America on Fire - The Propaganda of Strength and the Reality of Weakness

Donald Trump celebrates America as "hot," as a country on the rise where prices are "way down," wages are "skyrocketing," and the nation is "strong and respected again." The images he spreads are staged like campaign posters of an autocrat: Trump in front of flames, Trump with a raised fist, Trump as the lone savior in front of the White House. Along with this come the White House's messages: eight trillion dollars in tariff revenues, hundreds of thousands of new jobs, a golden age for the American working class. But anyone who looks behind the curtain quickly realizes: this is not a country being built up, but one being overheated - economically, socially, and politically.

The claim that prices have "almost gone to zero" does not hold up to a look at the real data. Consumer prices remain well above pre-crisis levels - with annual inflation at 2.7% in July 2025, figures that are anything but "near zero." Some energy prices are falling, but only temporarily: gasoline currently costs around $3.15 per gallon, a drop of about 5% compared to last year. Fewer consumers pay more at the pump - but the zero-price narrative remains an illusion. Food and rent continue to rise, which hits low-income households hardest. While Trump proclaims an industrial triumph, economists paint a more complex picture: the Fed warns of possible "stagflation lite" - a mix of sluggish growth and persistent inflation, partly triggered by Trump's tariff policy. Growth forecasts are weak, and global confidence in the United States has declined.

At the same time, domestic conflicts are escalating. While Trump calls wind turbines deadly in social media posts and positions himself against renewable energy, climate scientists warn of an unprecedented heat wave that has gripped large parts of the United States this summer - an extreme weather event linked to human-caused climate change. The staging of "America is HOT" seems macabre in this context: behind the flames meant as a metaphor for dynamism, the country is literally burning. Forests are on fire, power grids are collapsing under the strain, and the number of heat-related deaths is rising. Another field that Trump sells as a success is health care. But the reality shows that millions of Americans still lack reliable access to vaccines and medicines. The emergency order issued by New Mexico's Department of Health, which explicitly removes barriers to COVID-19 vaccinations, is proof of how fragile the system remains - and how much individual states are forced to improvise to protect their populations.

Old ghosts are resurfacing in parallel. Congress has forced the Epstein estate to turn over the infamous birthday book with Trump's entries as well as additional documents. These revelations could have political consequences that contradict the narrative of the moral savior of the nation. While Trump tries to present his presidency as a time of strength and respect, these revelations threaten once again to shine a light on the dark networks of his past. The contrast could not be sharper: official propaganda paints a picture of prosperity, order, and national greatness - yet social divides are deepening, prices remain high, democracy is under pressure, and international isolation is growing. America is indeed "hot" - but not in the sense of dynamism, rather in the sense of overheating, a dangerous mix of economic pressure, political escalation, and social exhaustion. Anyone who claims to make America "great" should offer more than martial images and exaggerated superlatives. He would have to deliver answers that go beyond tariff walls, slogans, and social media posts - and a policy that actually improves people's daily lives. Until then, the country that Trump stages remains a hall of mirrors where the illusion of greatness feeds on itself while the flames rage outside.

Investigative journalism requires courage, conviction – and your support.