Trump’s Colonial Fantasies: A Warning from Anime

Donald Trump’s recent comments at a private dinner in Washington, D.C. have sparked renewed criticism of his imperialistic tendencies. His boasts about buying Greenland and annexing Canada bear an unsettling resemblance to the imperialistic aspirations found in some iconic anime series.

Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece is notable for its protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy, who sets out on a quest to become the Pirate King and claim the world’s resources for himself. Similarly, Spike Spiegel from Samurai Champloo leads a group of mercenaries on adventures that often blur the lines between plunder and patriotism. These characters’ fascination with power, territory, and the idea that the strong have a right to take what they want is a reflection of their creators’ own views on imperialism.

However, as we watch these characters navigate their respective worlds, we’re also forced to confront the darker aspects of imperialism – exploitation, violence, and the destruction of entire cultures. Trump’s comments are no mere fantasy; they’re a disturbing reminder that some people in positions of power still believe they have the right to do as they please, regardless of the consequences for others.

Beneath Trump’s bluster lies a deeper truth about the nature of power and its relationship to imperialism. By reducing complex issues like resource management and territorial disputes to simple matters of acquisition and conquest, he reveals his own shallow understanding of history – one that views empires as eternal, unchanging entities rather than dynamic, often coercive systems.

Anime reflects the values and concerns of its time. In recent years, we’ve seen a trend towards more nuanced portrayals of power and imperialism in series like Attack on Titan, which explores the psychological toll of totalitarianism, and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, which examines the consequences of colonialism. Trump’s comments are a step back from this progress.

They represent a return to a simplistic, even primitive understanding of power and its relationship to the world – one that views the strong as entitled to dominate the weak. This kind of thinking is precisely what we should be resisting, not embracing. We must pay attention to how our leaders talk about power and its relationship to the world.

We should recognize when their language and actions reflect a nuanced understanding of imperialism or when they betray a troubling lack of awareness. And we should remember that even in the realm of fantasy, there are always lessons to be learned from the complexities of human history. As Eiichiro Oda has said, “The greatest pirate of all is the one who can become a friend to everyone.”