring the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and resting control of the Panama Canal back from Chinese influence after the canal was given away to Panama in exchange for trading relations.
Now, considering Trump’s first term in office. This could all be rhetoric and no action. However, it will deter adversaries from overreaching to America’s strategic global interests.
The one interesting contradiction highlighted in the speech is that he plans to go ahead with the conquests And discard his previous posture of isolationism, which will no doubt cause alienation among the faithful supporters of 2016. This return to the policeman of the world is likely to cause some heartburn in the Trump administration in the short term.
However, with the right team and the correct advice, America, under Trump's leadership, could quickly quell these rebellious voices with victories and an expansion of territory and wealth. This would soon allow the isolationists to see that the policy of expansionism and imperial conquest was generally for the benefit of America and the West, potentially leading to increased security, economic growth, and global influence. This will be welcome news to allies of the United States, particularly Israel, who have long feared the isolationism of America in the region and will seek their help and assistance in defeating the remaining terrorists and returning hostages.
Likeo Caesar, Trump faced external and internal enemies; he will need to use all the political knowledge he gained from his first serve to execute these policies effectively. This could indeed be a golden age for American and Western policies if Trump can harness the talent he possesses effectively and the talent of the team around him to deliver for the Americans and their allies, instilling a sense of hope and optimism in the audience.
The expansion of territory is the most ambitious part of his administrative program, and how he will do it has yet to be disclosed. His speech did not mention military expansion or conquest; however, that does not mean it will not be used. It remains to be seen how much he can accomplish. Given the obstacles he faces, such as Congress and the administrative state. However, these obstacles will not hinder him as much as they did during his first term in office.
This is due to a couple of key reasons. Firstly, unlike the first term, he is coming into this presidency much more prepared and focused than in 2016, possibly because on the first occasion, I don’t even think he expected to win it. Still, since the assassination attempt on the campaign trail of this cycle, Trump has been re-energised and far more prepared for the hurdles of the media and democratic skulduggery. His new department of government efficiency will aim at getting rid of ‘deep state’ actors within various departments of his civil service that may seek to undermine his authority on top of that, like an emperor. He has assembled a team utterly loyal to his political ambitions and him personally. This is key to running a stable empire.
According to CBS News’ Money Watch program, a rundown of the list of businesses and individuals praising Trump is a promising sign for his relations with the business community. For example, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos Epitomised this sentiment, As he posted on X, “Wishing @realDonaldTrump all success in leading and uniting the America we all love".
With Law enforcement, the army, and, more importantly, technocrats behind him, Trump’s position for the next four years appears unassailable. Now, it is up to the president to take this momentum into his administration; if he does that, he could bring about a resurgence of American power, much like Caesar did for Rome all those centuries ago.
All of these successes and the shift in the Western mood following his election presented him with a glorious opportunity to ignore the isolationist wing of his party and to boldly venture America into new horizons, which not only sent a message to Americans and their enemies abroad of the strength and confidence they now possess. But more importantly, it sent a message to young men in particular that this hope of expansionism could break American men out of the malaise they find themselves in. If done correctly, our cultural and national declines could be halted and, hopefully, reversed.
America must again embody the spirit of the old world it tried so hard to escape in many ways. Another similarity that Trump shares with Julius Caesar is the creation of the third triumvirate, which could be made up of Trump, musk, and Vance, provided that this team does not have skeletons or ambitions beyond their station. It could be the most successful political alliance since ancient Rome itself.
Overall, Trump's victory is crucial for the survival of the West, and although this may be his last term if it is done correctly, you will echo through history the same way. The great Roman leaders did before him. America can once again enter a golden age. It is entirely up to the man in the office to do everything he can to make that happen, and more encouraging still, where the Americans go, the world follows if the Americans follow the path of their new Caesar.
We could not only see a golden age for America but a rebirth of the West as a whole, one where we are confident in ourselves, enlightened to our history, devoted to our faiths and brave enough to fight for our homes and values, something that I firmly believe young men, in particular, are willing to do that have been cowered into sheepish Apathy in despair as I conclude this essay. My message is this.
America's new Caesar can break them out of this; he has to be given time and use the skill to build his new Rome.
This Rome could be better than any Rome in the past, for we have the technology, resources, and human capital to harness far more than our contemporaries did.
This great American rebirth is essential not only to America but the world in general; we must show the world that the West is a powerful place again and is willing to take what it needs necessary, and men voted for Trump, particularly in large numbers during this election cycle, which tells of a yearning for this rebirth of civilisation.
The eternal optimist in me believes this will be the trump presidency that ushers in our new golden age. Let us hope he does not prove me wrong, for I fear if he does fail, there is no one left to replace, and this new Rome will never materialise if that is the case. Both Trump’s America And, more importantly, the West's Manifest Destiny awaits Them. They must be willing to take if they do not; I fear the West will fall to the ruin of us all.