Many of us have pondered what era Trump’s slogan “Make America Great Again” is alluding to. The early days of “burning witches?” Eradicating Native Americans? Enslaving African-Americans? Ignoring the Holocaust? Throwing gays into mental institutions? Back when only white men could vote? The 50s, when segregation was still practiced and schoolchildren across the country were crawling under their desks for fear of atomic annihilation? The 80s, when Ronald Reagan was snidely removing solar panels from the White House roof, demonizing “welfare queens,” fighting to undermine the middle class at every turn and laying out the red carpet for the wealthy? Who the hell even knows what period in this country’s history these people want to return to when they screech they want to “Take OUR country back.” Take it back from whom exactly? And who is this “our” you are referring to? I think I speak for many out there when I say that I much prefer living in 2016 despite the myriad problems we continue to face and the battles we still have left to fight.
“Make American Great Again” isn’t a new slogan. Reagan had used a near identical one back in 1980 running against Jimmy Carter. The difference? Reagan tacked a “Let’s” to the start of it. Even though it basically turned out to be bullshit, “Let’s Make America Great Again” denotes a collaborative effort and a movement that invites ALL Americans to join in. By removing the “Let’s” from his “new” slogan, Trump’s slightly revised take comes across more as a proclamation or a call to arms to those who unshakably already believe that only their archaic vision of regression as dictated to them by the right wing media they limit themselves to is correct. In other words, “Make America Great Again” doesn’t exactly sound like Trump is holding up an umbrella so much as he is preaching to the choir.
The Up & Down Theater Company have made a hilarious video that satirizes the “Make America Great Again” slogan and those who believe we’d all be better off returning to another point in time. Enjoy!
