Paris: Donald Trump Demonstrates That He Has The Basic Competence To Be President

Manhattan Contrarian ^ | 2 Jun, 2017 | Francis Menton

[MtnClimber]

Among my New York friends, one of the most frequent criticisms that I hear of Donald Trump is that he just doesn't have the basic competence to be President. He is ignorant of fundamental issues of public policy; he arrogantly thinks he knows everything, while in fact he knows little or nothing; his attention span is about 6 seconds, and he refuses to learn. I mean, how can such a person possibly carry out in an appropriate way the awesome responsibilities of the presidency?

For myself, I've been withholding judgment. After all, a President doesn't really need to know all that much. He has endless expert advisors, indeed far more advisors than any human being could have time to listen to. Far and away the most important thing he needs to do is avoid making major blunders that can do great harm to the American economy and the American people.

In the decision regarding the Paris climate accord, Donald Trump has just been tested on this fundamental criterion of basic competence, and has passed. Barack Obama was tested on the same criterion, and totally failed.

It is impossible to look at the Paris climate accord with any degree of scrutiny and conclude that a remotely competent American president could have anything to do with it. This conclusion applies irrespective of whatever you might think about whether "greenhouse gas" emissions are causing a problem or even a crisis for world climate. Even if you think that the climatic effect of human GHG emissions is an existential crisis facing the planet, it would still be completely incompetent for an American president to sign on to this particular agreement.

[AFreeBird]

Fair enough, and I did think that’s what you were doing. Didn’t want any ambiguity for the lurkers out there.

[slouper]

I think it would have been better if, instead of Pittsburg, he said he represented Paris Texas and many of the numerous communities in the US that are named “Paris”, there’s a lot of them in many states.

[etabeta]

Ahahah! I have been a freeper for 14 years, you would never hear me talking like that. MAGA, my President!

[trebb]

I heard on social media, with a tone of great authority, that Trump did so poorly at Wharton he graduated only thanks to the influence of his father. As for his empire, well, what do you expect? Money of his father....so much ignorance out there.

Yep - about 6 weeks ago, same social media claimed Clint Eastwood was dead.

[cynwoody]

I think it would have been better if, instead of Pittsburg, he said he represented Paris Texas and many of the numerous communities in the US that are named “Paris”, there’s a lot of them in many states.

Pittsburgh is in Pennsylvania, a state he wasn't supposed to carry, but did. He carried Texas by 8.99%, but Pennsylvania by only 0.7%. Got to be thinking about 2018 and 2020.

[slouper]

Good point!