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Great Men, Great Countries?
An essay on nationalism, its men, and its myths
The idea of a nation has many faces. Some wear suits and red ties, others show themselves shirtless on horseback. Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have little in common — except for the claim that their respective countries need to become “great again.” But what does it mean when political leaders promise a return to past greatness? This essay explores nationalism, its “strong men,” and the myths they create.
The illusion of strong men
The call for national greatness always brings forth its makers: the “strong men.” They are celebrated as saviors, leaders, father figures — as if political greatness lies in the power of individual men. But history teaches us something different. It shows that where political power is concentrated in a single figure, violence thrives rather than greatness, exclusion rather than unity.
Nationalism doesn’t need men like Trump, Putin, or Xi to create identity. Yet it keeps producing them. These men are rarely great in a moral sense. Their strength lies in mastering symbolic order: the gesture of determination, the rhetoric of danger, the pose of the fighter.
