Steve Benen is disturbed by this Politico report, behind a paywall[1], concerning President Trump treating a meeting with the troops as a campaign rally:
Speaking to U.S. soldiers aboard the USS George Washington in Yokosuka, Japan, the Republican did it once again. The New York Times noted, “Trump has been doing this more often at home lately, but it is still striking to see him basically holding what looks and sounds very much like one of his signature political rallies in front of members of the United States military.”
A Politico report fleshed this out in more detail:
In the early hours of this morning, Trump gave another highly partisan speech to the U.S. military, hailing his own political achievements and repeatedly condemning his Democratic opponents and critics in the media. … [W]hat’s most striking is Trump’s willingness to use the troops as a foil for his highly partisan rhetoric. He repeatedly condemned his predecessor Joe Biden, told his audience the 2020 election had been rigged and savaged Democratic governors who resist military incursions into their cities. … Trump also called out the ‘fake news media,’ encouraging the troops to deride the gathered journalists.
It’s worth taking a moment to explore the landscape.
… we must all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately. [Benjamin Franklin or Carl Van Doren, Founders Online]
This is more than a meme from the Founding of the United States, it’s an accurate description of the situation: either the British colonies of North America that were in rebellion united, or it was likely that each person would be hung.
But let’s make this a bit more complex. Why is it often old men and women who lead nations? It’s worth a thought on that, especially if my reader is younger and, perhaps, not particularly contemplative.
The answer is not surprising. Experience of all sorts informs judgment, as does having the time for meditation, and even having proper mental models of how humans work.
When I see a group of young people cheering on some old fellow who’s spouting populist ideas of little merit, I’m reminded why we don’t put those young adults in charge. Further, their lack of judgment, a natural condition for folks of their age, make them vulnerable to poor advice and illicit directives.
In a dangerous world, we should be coming together, compromising and looking to the common weal. Instead, President Trump, unlike most leaders, is leading the way into division, risking wrack and ruin, demonizing anyone he sees as a danger to his corrupt and grifting ways. This is a betrayal of the young adults of America.
They should be paying attention to criticisms and not cheering his simplistic and incorrect analyses. They’re getting an up-close look at power-grubbing, and it should sicken them.
1 I approve of paywalls, actually, as I view the ad model of paying for websites to be corrosive as it removes some, or even all, of the social contract influence that a paid subscription implies. Do I have a sub for Politico? No. Being a working dude, I have not the time for reading it properly, nor the interest.
