King Donald the Last

Most of the objections to and outrage at the Trump administration can be understood in light of the concept of America, a concept that Trump and his people reject.

Briefly, the U.S. Constitution embodies a set of ideas about what kind of country the founders envisioned. Largely in reaction to Europe’s history of monarchies, and to England’s King George III in particular, the U.S. was to be, as Lincoln later described it, a country “of the people, by the people and for the people.”

The Declaration of Independence actually lists the reasons early colonists threw off the rule of England, and they all had to do with inalienable human rights, government by “consent of the governed,” and the right of the people to choose a government that will see to their “Safety and Happiness.”

This whole American concept, that government serves the people and not the other way around, was a radical departure from the thousands of years of human history that preceded it. The whole world sat up and took notice. This, above all, is what made America great.

But the Trump crew completely reject this concept. They are secretive, self-serving, and utterly inaccessible to ordinary citizens. Trump regards himself as an absolute monarch … utterly infallible and above the law. He acknowledges no obligations to his supporters, his colleagues in government, the Constitution or tradition. He is King Donald.

Many Republicans want to turn back the clock to a time before FDR. Trump wants it back to before George Washington.

Fortunately, many Americans still remember and cherish the American concept. Many still long for real liberty and justice, and not mere words in an incoherent speech. This is why so many people have been chanting at their representatives, “You work for us!” And many government officials, perhaps even some Republicans, actually comprehend their duty to the people and the law.

May the reign of King Donald be as short as it has been disastrous.

Post Voldemortem

It's finally over.  Osama bin Laden's been killed.  "Whitey" Bulger's been captured.  And now Voldemort's dead.  Somehow the movie imparts a greater sense of finality than the book did.  Maybe we actually needed to see Harry, Ron and Hermione as dowdy, paunchy middle-aged people ... as, ugh, parents!

Parents don't fare too well in Rowling's world.  With the exception of the Weasleys they're mostly absent (Hermione's folks), abusive (the Dursleys), infectiously evil (the Malfoys), or just plain dead.  Young readers can indulge the fantasy that their real parents are kind and just and good, unlike the morons they're forced to live with.

The HP stories are interesting both because they follow in a long-tradition of hero legends, and because they don't.  The tales of the superhero predate even the King Arthur fable, going back at least to Achilles and Beowulf and Gilgamesh.  People seem to love these stories of someone with extraordinary powers, generally foreordained by birth or magical circumstances, arising in order to set things right.  In addition to those mentioned above, there are the Last Airbender, Frodo Baggins, Clark Kent, Luke Skywalker and many others.

And Harry Potter has all the traditional earmarks.  He's chosen by prophesy.  His noble lineage is hidden from him.  He copes with both celebrity and scorn in his adventures.

But there's one major difference between Harry and most of the other legendary heroes  ... He's actually a pretty mediocre wizard.  He's not as bright as Hermione, and nowhere near as powerful as Dumbledore or any of the Deatheaters.  He and his friends are completely outmatched in the battle at the Ministry (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix), and Snape essentially toys with him in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.  Harry himself acknowledges that most of his successes were the result of pure luck, with no particular skill or knowledge.

In some sense, Rowling created the first politically correct legendary hero ... one whose strength is his ordinariness.  He succeeds because he has friends.  That's all.  Like the politically correct view of history, that things happen because of tides and trends rather than individuals, Harry is caught up in the forces that surround him.  Even his prophesied role comes to him because Voldemort believes the prophesy.  It's self-fulfilling.  The chosen one could just as easily been someone else (though Neville Longbottom and the Chamber of Secrets doesn't have quite the same ring.)

The question is: Does the politically correct hero story work?  Does it satisfy the urge that has driven people to create and embrace these legends for thousands of years?

Judging from the crowds at the midnight release of the final book in 2007, or the final movie today, the answer appears to be: Duh!