Hollywood iconArnold Schwarzeneggerhas invoked one of his earlier roles, that of Conan, in order to best describe his political ethos. Wielding the sword he used in the 1982 action epicConan The Barbarian, the action star reminds viewers that the sword’s blade only gets stronger each time the metal is folded in on itself and forged in the fire, the perfect metaphor for democracy.
“Here’s the thing about swords. The more you temper a sword, the stronger it becomes. The more you pound it with a hammer and then heat it in the fire, and then thrust it into the cold water and then pound it again … the more often you do that, the stronger it becomes. I’m not telling you this because you become an expert sword maker. But our democracy is like the steel of this sword. The more it is tempered, the stronger it becomes.”
During the address to his fans, Schwarzenegger condemns the recent attack on Capitol Hill that took place in support of outgoing President Donald Trump, comparing the incident to Kristallnacht or “the Night of Broken Glass,” one of many pogroms against the Jewish population in Germany instigated by the Nazis.
After discussing his childhood and experience as an immigrant coming to America, the actor, who is no stranger to politics having served as the 38th Governor of California for two full terms from 2003 to 2011, discusses the forging of Conan’s sword and how it applies to the current political discourse, as well as offering his thoughts on the legacy of Donald Trump.
“But I do believe that we must be aware of the dire consequences ofselfishnessand cynicism,” he said. “President Trump sought to overturn the results of an election. And a fair election. He sought a coup by misleading people with lies. My father and our neighbors were misled also with lies. I know where such lies lead. President Trump is a failed leader. He will go down in history as the worst president ever. The good thing is he soon will be as irrelevant as an old tweet.”
Whatever your feelings on the matter, Schwarzenegger is clearly very passionate about thecountryin which he has found such astronomical success, with the actor simply hoping that people from all sides can come together as Americans.
It’s also promising to see that his idea of politics has matured since he called on his people to “Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentation of the women!”
Speaking ofConan, for years Schwarzenegger has wanted to star in his ownlegacy sequelin order to bring the franchise to a satisfying end. All the way back in 2012, Warner Bros. announced that Arnold Schwarzenegger would return forThe Legend of Conan, reprising the role in played in bothConan the Barbarianand the 1984 sequelConan the Destroyer, with the movie set to follow an aged version of the fabled warrior. Sadly, due to difficulties over the rights to the property, the project has still not gotten off the ground, and is looking increasingly less likely with each passing year.
