Watching only what can be called the current “antics” of the not-even-yet president (elect) bogarting the news each day, I am astonished at the incongruity and value (is there any?) of the numerous things he verbally attacks or covets. It reminds me of a 1979 song by Susi Quattro and Chris Norman called “Stumblin’ In” — as this is the only label applicable in finding any rhyme or vague reason as to what might give value to these topics rapidly traversing his brain, then uncontrollably pouring out of his mouth.
Psychologists call this “flight of ideas” – for him, stuff not necessarily relevant to thinking Americans, but an unrelated series of ideas popping into his frontal lobe at any moment. It’s like a baseball player who swings at every pitch, regardless of the potential for getting a hit (success) or winning the game (positive mankind-affecting outcome). Also, like trout on opening day reflexively biting at every shiny fly or spinner floating by its eyes and mouth. Is there some true value in the below-listed “eye bait” items we see him currently lunging at? Some recent “bait-like” examples are:
Stealing the Panama Canal
Buying Greenland
Making Canada the 51st state
Renaming Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf of America
At the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch, I work improving 911 protocols for police, fire, medical emergencies, using an orderly process determining which things get identified, then considered for change or addition to the 911 interrogation and response coding process — not just some click-bait thinking, lacking any careful evaluation or research needed to make it work for 911 centers worldwide. And not just something “stumbled upon,” randomly trying to make daily news’ fodder.
As Quattro and Norman beautifully sang, “Firelight just catches us “stumblin’ in…” Good for love, not a good way to govern.
Jeff Clawson, Millcreek
Note to readers: An earlier version of the letter incorrectly implied Greenland is owned by Norway. Greenland is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.
