Those Who Don’t Find Humor in Trump’s Antics Need To Look Harder
Every few days, Trump invents a new way to drive a wedge through America, aggressively alienating everyone but his shrinking support base. As tragic as this is, however, there most certainly are a few amusing elements to it.
What we’re starting to see is that, astonishingly, Trump doesn’t only disaffect defenseless minorities. Of course, this could be because he’s run out of them: Hispanics, Muslims, LGBTs, Native Americans, people of color, human rights advocates, environmentalists, anti-Nazis, etc. But the joke is he’s just as happy to estrange groups like corporate CEOs (who resigned en masse from both his Manufacturing Council and his Strategy & Policy Forum when Trump refused to condemn the white supremacists in Charlottesville).
Trump’s thinking:
Axing rapport with captains of industry was quite effective in driving rancor when it happened a few weeks ago, but Americans’ attention span is short, and now it’s time to move on and conquer new ground. The leaders of every country on the planet except Israel already either hate my guts or think I’m a joke. Let me think for a second. How about owners of professional sports franchises?
Here’s an idea: I’ll take 100 or-so billionaires and refer to the couple of thousand multi-millionaires they employ as “sons of bitches.” Sure, these people have tens of millions of fans, they dump all manner of time and money into supporting community groups and charities all over the world, and they have unparalleled access to electronic and social media. But hey, this is a great way to throw a nice big rock at a brand new hornets’ nest. What could possibly go wrong?
Of course, this alienation is precisely what Trump wants, as it further isolates and thus hardens his supporters. The more outrageous Trump’s behavior, the deeper they dig in their heels. And that’s important. After all, they’re the only ones who could possibly believe that tearing our nation apart and denying rights to free expression is the path to MAGA.
Craig,
Of course there could be an alternate explanation, ie;
The US has finally elected a President so individualistic he feels beholden to no particular pressure group, lobbyists, ideology, political party, or even supporters.
As President, Trump continues to speak his mind on the issues of the day without careful scripting, reference to spin doctors, and focus groups.
The President seems unafraid if his observations are misinterpreted, distorted, quoted out of context, etc, by the media and his opponents.
As his first year in office unfolds, it’s obvious he’s unlike any American President in recent decades. Setting aside his unusual style of communicating, he’s proving to be a surprisingly effective President for those who can see past their blind prejudice.
Far from being a crazed “would be dictator” , the President has pursued a policy of reinforcing constitutional power.
He’s determinedly ended the practice of using ‘executive orders’ to circumvent the legislature, instead pushing congress to have the courage to pass legislation to deal with issues (as required by the constitution) rather than leave law to be created by the Executive and Judiciary.
President Trump’s foreign policy actions have been also surprisingly restrained, and effective. (the action in Syria is an excellent example).
He’s the first US President to candidly admit the era of US dominance is over.
Rightly or wrongly, President Trump has proved he’s no professional politician willing to compromise and never speaking his mind for fear of offending .
Perhaps he’s right, certainly the public has grown weary of the sanctimonious, politically correct media pandering to professionally “outraged ” pressure groups.
On the one hand, while the resignation of billionaires from the Manufacturing Council and Strategy & Policy Forum, could be construed as a defeat for a professional politician, maybe the President is right not to care.
After all, the same people can hardly complain if his policies now prove contrary to their interests, or if their shareholders view them as cowards and hypocrites.
It also makes a mockery of critics accusing the President of being the puppet of the the super rich and corporate power !
Maybe the President has caught the mood right. For years people have been calling for a President who isn’t a professional politician, an independent voice.
President Trump is certainly proving independent ! Maybe not in the Abe Lincoln way (although that was also a bit of a myth), but certainly he’s a very different President.
Maybe,( and here’s an idea ) just maybe, it’s time everyone stopped hyperventilating with outraged indignation and started to re-evaluate the President’s performance in terms of the new and very changed dynamics.
This will require abandoning old rules, ideologies, protocols, and assumptions. It will require understanding the dawn of a new era, where the old rules don’t apply. (if they ever did).
But, hey, it’s easier to yell cliches’ and chant even louder the same old mantras than calm down, open your mind and try to understand the new dynamics, isn’t it?
I’m currently in Alabama, visiting a small coal mining community where the President’s coal policies have prevented the loss of 64 jobs, and created 23 new high paid blue collar jobs.
The locals have every right to be baffled by an article appearing in the New York Times informing them the President has misled the American public and lied about creating coal industry employment.
Careful reading of the article reveals the author justified his headline on the announcement by a US power utility to potentially reduce, or not increase, coal fired power generation.
But who lied ? The President or the New York Times ?
The newly employed coal miners and those still employed believe their President.
No doubt folks in Santa Barbara Cal. reading a rehash of the article in the LA Times, will believe the President “lied”.
The truth was always obvious for those with objective intelligence.
The NYT journalist was not only dishonest in his reporting, but deliberately disingenuous. The President’s claim is not only true, but accurate.
Why ? The answer is simple the NYT’s conveniently ‘forgot’ to mention the US is once again a coal exporting nation. The US exports not only to reduce the balance of trade, but coal exports are being employed as a very effective counter-measure to reduce Russian energy domination and bolster independence for nations like Lithuania and the Ukraine.
The difficulty for the New York Times, and other media outlets is if this is true (even a cursory check verifies the President’s claim), then not only does it expose the inaccuracy and dishonesty of NYT’s reporting, but also makes nonsense of all the other claims by the media that the President is a ‘puppet’ of Putin’s Russia !
“He’s the first US President to candidly admit the era of US dominance is over.” Could you elaborate on that, please?
Craig,
Throughout the campaign, and later as President, for those who listen and pay attention to what he says,( not what others say he says, or what they believe he said) ,the President has enunciated the theme that the US is no longer able to financially, idealistically or symbolically carry the burden of trying to remake other sovereign nations in America’s image.
The idea of America as being on a selfless, moral crusade endowing the US as every other nations big brother, or moral guardian is over. (It was always mostly an exercise in hypocrisy).
The President is not an ‘internationalist’ in the sense the US has some ‘special’ or moral duty to pose as “leader of the Free World”.
The President insists on cutting American contributions to UN funding to be commensurate with US benefits from the organization. That policy is consistent with ordering cuts in the vastly over-bloated State Department.
In Paris he reinforced the message he was a President for “American interests foremost”. In Poland he explained the US could no longer afford to provide military or economic protection for any nation except those traditional loyal allies, bound by strong treaties, and interests coinciding with US interests.
He told the Peoples Republic of China the US would no longer treat the PRC as a developing nation, henceforth, the PRC could expect ‘no holds barred’ trade competition.
This is first US President in decades to admit the US is losing a trade and economic competition against determined and more able rivals.
His message “Make America Great Again” , is not intended to represent the ‘greatness’ of Obama style symbolic grand gestures, or maintaining an increasingly shabby pretense of moral leadership.
The President’s message is far more realistic and basic. His message may be seen by some as brutal and even callous, but it has the virtue of being candid, honest, realistic and easily understood.
The President’s vision of a “Great America” is a fiercely economically and trade competitive US. A self-reliant America where the poor in Detroit are a priority, not the poor in Hangzhou.
He sees US greatness reflected in adherence to the US Constitution and legislative law. He demands the peoples representatives do their jobs as legislators for the people, not shy away and allows the Constitution be eroded by “executive orders” and court rulings by un-elected Judges.
He wants a US which no longer is in debt to foreign competitors for $ 23 Trillion dollars, borrowed to fund US de-industriallization, globalization and the destruction of US society, in return for cheap trinkets.
Curiously, for a big city New Yorker, he’s a champion of an America forgotten by urban (especially West coast) elites and intellectuals. He sees himself as an American citizen first, a citizen of the world a long way second.
Naturally, he sees uncontrolled immigration as a threat to American society. He believes US citizenship and it’s benefits should be highly prized and hard earned.
He not ‘racist’! He believes in integration, not a nation of ethnic multiculturalism, where migrants form separate communities, maintain old loyalties, even old hatreds of each other and western values, but still live and share in the benefits of America.
That’s not ‘racism’, it’s just not the liberal-left’s interpretation of society, but it’s not racist. The President has no problem with migrants of any ethnic background, race or religion that integrate and adopt American social values, institutions and aspirations.
His policy on North Korea is simple. The President isn’t seeking regime change, freedom or democracy in the North. (I would be, but he isn’t).
The President doesn’t care about the antics of Kim’s tyrannical regime unless it threatens US interests. He’s completely candid about his objectives. If North Korea abandoned Nuclear arms and posed no threat to the South, the President has no interest in deposing the regime.
If Secretary Tillerson can pressure the PRC into exerting enough pressure on the NK regime to allow a diplomatic solution, the President will be delighted.
Mattis and Tillerson’s efforts are greatly strengthened by a President(however reluctant)who is unafraid to say ‘enough is enough’, and initiate devastating military action while it’s still possible.
There is no ‘great moral or ideological crusade ‘ behind his foreign policy. His mission is simple, ‘America First’ !
” The era of US dominance ” , was brief in the annals of history, but like all great nations the US had it’s moment in the sun.
Us ascendancy became obvious in 1943. From 1944 the US emerged a triumphant superpower, with only the USSR a vexing military rival.
Reagan’s victory, resulted in the ruin of the USSR, which disappearedleaving the US for a brief period of 15 years the only giant super-power.
By 2007, the US had lost momentum. beset by massive debt,social decay and failed foreign adventures, the US lagged behind a resurgent Europe, a roaring dragon in the PRC, even a trimmed down but more determined and cohesive Russia.
The US economy was a basket case, a crippled giant in decay.
Luck came to America’s aid in the form of energy technology. North America staved off economic ruin,by employing Hydraulic fracturing technology, (fracking). The resultant massive American energy boom salvaged and revitalized the US economy.
It won’t happen twice.