Captain America’s Suicide – Vyatrovich

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The vision of their country as not just the best, but also the main force of good in the world, is the basis of the identity of US citizens. All popular comics, books, and films are about this. This is their national myth. Americans saved Europe in World War I, the world in World War II, and the Cold War, and dealt with the main villains of history, Hussein and Bin Laden, Ukrainian historian Volodymyr Vyatrovich writes.

Sometimes, they did it roughly, with mistakes, but in the end, they did achieve the desired happy ending. Captain America slipped when, without completing the mission, he fled Afghanistan. But he continued to live in the minds of Americans, and after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, he returned to act.

Captain America took on the role of not only a defender of Ukrainians, but also an organizer of others in helping Ukraine. And even though this help could and should have been faster and more essential (this is important for us), for Americans the decisive factor was the return of their country to the role of savior of the weaker from the much stronger villain.

Now, instead of this story, which is understandable and dear to the souls of most Americans, Trump offers a completely different one, where there is still good and evil, but America chooses the one who seems stronger, even though he is evil.

Trump is not trying to convince his citizens that Putin is actually good and, therefore, Americans should pick his side. It is enough that he is strong (he has the cards!) and can be useful. And the weak can be ignored (they should be polite and submissive). Perhaps such clearly articulated cynicism is somewhat similar to realpolitik (although in fact cooperation with Russia undermines the international influence of the United States), but it completely destroys the idea that ​​​​Americans have of themselves, including among Trump supporters.

After all, when he spoke about the imminent end of the war, Americans expected him not to end it by breaking the weaker one, whom they undertook to protect, but to defeat evil in the style of Captain America. Meanwhile, the superhero takes off his familiar costume and turns into Scrooge McDuck. But he is a much worse, caricatured version, because this greedy old duck, in addition to dollars in his eyes, had moral restrictions in his desire to earn, even if imposed from the outside.

Trump, who mocks his predecessor for Afghanistan as a manifestation of weakness, demonstrates to the world and US citizens with his policy towards Ukraine not only the lack of strength of the country he leads, but also its complete loss of values. Those that were laid in the foundation of the US by the founding fathers, whom most Americans, regardless of political preferences, consider to be outstanding presidents.

Without these landmarks, America will not only fail to become “great again,” but will also lose its internal integrity and begin to crack. Captain America has not just slipped, but is speeding into the abyss.