1. I don't think Musk and DOGE are out of control. They just overpromised.
2. Absolutely. He's an economic ignoramus listening to economic ignoramuses.
3. Trump's contempt for the Constitution and Rule of Law does not seem any different from most other politicians, or judges and lawyers; witness Biden's three attempts at student loans in spite of saying he knew they were unconstitutional, Obama's pen and phone, and Hillary's coverups of Bill's rapes. (I can't think of anything Bush Jr did.) I have written several times about how the Rule of Law is a fig leaf covering up the naughty bits (the Rule of Men), the clearest indications being split appeals court decisions (if learned judges can't agree after a year of debate, what hope is there for laymen?) and the way everything changes when the Administration or Congress change party (the Supreme Court blithely accepts 180° reversals on pending cases).
The only real difference I see is that Trump is, in some ways, the most honest President in a long long time; he doesn't know how to shut up. He may change his mind daily and twice on Sunday, but you know about them too. Whereas almost all other politicians lie, cover up, make back room deals, and their press conferences are just more repackaged lies. (Maybe "honest" is the wrong word and "transparent" or "open" or "diarrhea" would be better.) But it's the main driver of TDS. It attracted his followers and sycophants, and it scares career politicians who don't know how to respond to such political honesty. Everyone expects the usual political distractions and dissembling, and cannot comprehend anything else. I told a Japanese taxi driver where I wanted to go in Japanese, and the driver did not understand me because he was expecting English. That's Trump's secret sauce and TDS in a nutshell.
4. Agree. But he's too scatter-brained for any pattern to show in how he bears grudges.
5. I don't think Trump cares much at all about enriching himself monetarily, just ego-wise.
6. Trump would have to be aware of how his actions affect others to be unconcerned about them.
Someone (you?) called Trump a loose cannon. That's not correct. The phrase comes from sailing ship days when a cannon got loose of its rope moorings and careened around the deck, utterly out of control. I think of Trump more as a bumper car where he's a lousy driver. He sees other bumper cars he wants to smack, but they aren't easily aimed, and he is easily distracted and changes aim. Meanwhile, everyone else is trying to dodge him and whoever he hits.
1. I don't think Musk and DOGE are out of control. They just overpromised.
2. Absolutely. He's an economic ignoramus listening to economic ignoramuses.
3. Trump's contempt for the Constitution and Rule of Law does not seem any different from most other politicians, or judges and lawyers; witness Biden's three attempts at student loans in spite of saying he knew they were unconstitutional, Obama's pen and phone, and Hillary's coverups of Bill's rapes. (I can't think of anything Bush Jr did.) I have written several times about how the Rule of Law is a fig leaf covering up the naughty bits (the Rule of Men), the clearest indications being split appeals court decisions (if learned judges can't agree after a year of debate, what hope is there for laymen?) and the way everything changes when the Administration or Congress change party (the Supreme Court blithely accepts 180° reversals on pending cases).
The only real difference I see is that Trump is, in some ways, the most honest President in a long long time; he doesn't know how to shut up. He may change his mind daily and twice on Sunday, but you know about them too. Whereas almost all other politicians lie, cover up, make back room deals, and their press conferences are just more repackaged lies. (Maybe "honest" is the wrong word and "transparent" or "open" or "diarrhea" would be better.) But it's the main driver of TDS. It attracted his followers and sycophants, and it scares career politicians who don't know how to respond to such political honesty. Everyone expects the usual political distractions and dissembling, and cannot comprehend anything else. I told a Japanese taxi driver where I wanted to go in Japanese, and the driver did not understand me because he was expecting English. That's Trump's secret sauce and TDS in a nutshell.
4. Agree. But he's too scatter-brained for any pattern to show in how he bears grudges.
5. I don't think Trump cares much at all about enriching himself monetarily, just ego-wise.
6. Trump would have to be aware of how his actions affect others to be unconcerned about them.
Someone (you?) called Trump a loose cannon. That's not correct. The phrase comes from sailing ship days when a cannon got loose of its rope moorings and careened around the deck, utterly out of control. I think of Trump more as a bumper car where he's a lousy driver. He sees other bumper cars he wants to smack, but they aren't easily aimed, and he is easily distracted and changes aim. Meanwhile, everyone else is trying to dodge him and whoever he hits.