I have come to see the “can-do” attitude, and its attraction to politicians and the public, as very dangerous. On economic matters, the “can-do” adviser offers the promise of a free lunch: increased access to health care without raising health care spending; tax cuts that “pay for themselves”; budget deficits that will create millions of jobs, projected with outrageously exaggerated precision.
I credit this book with helping to start me on my political journey from left to right. Although it criticizes the Vietnam policy from a left perspective, it never endorses the Chomsky silliness of saying that Vietnam was a capitalists’ war for markets.
Halberstam offers lessons to both sides in the Trump era. The anti-Trumpers would do well to reflect on the way that establishment group-think can be costly. For Mr. Trump himself, I have this admonition.
he should try to restrain the urge to be an intimidator. The office of the President is intimidating in its own right. The President needs honest advisers more than he needs yes-men.
he should try to restrain the urge to be an intimidator. The office of the President is intimidating in its own right. The President needs honest advisers more than he needs yes-men.
One aspect I find very fascinating about Trump Presidency is how much comes across as a lazy autocrat. He makes all kinds of intimidating threats but rarely pursues them very hard in the political arena. The big Carrier deal in December is already fallen apart. (To be honest he works harder than I do but for a Presiden he is ‘lazy’)
The other aspect of Trump I don’t quite understand is how in the hell did he run any kind of a successful business? Successful Corporate CEOs don’t act like him. Maybe it bit like his handling of the military generals in administration. He finds some very good people, pays them very well, and lets them do their thing just as long as they put Trump name on the front.
Lazy and a total wimp. It is embarrassing to hear him whine about this and that not being fair. Used to get that from my teenagers. His laziness is also very teen like. He is willing to spend lots of times going to his rallies where people cheer him and tell him he is wonderful. Put in the time to work on something difficult like health care? No way, just like the teen who will put in hours on his video game but won’t do his homework.
Steve
Who says he surrounds himself with yes men? Read “The Art of the Deal” and realize that Trump is a tremendous synthesizer of information and advice. He didn’t become President by luck.
The notion that President Trump is an intimidator comes from the fact that unlike previous Republican presidents who thought that the dignity of the office required that they refrain from responding effectively to smears from the opposition, he fights back with joy and gusto.
American politics “ain’t beanbag;” it is a carnival of buncombe which is at its most deliciously entertaining when there is a skilled performer like President Trump in office.
Power and excitement came to Washington. There were intense conferences, great tensions, opportunities for grace under pressure. Being in on the action.
Excitement like the Cuban Missile Crisis, I imagine. Fun times.
Thought the blog post, as well as the original reflection and review of Halberstam’s book are excellent by Arnold Kling. Provoke so many thoughts about power, government’s role/abilities and our expectations, the Vietnam era, Iraq War, our foreign policy then AND now, leadership etc.
I will only say, I believe as others above, that DJT is much more willing to listen to advisers and even change tactic and opinion then either JFK and especially LBJ. It is my opinion that DJT likes and craves attention, but craves power infinitely less than did either JFK and again, especially LBJ.
“The President needs honest advisers more than he needs yes-men.”
But what if the President is not particularly interested in accomplishing any particular policy results? What if he just sees the presidency as an opportunity for self-aggrandizement? And what if he cares only about pleasing the minority of the electorate that loves him simply because they find his antics “deliciously entertaining”? Does he really need honest advisers to achieve goals like those?
The good new for Trump then is that for all his bluster he does not have a very intimidating personality — or at least that’s the impression I get by seeing him on screen, I’ve never met him.
His figure and coiffeture work rather like Boris Johnson’s to make him look like a teddy bear. And his speaking style favours really flat expression like “thats so X” or “Y is very nice”. All of that can make for a very effective persona — but not an intimidating one.