A New Man in Town
Has anyone noticed? There is a new man in town.
The newbie is a manager par excellence. He knows what he wants, says what he means, and means what he says.
Some call him a bully because when he draws a red line, and he draws many, it is known that crossing it means trouble.
This, of course, is President Donald Trump who took a page out of President Teddy Roosevelt’s book.
Roosevelt said, “Talk softly, but carry a big stick.” Trump talks loudly and carries a bigger stick.
Roosevelt sent the “Great White Fleet” around the world in 1908 to demonstrate the nation’s might. That was his big stick.
Trump’s bigger stick was to drop the Mother of All Bombs on an ISIS headquarters in Afghanistan and to launch 29 cruise missiles against the Syrian airbase from which Assad launched the chemical weapons attack against his own people
The bomb and missiles shouted, “Look what happens when you cross one of my red lines.” It seems that all but a few like North Korea’s Kim Jong-un got the message.
Locally, the most interesting aspects of waving those big sticks has received little or no publicity. The MOAB was dropped and the missiles were launched on the orders of local commanders on the scene.
What a change from just a year ago. Then commanders in the field with the situation changing in front of them by the minute would have had to go back to the Pentagon to get permission to act from some colonel. In situations like this, the colonel would probably have had to go to Valerie Jarret sitting at the right hand of President Obama for permission to act.
That is why it is such a breath of fresh air to have a real manager in the White House. He picks competent individuals for the tasks at hand, gives them the responsibility for doing those tasks, and, most important of all, gives them the authority needed to discharge the responsibility. If they do not carry out their responsibilities as directed, it’s “You’re fired.” Just like on TV.
That business like approach to governance is apparent in other ways.
First is the President’s approach to NATO. He believes that this is a great, necessary international alliance. The United States has, however, carried too much of the load for too many years. Trump believes that the others have to begin carrying their share of the weight.
In other words, he is using a favorite phrase of Democrats—“They are not paying their fair share.” He is insisting that all members of NATO comply with their agreement to devote 2% of their GDP to military expenditures.
This year, of the 28 members of NATO, only five—the U.S., Greece, Great Britain, Estonia, and Poland— have complied with that agreement. The President expects the other 23 members to step up to the plate.
Monday, he asked another bunch to pay their fair share. This time it is the UN. In a meeting with members of the UN Security Council, Trump told them they were expected to help bear the costs.
Currently, U.S. taxpayers contribute more than one-fifth of the world body’s regular budget.
To a businessman, having only one of the 193 members of an organization responsible for one-fifth of the organization’s budget seems a bit out of kilter.
So here’s the perspective
Running the government like a successful business might get the country back on its financial feet.
Let’s give the businessman a chance.
enough
