History is filled with rulers who believed themselves untouchable, only to be humbled by their own arrogance. From ancient empires to modern superpowers, those who sought to dominate others have often met a fate as tragic as it was predictable. Former U.S. President Donald Trump, with his latest imperial fantasy of "taking over Gaza," now finds himself cast in the same role—a leader blinded by his own hubris.
Perhaps the sharpest response to Trump’s ambition came from an anonymous Palestinian youth, now famously referred to as the "Gaza Kid," who remarked: "There was a Pharaoh before Trump—he used to say, 'I'm your God.' Turns out, he didn't know how to swim." The comment, now viral across social media, serves as both a historical warning and a prophetic lesson. Like the Egyptian Pharaoh who believed he ruled by divine right, Trump appears to have convinced himself that his words alone can bend history to his will. But if history has proven anything, it is that empires that ignore the will of the people ultimately drown in their own arrogance.
Pharaoh, Napoleon, Hitler, and the Fall of Overreach
The fate of Pharaoh, swallowed by the Red Sea after his relentless pursuit of power, is just one of many such stories. Napoleon Bonaparte, another self-proclaimed conqueror, once ruled most of Europe. At the height of his power, he marched into Russia in 1812, convinced of his military genius. He ignored warnings about the harsh winter and underestimated the resilience of the Russian people. The result? A disastrous retreat, an army reduced to starving remnants, and his empire left in ruins.
Similarly, Adolf Hitler, another megalomaniac, believed his rule would last a thousand years. He launched invasions across Europe, sent his forces deep into the Soviet Union, and refused to acknowledge reality even as defeat loomed. His overreach led to catastrophic losses, and by 1945, he was reduced to hiding in a bunker, watching his dreams of domination crumble.
Trump’s belief that he can "take over Gaza" follows the same pattern of arrogance. Like Pharaoh chasing Moses, Napoleon marching on Moscow, and Hitler expanding beyond reason, he fails to understand that people do not submit to brute force indefinitely.
The Curse of Colonial Arrogance
Trump’s latest statement is not surprising. His foreign policy has always reflected a colonial mindset—the belief that weaker nations exist to be controlled, exploited, or "fixed" by Western powers. During his presidency, he unilaterally recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, disregarding Palestinian claims to the city. He cut off aid to Palestinian refugees, pressured Arab states to normalize ties with Israel without addressing the occupation, and now, he speaks of Gaza as though it were a failed business venture awaiting a corporate takeover.
But history teaches that even the mightiest empires cannot dictate terms forever. The British Empire, which once boasted that the sun would never set on its territories, lost India in 1947 after years of resistance from figures like Mahatma Gandhi. The Soviet Union, which sought to impose its will on Eastern Europe, collapsed under the weight of its own miscalculations. The United States, despite its military power, could not bend Vietnam or Afghanistan to its will.
What makes Trump believe that Gaza—a land that has resisted occupation for generations—will be any different?
Gaza: The Graveyard of Imperial Delusions
Trump’s plan to "take over" Gaza reveals a deep misunderstanding of the region. Gaza has endured centuries of conflict, from the Canaanites to the Ottomans, the British Mandate to modern-day struggles. Despite being besieged, bombed, and blockaded, its people refuse to surrender their identity or sovereignty.
Like Pharaoh, Trump may believe his power is absolute. Like Napoleon, he may think his strategies are infallible. Like the British, he may assume that resistance will eventually crumble. But the Gaza Kid’s words serve as a reminder—power without wisdom is doomed to sink.
If Trump continues down this path, he may one day look back, not from the throne of an empire, but from the wreckage of yet another failed attempt to control what cannot be controlled. History is clear: those who overreach eventually drown in their own ambitions.
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Corridors of Power