Why is a bunkum artist running for president of the United States?
Trump Runs Against Both Parties
“The word ‘un-American’ has been rightly used—not for Mr. Trump or his ideas, but for the uncharacteristic willingness of the American voter to opt knowingly for a bunkum artist as long as he says the right things about American renewal.
“Mr. Trump, bless him, has left voters in no doubt about who he is. He’s not George Washington any more than he’s the nuclear madman of Democratic ads. If mainstream Democrats or Republicans don’t pick up on the Trumpian hunger of Americans for leadership, they’re the ones who are crazy and incapable of adapting to feedback.” ~ Holman Jenkins, Wall Street Journal
Punta Gorda accidental shooting due to gross police incompetence
On the fatal shooting of Mary Knowlton in Punta Gorda, Florida, during a police academy simulation:
“The Citizens and Police Officers meet each other face to face in a neutral, friendly setting and each becomes a person to the other,” according to the website. “In the past, citizens have simply seen a uniform, now they have an understanding about the person behind the badge.”
Now citizens know that the person behind the badge makes serious mistakes, like using a loaded gun during a simulation. Under the circumstances, one would call a mistake like this one gross incompetence.
The first rule of gun safety I learned as a youngster was, “Never point a gun at someone, even if you know it isn’t loaded.” If the Punta Gorda police department had even basic competence in gun safety, they would not use real guns in a simulation. Yet there it was: a real gun, loaded, pointed at a person, trigger pulled. How do you explain behavior like that?
Protect politicians from themselves: don’t give them too much power
The harm politicians do when they lead poorly, far outweighs the good they do when they lead well. Moreover, poor leaders destroy constraints on power, whereas good leaders build them up.
Related post
“If you’re so smart, why aren’t you president?”
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