Long ago, in the land we live in today, when enemies threatened, men named Douglas MacArthur, George Patton and John Wayne killed them – whether the enemy was named Hirohito, Hitler or Liberty Valance.

Times changed. Small towns with old-fashioned values vanished, devoured by booming secular cities. Newspapers were replaced by Facebook, Twitter, and Internet chat rooms.

People became ‘sensitive.’ Multi-culturalism flourished. Rights blossomed: Women’s rights, gay rights, transgender rights, animal rights. Religion faded to a shadow of what it had been. And the alpha-male became a fossil.

Then troubles returned. And out of nowhere an ultra-alpha-male strolled onto a stage at a Republican debate, stepped to a microphone, scowled at a blonde, looked at the audience, pursed his lips, growled, I’m going to kill your enemies – and people watching thought, He might just do it.

They wondered, Who could whip the Chinese? And answered: Trump. The strongman.

Who could whip ISIS? Trump.

Who could stop illegal immigration? Trump.

They wondered, Who could whip Wall Street tycoons, lick the corrupt politicians, and – most of all they wondered – Who can heal our pain? And they answered, Trump.

Not because of his virtue. Or political party affiliation. Or ideology. But because their enemies had grown powerful and they needed a strong man and Trump was the uber-alpha-male. And that was all that mattered.

Sound familiar?