There are only two plausible explanations for Trump's chat with the President of Taiwan. Either one of the many despicable people around him conned him into it, or he stumbled into it all on his own. Either way, it is obvious that he did not have a clue what the foreign affairs implications were, and he does not have around him someone who did know and could be relied on to tell him. And this is seven weeks before he actually becomes President! I have been focused on Trump's cupidity and brutal hostility to large swaths of the American public and on the sheer evil of his closest advisers, so perhaps I may be forgiven for having overlooked his mind-numbing incompetence. I am not only ashamed to be an American, I am also embarrassed.
As I said to my wife yesterday evening when we were sitting at the counter in our favorite restaurant eating happy hour half-priced oysters, I am struggling to achieve some semblance of inner balance and equanimity in the face of this on-rushing disaster. I am more determined than ever to live long enough to see things take a turn for the better, even if I must soldier on into my nineties.
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8 comments:
Professor:
While an accurate theory of Trump's mind requires either a PHD or years as an FBI profiler, my biggest hunch either is he is very impulsive or that he is into shaking things up and making provocations.
Probably his MO since forever
His entourage will probably waste countless lifetimes doing damage control.
He has no clue. He is a vast narcissist, everything is there to be subject to his royal whim.
Brings back the heyday of the Macedonian court, doesn't it?
At least Alexander had Aristotle as a a tutor!
Well, if Trump gives you the force not only to live another 8 more years, but also to keep up the constant, lucid criticism, your continued presence online will certainly be one positive outcome of his presidency.
There's a famous essay by Sartre with one of the old-time great opening lines, "never were we freer than under the German occupation".
Hear, hear!
Looking forward to 'In Defense of Socialism' by RPW coming out in the next 8 years!
We all hope you live forever, Professor Wolff. And did you see that the world's oldest person just turned 117? She still remembers her life, still is able to sit up straight and eat birthday cake. It doesn't look *so* bad. And if you live another thirty-five years the next four might (let's hope) seem like just an unfortunate blip.
From your mouth to God's ear, Ed
A calculated choice. Republican administrations flirted with the idea of a shift in policy.
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