[nathanbedford]

Laz, I think you have captured Trump's management style. I think there are certain objectives which he has clearly in mind and he will set policy and give his subordinates running room. He will, for example, build the damn wall.

But there are couple of unspoken predicates which could cause real trouble. First, if Trump really believes that the problem with our trade deals is stupidity, he is more stupid than even I believe. I think he is saying that for two reasons, first, he wants a simple bumper sticker slogan to run a campaign with and, second, he wants to deflect investigation into his own fickle ideology.

The problem with our trade deals is that our politicians have quite deliberately favored one class of Americans over another class of Americans in the negotiations. Our negotiators are not stupid they are highly intelligent and they consciously sold out the rust belt for Silicon Valley, for example. The idea that a smart negotiator will recover jobs in the rust belt by out foxing Japanese negotiators is delusional. This is a political question and delegating it to Carl Ichan, for example, will only get negotiations which advance, Carl Ichan's worldview-or Donald Trump's.

Do you recall some years ago when we restricted the inflow of foreign automobiles? The dealerships of Japanese cars mobilized and got the restrictions removed. There is Newtonian law at play here, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Do we have the foggiest notion of what Donald Trump is going to do in reaction?

In other words, to expand the conversation to matters other than trade, policy decisions are being made by Donald Trump who has an ideology that is undefined, historically chaotic, certainly egocentric so we don't know what we will get. Putting "terrific people" in charge does not tell us a damn thing about what policies will be pursued. When Ronald Reagan was president we knew his ideological bias and we loved it and we trusted him to pursue it.

I'm forcing myself to refrain from saying, "I knew Ronald Reagan – And Donald Trump" But you get my drift.

[Lazamataz]

But there are couple of unspoken predicates which could cause real trouble. First, if Trump really believes that the problem with our trade deals is stupidity, he is more stupid than even I believe. I think he is saying that for two reasons, first, he wants a simple bumper sticker slogan to run a campaign with and, second, he wants to deflect investigation into his own fickle ideology.

Nah bro. He's not stupid, that's for dam sure. And second, he understands that campaigning requires a bumper sticker slogan; after all, that is the best way to campaign in this Attention Deficit Disorder society. That actually speaks to his intelligence. And third, I have not seen any reticence to speak to his changing ideology. In fact, he steps right up to the plate -- repeatedly -- and states his belief system with comprehensive white papers.

Our negotiators are not stupid they are highly intelligent and they consciously sold out the rust belt for Silicon Valley, for example. The idea that a smart negotiator will recover jobs in the rust belt by out foxing Japanese negotiators is delusional.

You make a decent point here, one I agree with. It was, to my mind, an intelligent choice to offshore high-pollution rust belt jobs for clean silicon-based e-jobs. Seen China these days? Of course you haven't. They are covered in smog.

Donald Trump is a very smart man, albiet bombastic and smug. I will take a smart man as we enter an era of robotics and lessened need for human muscle. Now, it is more about the trading skills and continued expansion of our tech base, which is something I do trust Trump will prove masterful at.