Nostalgia in the World of Politics

Abstract

The paper explores how political leaders use nostalgia as a means of constructing public opinion through a historical and rhetorical comparison between the rise of Adolf Hitler in Nazi, Germany, and Donald Trump's current influence within the United States. The concept of "false nostalgia" is explained herein-using an ideal of a distorted version of the past-as a means of illustrating how leaders have strategically appealed to a mythical "better time" as a way to garner support and justify exclusionary politics. Hitler used nostalgia for a pure Aryan past-amplified by propaganda, antisemitism, and authoritarian control-to manipulate post-World War I German sentiment and solidify fascist power. Trump's rhetoric, most notably the slogan "Make America Great Again," echoes this nostalgic appeal by idealizing eras marked by limited rights for minorities and promoting restrictive immigration measures. Even though Trump's actions are not equal in extremity or violence to fascist governments, the rhetorical strategy holds parallels. This paper asserts that nostalgia-driven politics can obscure historical realities, enable discriminatory politics, and damage democratic gains. The essay concludes that the dangers involved demand a response at both political and broad-based public levels in the way nostalgia can be weaponized in modern governance.