History repeats itself. In fact, it has done nothing else but repeat itself time after time after time.
It is only the truly debile without any respect or understanding of history that fail to understand that firm rule of life-on-earth. (Present company excluded, of course! ;^)
We think we advance, but in fact, the advancement is a repetition of "two steps forward and one back". (We in the US just took a step backward into the Dark Past on November 8th.)
History repeats itself because we never learn adequately from the past. Santayana (philosopher) paraphrased: Those who refuse to understand history are condemned to repeat it ...
NB: Actually, his quotation goes: "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Santayna probably assumed that if one can remember the past that intelligent beings can avoid future mistakes. Unfortunately for mankind, it doesn't work that way for most.
Trying to have a profound conversation with you has proven exasperating previously, [arduous like the two steps forward process you mention because when you reply, seems we always take one step back ]. I will make the attempt...
history repeating itself, yanno.
Let us all hope for improvement.
Man makes technological advances, steadily, now at increasing rates. Yet we are beset with all the same frailties of our human nature that have always been present. So we do repeat while generally improving our own and, if we are smart /prevail, many of our fellows lots in this life.
A steady but slow progression, with our renaissances, reformations our enlightenment.
Americans, took those fertile seeds, planted in a bountiful garden fenced by two great oceans, east and west, weak neighbors, north and south. With the collaboration of great minds in compromise, we created something truly different/great, a non repetition of the past, to guide to step forward.
A simple guide, only 4543 words including signatures, 4 pages that took the baton from the Articles of Confederation, and has shepherded a good country to become the greatest force for good in planetary history.
Two steps forward
IS progress, human progress. Should, at minimum, attempt to be maintained. Two steps forward then in a bloodbath solved our slavery problem while, a step backward, creating an imbalance in our federal system. Leading to the rise of the seemingly well intentioned, yet another step backward, Progressivism in the late 20th century. Thus, truly, we have made no further progress and have ONLY fallen back.
Then came the era of the one step forward, two steps back social planning of the future by elitist group think collectivists folk, that want, instead of progress for individuals, want elitists to decide for us our destiny... two stepping us back to a past of slavery, doing the will of the masters.
As to the OP, seems that the reason a Wilders types becoming more palatable in Europe, why a Trump became popular in the US, is because the powers that be, the established decision makers, living in comfortable, well guarded sanctums, cocooned in their own hypocritical self righteous rhetoric sanctimoniously preach oneness with our fellows, who are sometimes overtly are our mortal foes, and thereby allow Trojan horses to burrow in like termites undermining the strength of our well constructed pillars of liberty, choice, common ownership of our nations.
From protected enclaves faceless powers that be accuse the rest of irrationally, of fearing that which we, the still sighted, plainly see as brewing threats. Threats to our lives, our loved ones, threat to our cultures, to our freedoms.
And criticize as we grab for a life preserver, anyone available. We simply are not suicidal, individually or as nations. By ignoring the problem, the doctors of deceit have created the necessity of what they want to call the Frankensteins...
Well Doctors Frankenstein, you reap what you sow.
Stop talking about each other and stick to the OP. Baiting, insults, and thread derails will result in thread bans at the very least. Posts made before this warning may still be subject to moderation.