It's not a "rags-to-riches" tale - Donald Trump's fortune. He inherited more than most people amass in a lifetime. But he continues to hand us a sob story about how badly the world treats him.
Trump passes himself off as a perpetual "winner" who alone can solve problems that no one else can. It would be so easy that we would "tire of his winning." He was the successful businessman, and many voted for him on that basis.
A hallmark of truly successful businesspersons is pragmatism - facing reality, dealing with it and accepting one's own share of responsibility when things go awry. Just as we all get some bad breaks, we also get some good breaks. Donald Trump has had more than his share of good breaks, including by the media.
With Trump's recent speech to Coast Guard cadets, his advice to remain strong in the face of adversity is sound. However, mixed with his "woe is me, the media treats me so bad," it rings hollow.
Sure, Trump has received some negative reviews in the media. But that is largely reporting on Trump's own negative treatment of a long list of "enemies," real or imagined. The Trump campaign has had more than its share of free passes by the media. For example, when Trump and Michael Flynn whipped up the GOP convention delegates to lynch mob-type frenzy with "lock her up!" the media should have roundly condemned this action. Instead, not a peep from the forgiving media.
Reading from a teleprompter during his first address to Congress moved some of his critics to marvel that he made the transition to "presidential." Other examples include "false equivalence reporting," such as media insistence that actions under the Clinton Foundation were equivalent to the blatant abuses of the Trump Foundation.
Running government is not the same as running a business. That does not preclude business persons from government. The point is that successful business persons, including corporate CEOs work their way through the system, dealing with co-equals and reporting to superiors. In the process, they gain experience in solving problems, working with people and understanding the limits of power. In contrast, Trump has always been the dominant and most powerful figure in his organization, always dealing from strength.
American government, however imperfect, was designed to have checks and balances with three co-equal branches. The Congress and judiciary, in addition to a free and, ideally, critical media, have always been frustrating to American presidents. However, these institutions have totally baffled our current president. Perhaps this goes far to explain Trump's admiration, and envy, of world strongmen. They don't have to put up with those pesky checks and balances and critical media that characterize democracies.
While past presidents, however reluctantly, worked with the congress and put up with the judiciary and the free press, they clearly understood the necessary role of these institutions. It is evident that our current president does not. His serious declaration of the media as "enemy of the people," and his alleged conversation with former FBI Director James Comey regarding jailing reporters puts him in a league with tin-pot dictators of a banana republic.
The presidency of the United States is doubtlessly the most influential, powerful, complex and difficult position in the entire world. As such, any person ascending to that position has a lot to learn on the job. While no human can be expected to just "step in" and effortlessly do it, the job requires the ability to surround one's self with competent people, to listen, to learn and to inspire. Confidence is essential, but not a false confidence that all this will be "so easy."
The electorate could be more optimistic if Trump would exhibit the ability and tendency to learn as events unfold. He made the ridiculous promise to sign health care reform on the first day of his presidency. This, as if he didn't realize that the congress had to have a bill ready to put on his desk.
Okay, so maybe he knew that the congress had to come up with one. But did he not even check with Speaker Ryan and Senate Majority Leader McConnell to see if they had, or when they would have, a bill ready? They did not have one. But it's as if Trump just figured they could quickly, like magic, come up with one because, "Obamacare was such a disaster."
After much sound and fury, including failure to even bring the first attempt to House vote, Trump dutifully informed us that "health care is complex," as if he were the first person to figure that out.
Has he learned anything in the process? He wants to move on to other items on his agenda, "easy stuff," like tax reform that he alleges will propel the economy to four to five percent annual growth.
If that's far-fetched, how about his recent observation? He insists that a peace agreement between Israel and Palestine will be simple.
So, he is off on his international tour that includes Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the Pope, with whom he had a dust-up during his campaign. His attempt to put a softer face on Islam would be easier and more convincing had he not made such an issue of it during his campaign and immediately thereafter.
Trump brutally attacked President Barack Obama for not using the phrase "Radical Islamic terrorism." One of his better appointees, National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster has long advised Trump not to use that phrase - without success until Trump's speech in Riyadh where he wisely dropped it.
But the Middle East and Islam is more complex than making peace with the Saudis. Saudi Arabia, and Israel, not liking the nuclear deal with Iran, will pressure Trump into taking a harder line with Iran. That is shortsighted and counterproductive.
Next week: Iran, and the need for pragmatism.
- John Waelti of Monroe, a retired professor of economics, can be reached at jjwaelti1@tds.net. His column appears Fridays in The Monroe Times.
Trump passes himself off as a perpetual "winner" who alone can solve problems that no one else can. It would be so easy that we would "tire of his winning." He was the successful businessman, and many voted for him on that basis.
A hallmark of truly successful businesspersons is pragmatism - facing reality, dealing with it and accepting one's own share of responsibility when things go awry. Just as we all get some bad breaks, we also get some good breaks. Donald Trump has had more than his share of good breaks, including by the media.
With Trump's recent speech to Coast Guard cadets, his advice to remain strong in the face of adversity is sound. However, mixed with his "woe is me, the media treats me so bad," it rings hollow.
Sure, Trump has received some negative reviews in the media. But that is largely reporting on Trump's own negative treatment of a long list of "enemies," real or imagined. The Trump campaign has had more than its share of free passes by the media. For example, when Trump and Michael Flynn whipped up the GOP convention delegates to lynch mob-type frenzy with "lock her up!" the media should have roundly condemned this action. Instead, not a peep from the forgiving media.
Reading from a teleprompter during his first address to Congress moved some of his critics to marvel that he made the transition to "presidential." Other examples include "false equivalence reporting," such as media insistence that actions under the Clinton Foundation were equivalent to the blatant abuses of the Trump Foundation.
Running government is not the same as running a business. That does not preclude business persons from government. The point is that successful business persons, including corporate CEOs work their way through the system, dealing with co-equals and reporting to superiors. In the process, they gain experience in solving problems, working with people and understanding the limits of power. In contrast, Trump has always been the dominant and most powerful figure in his organization, always dealing from strength.
American government, however imperfect, was designed to have checks and balances with three co-equal branches. The Congress and judiciary, in addition to a free and, ideally, critical media, have always been frustrating to American presidents. However, these institutions have totally baffled our current president. Perhaps this goes far to explain Trump's admiration, and envy, of world strongmen. They don't have to put up with those pesky checks and balances and critical media that characterize democracies.
While past presidents, however reluctantly, worked with the congress and put up with the judiciary and the free press, they clearly understood the necessary role of these institutions. It is evident that our current president does not. His serious declaration of the media as "enemy of the people," and his alleged conversation with former FBI Director James Comey regarding jailing reporters puts him in a league with tin-pot dictators of a banana republic.
The presidency of the United States is doubtlessly the most influential, powerful, complex and difficult position in the entire world. As such, any person ascending to that position has a lot to learn on the job. While no human can be expected to just "step in" and effortlessly do it, the job requires the ability to surround one's self with competent people, to listen, to learn and to inspire. Confidence is essential, but not a false confidence that all this will be "so easy."
The electorate could be more optimistic if Trump would exhibit the ability and tendency to learn as events unfold. He made the ridiculous promise to sign health care reform on the first day of his presidency. This, as if he didn't realize that the congress had to have a bill ready to put on his desk.
Okay, so maybe he knew that the congress had to come up with one. But did he not even check with Speaker Ryan and Senate Majority Leader McConnell to see if they had, or when they would have, a bill ready? They did not have one. But it's as if Trump just figured they could quickly, like magic, come up with one because, "Obamacare was such a disaster."
After much sound and fury, including failure to even bring the first attempt to House vote, Trump dutifully informed us that "health care is complex," as if he were the first person to figure that out.
Has he learned anything in the process? He wants to move on to other items on his agenda, "easy stuff," like tax reform that he alleges will propel the economy to four to five percent annual growth.
If that's far-fetched, how about his recent observation? He insists that a peace agreement between Israel and Palestine will be simple.
So, he is off on his international tour that includes Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the Pope, with whom he had a dust-up during his campaign. His attempt to put a softer face on Islam would be easier and more convincing had he not made such an issue of it during his campaign and immediately thereafter.
Trump brutally attacked President Barack Obama for not using the phrase "Radical Islamic terrorism." One of his better appointees, National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster has long advised Trump not to use that phrase - without success until Trump's speech in Riyadh where he wisely dropped it.
But the Middle East and Islam is more complex than making peace with the Saudis. Saudi Arabia, and Israel, not liking the nuclear deal with Iran, will pressure Trump into taking a harder line with Iran. That is shortsighted and counterproductive.
Next week: Iran, and the need for pragmatism.
- John Waelti of Monroe, a retired professor of economics, can be reached at jjwaelti1@tds.net. His column appears Fridays in The Monroe Times.
