FROM FRANCO TO TRUMP: A BITTER DÉJÀ VUE

 Living in the United States, I was often mortified and abashed whenever the subject of Franco’s dictatorship came up. I was not to blame, of course, and had done nothing to support the establishment of a military regime in my country of birth. Still, as a Spaniard, I was frequently asked about the general who died in 1975, after nearly four decades in power. His death marked the beginning of a remarkable political transition — from autocratic one-party rule to a democratic constitutional monarchy. The peaceful handover surprised the world, and for the first time, I felt proud rather than ashamed.

But, lo and behold, years later — today, in fact — I find myself doubly ashamed, confounded, and taken aback by the antics of two men: Pedro Sánchez, Spain’s Prime Minister and would-be autocrat, and Donald Trump, a man whose childish arrogance and devil-may-care approach to leadership continue to disturb the democratic fabric of the United States.

Live and learn.
Is it true, then, that history repeats itself?