The lack of enthusiastic support – or any support at all, really – for the current American president found within and among this blog’s posts might lead one to believe I am a withered, cranky, “no fun” sort with all the redeeming social characteristics of a cadaver. The poster coot for the “get off my lawn” model of Americans. But it’s not true: I’m actually quite friendly and eager to help out anyone any time I can. For example, while watching TV “news” stories about recent actions being taken by the Administration, it dawned on me that perhaps no one bothered to clearly explain to TFG just what it is that a president of the United States is supposed to do and, more importantly, what such a president is not supposed to do. I’d like to help!
For example, presidents don’t seek to “punish” other sovereign countries (especially ones that are our friends and biggest trading partners) because the leader of some political subdivision of that country (like a provincial premier or a state governor) runs a television ad critical of the American president’s economic policy. Whether the ad was truthful or not. An autocrat would do something like that.
Presidents don’t – unilaterally, without warning, and without prior consultation with allies – launch unprovoked, lethal military strikes against private vessels in international waters without presenting to the world the incontrovertible evidence of that vessel and its crew’s threat to American interests. A lawless tyrant would do that.
Presidents don’t presume to dictate to the leaders of other sovereign nations how to wage war or how to end war. Only a…well, only a would-be dictator would try that.
Presidents don’t believe they have leeway to significantly alter, or destroy, historic artifacts in order to erect gaudy monuments to their almighty selves (even when they say the costs will be paid by private donations; a scheme ripe for corruption) without even a show of a cursory consultation with appropriate government officials. That sounds like something a megalomaniac would do.
Presidents don’t tell transparently false stories about the conditions in their country as an excuse to send their nation’s armies into their own cities against their own citizens to put down peaceful protests and intimidate political opponents. Totalitarians do stuff like that.
Presidents don’t misuse the routine processes of self-governance to re-set the conditions of an upcoming election they fear they will lose. Cowardly losers try to rewrite the rules of the game.
Presidents may indeed be the driving force behind the construction of patriotic symbols recognizing the greatness of their country, but they don’t reflexively presume to name those edifices after themselves or fire public officials who have the authority to alter what could easily be interpreted as self-aggrandizing plans. But, boy oh boy, narcissists sure do.
“On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as a member of the Commission on Fine Arts is terminated, effective immediately,” reads an email reviewed by The Post that was sent to one of the commissioners by a staffer in the White House presidential personnel office.
(And if you want to fire people who work for you, a president has the guts to do the dirty work themselves. Especially if they are a president who invaded the public consciousness in a brainless television offering in which their very very macho catchphrase was “you’re fired.”)
When the do-nothing (without TFG’s approval) Congress lets appropriations authority lapse and forces the government to shut down, presidents don’t use that as an excuse to take “unprecedented, and even illegal, steps during the shutdown to inflict unnecessary damage to public services and investments, the federal workers who deliver them, and the public who depends on them.” But a con man would…and they would really hate it when the courts step in to stop them.
See, it was easy to be friendly and offer good-natured, non-accusatory assistance. I feel good! If any similar instances of possible misunderstanding turn up in the future, I’ll be happy to try to help out. It’s what I do.
HEY, IT'S PAT RYAN'S BLOG! 