Anyone writing here, Friedman included, that Trump is seeming more reasonable, is not paying attention to who he is picking to be in his government. You all bought Bannon and Ryan's wish lists, not Trump's. Trump is in it for the money and the adulation.
32
While it is almost impossible to know when a con artist like Trump is telling the truth, to me it appears that he was playing to the audience in front of him. He knew that saying that he has an open mind to climate change would get positive attention from the NYT. As they say, actions speak louder than words. It will be interesting to see if his nominee for Secretary of Energy has ties to the oil or coal industries.
23
What soul?
19
Factories will continue to become more efficient and employ fewer people per task executed but technology, particularly additive manufacturing, will enable factories that have been taken off-shore to be brought back and re-localized. And, as we know, manufacturing has a far greater multiplier effect (vehicle manufacturing, for example, generating a large number of supplier, logistics, etc.for every factory manufacturing job) than other types of jobs. So, manufacturing has a future in America and can be a new job generator -- the technology it uses and its individual scale will look very different though.
10
What would be nice for me at least is having a sense of what Mr. Trump cares about beyond business. I have no idea what his ideas on policy amount to, and that is a worry.
11
If you can open your eyes, all glimmers of hope are getting quickly swept out the door with the Cabinet choices. I refuse to be conned by Trump, the NYT or Friedman.
36
I think the only way to get Trump to keep up the Paris accords is to appeal to him as a businessman. If he genuinely wants to create jobs, the renewable -energy sector is the place to do it; coal jobs are going to continue to disappear. He might be persuaded to save the planet despite himself.
8
Mr. Friedman--
I'm glad that you took heart from your meeting with Mr. Trump yesterday--especially on his apparent softening on climate change. Now I have one question for you:
Could you be anymore naive? A number of Times writers--you, Bruni, and others--have commented on Trump's tendency to believe whatever he was most recently told. He's equally unreliable with regard to his own speech--saying whatever pops into his head, depending on his audience.
Case in point: climate change. In your meeting, you note that he was becoming more concerned about it, even admitting that there might be "connectivity" between climate and human activity, and the he would "study the issue 'very hard.'" Well, according to a report today in the Guardian, that study just got a lot easier. Trump's advisers in this area have revealed his plan to end NASA's research on climate "as part of a crackdown on 'politicized science.'”
Wow, that was easy--feed Times editors and staff a line about his reasonable ness, and then carry on in the march to end civilization as we know it. At least his garish Maralago will be among the first casualties. Good news for Trump, though, he can add that to his net operating losses and avoid more taxes.
I'm glad that you took heart from your meeting with Mr. Trump yesterday--especially on his apparent softening on climate change. Now I have one question for you:
Could you be anymore naive? A number of Times writers--you, Bruni, and others--have commented on Trump's tendency to believe whatever he was most recently told. He's equally unreliable with regard to his own speech--saying whatever pops into his head, depending on his audience.
Case in point: climate change. In your meeting, you note that he was becoming more concerned about it, even admitting that there might be "connectivity" between climate and human activity, and the he would "study the issue 'very hard.'" Well, according to a report today in the Guardian, that study just got a lot easier. Trump's advisers in this area have revealed his plan to end NASA's research on climate "as part of a crackdown on 'politicized science.'”
Wow, that was easy--feed Times editors and staff a line about his reasonable ness, and then carry on in the march to end civilization as we know it. At least his garish Maralago will be among the first casualties. Good news for Trump, though, he can add that to his net operating losses and avoid more taxes.
35
Did Trump really take HIllary off the hook? Has anyone actually read the hilarious transcripts of the Times meeting? The pretense that this was cogent interchange approached farce.
As this theater of the absurd ploughed on, Pinch sounded more and more Trumpian. Trump, by contrast, sounded like the oracle at Delphi. Read his equivocations—uh, prophesies—carefully. He is NOT, for example, predicting no prosecution of the crooked queen.
Friedman vs Trump was perhaps the only probing and cogent moment. Good questions by Friedman. And coherence from Trump. The prez-elect ultimately rendered Friedman speechless as to the windmill's net environmental impact, portraying it as a weapon of mass destruction, net polluter, and bad for the balance of trade. (Made exclusively by Siemens & China, he said.) Trump defused Friedman's final retort on the matter—(an SC wind-turbine plant)—noting the GE operation was assembly-only.
He answered (to laughter) Friedman's robotics-taking-away-manufacturing-jobs question with "we'll make the robots." I was waiting for Friedman to counter with "the robots will make the robots ad infinitum," but it never came.
As this theater of the absurd ploughed on, Pinch sounded more and more Trumpian. Trump, by contrast, sounded like the oracle at Delphi. Read his equivocations—uh, prophesies—carefully. He is NOT, for example, predicting no prosecution of the crooked queen.
Friedman vs Trump was perhaps the only probing and cogent moment. Good questions by Friedman. And coherence from Trump. The prez-elect ultimately rendered Friedman speechless as to the windmill's net environmental impact, portraying it as a weapon of mass destruction, net polluter, and bad for the balance of trade. (Made exclusively by Siemens & China, he said.) Trump defused Friedman's final retort on the matter—(an SC wind-turbine plant)—noting the GE operation was assembly-only.
He answered (to laughter) Friedman's robotics-taking-away-manufacturing-jobs question with "we'll make the robots." I was waiting for Friedman to counter with "the robots will make the robots ad infinitum," but it never came.
I After reading this op-ed, I was hopeful, but then I read the transcripts of the meeting. He started by complaining about the NYT's treatment of him -- it's still all about him. The remaining comments, about climate change and other issues, while encouraging, were very disjointed and vague. I think Mr. Trump plays for approval from the audience, whoever that might be. With Mr. Friedman and the staff of NYT, he says one thing. Once he's back with Myron Ebell's transition team, he'll say something else.
21
I don't know about anybody else but after reading the article I was left wondering what real and concrete policy's he had put forth. Nothing except the wandering word salad lauding his greatness and statements with enough wiggle room to ease his less then svelte body through. I am curious how long his newest revelations (none that weren't obvious to any informed thinking person) will remain in his policy's going forward. How long did it last after talking to Steve Bannon?
11
Couldn't vote for the man. He needed psychiatric attention. That was the only reason and it still stands.
14
Computerization and robotics are the primary reason for the reduction of manufacturing jobs in America not Globalization or the transfer of manufacturing off shore for cheaper labor. With the advent of artificial intelligence, manufacturing and white collar jobs will be lost at an even greater rate. One report estimates 50% of current jobs will be lost in the next 30 years. The anger over lost jobs that we see now will also grow. Neither party is addressing this issue despite the impact that it will have on our society.
5
Trump team just said they are cutting funding NASA climate funding. What you do is more important than what you say.
24
You have been conned. I wasn't in the room, but I read the entire transcript. Besides demonstrating that he has no grasp of any substantive issue and no plan, he showed that he says whatever makes those in his presence happy. The Times is a "jewel"? Only an adulation craving narcissist goes from "failing" to "jewel". "The wind is deceiving" he says, and so is he.
22
"Experts" like Friedman and the NY Times forecast Hillary would win, in the 1970s these "experts" were scaring us all about "global cooling", now they're fear mongering about man made "global warming" and telling us the lie that it's "catastrophic". Over a decade ago, Al Gore and company, more of the "experts" said we'd all be underwater by now if we don't cut our C02 emissions, more lies!
These are also the same "experts" who told us in 2003 that we ought to go to war against Iraq and Saddam over make believe WMD.
These are also the same "experts" who told us in 2003 that we ought to go to war against Iraq and Saddam over make believe WMD.
7
Quick attempt at a commentary on President Trump, with reference to my understanding of Machiavelli's "Necessita, Fortuna, and Virtu." I shall try to be open-minded about the President-elect, but not very optimistic that he would be successful. 1. Necessita -- what are the requirements or necessary objectives to be accomplished for a successful administration? Strong and effective military defenses. Robust and competitive economy. Basic political and social cohesion. The United States, in my views, are deficient on these
requirements. Hence, the challenge will be formidable. 2. Fortuna -- events and conditions, both imternal and external, outside of the controls of a state
or individuals. Business cycles and foreign events. Again very formidable challenges. 3. Virtu -- capability, prowess, deep understanding of the people of the state. In my opinion, President Barack Obama is a high-minded gifted politician, yet he has not been very successful as President -- almost insurmountable opposition and a polarized,divided nation. Would President Donald Trump be more successful in the exercise of power? My answer is: Big question mark??? Suggestions to the Democrats -- shape up, do some serious thinking, especially on how to produce a robust and competitive economy; recruit persons of moral integrity with strong executive prowess to stand for political office when the opportunities come. Above all, we need leaders who are intent on advancing the national interests.
requirements. Hence, the challenge will be formidable. 2. Fortuna -- events and conditions, both imternal and external, outside of the controls of a state
or individuals. Business cycles and foreign events. Again very formidable challenges. 3. Virtu -- capability, prowess, deep understanding of the people of the state. In my opinion, President Barack Obama is a high-minded gifted politician, yet he has not been very successful as President -- almost insurmountable opposition and a polarized,divided nation. Would President Donald Trump be more successful in the exercise of power? My answer is: Big question mark??? Suggestions to the Democrats -- shape up, do some serious thinking, especially on how to produce a robust and competitive economy; recruit persons of moral integrity with strong executive prowess to stand for political office when the opportunities come. Above all, we need leaders who are intent on advancing the national interests.
4
I'm a little disturbed at the way Times readers so lightly throw around diagnoses of mental illness to dehumanize Donald Trump. I thought dehumanizing others was supposed to be his domain. I wonder how many of you realize the way such talk contributes to stigmas surrounding mental illness, which make it much harder to identify, diagnose, and treat these illnesses. I suspect many commenters *do* understand, but just don't think of it in their haste to lob pejoratives at this man. Or perhaps they don't care.
We all bemoan the state of our public discourse. Don't we have better critiques than "narcissist", "sociopath", "bipolar", "personality disorder", and so on?
We all bemoan the state of our public discourse. Don't we have better critiques than "narcissist", "sociopath", "bipolar", "personality disorder", and so on?
6
Let down your guard? Your bias is showing again. The liberal media (largely redundant) has tried to cast Trump as an outlier who needs "normalizing," and characterized the people who voted for him as miscreants. But as James Wiley so aptly, and factually, put it:
"The reality is that Mr. Trump didn’t prevail on Election Day because of fake news stories or voter suppression or ascendant bigotry in America. He won because a lot of people who voted for Barack Obama in previous elections cast ballots for Mr. Trump this time."
Their views were rational then, and they're rational now.
"The reality is that Mr. Trump didn’t prevail on Election Day because of fake news stories or voter suppression or ascendant bigotry in America. He won because a lot of people who voted for Barack Obama in previous elections cast ballots for Mr. Trump this time."
Their views were rational then, and they're rational now.
6
Not ready yet to smile - but I might stop crying about the election.
He lost the popular vote - by a lot. Could end up being 2 million. That's a lot of people - add those that didn't vote at all because they didn't like either candidate and it should make Trump careful. Bottom line most Americans did NOT like his extreme positions. He should keep that in mind.
He lost the popular vote - by a lot. Could end up being 2 million. That's a lot of people - add those that didn't vote at all because they didn't like either candidate and it should make Trump careful. Bottom line most Americans did NOT like his extreme positions. He should keep that in mind.
7
So Donald Trump apparently moderates his views and everyone suddenly feels hopeful for the future. Sorry if I'm not persuaded. He lied throughout the campaign, so why should we expect that he would suddenly stop lying? Also, Trump clearly is the victim of the last person he talks to, which could lead to policy decisions that are random, incoherent and no better for the country than he is.
12
Yeah, 'hope' that just like the "change" promising Obama, Trump will fold and fall into line, or be sabotaged by the organized criminals of our revolving door political-corporate establishment into allowing the greedy open borders, rigged by our 1% status quo (relentlessly championed by the NY Times) to continue.
4
Trump appears to be someone who is very open to influence. The key is to have the right people in front of him, someone like a Bill Gates. Keep the Bannons and their type away from him.
I think that deep down, Trump is secretly liberal on lots of things.
He only plays conservative on "TV," so to speak. Or Twitter.
I think that deep down, Trump is secretly liberal on lots of things.
He only plays conservative on "TV," so to speak. Or Twitter.
3
Debra, I agree with a lot of what you say but I believe that for Donald Trump there is no "deep down" other than self-aggrandizement. Still, for the past 8 years Democrats have been trying to arrange bipartisan agreements while Republicans have been steadfastly rejecting them. Trump needs the help of Congress in order to be as powerful as he wants to be. While there are enough Republicans to establish majority control, there are still a lot of Democrats in both houses of Congress. If you were an ambitious President, one party was willing to deal and the other wasn't, then wouldn't you want to, as they say on TV, make a deal?
3
I just had an epiphany reading this article: Maybe Trump's cluelessness may be a boon? He's reconsidering climate change. Maybe, with no answer himself, he'll delegate it to others and say, "I want clean air and clean water, do something about it if you want to keep your jobs." Same with jobs, "Create more jobs, if you want to keep yours."
Maybe he became King to be able to command people to fix things, or get their heads chopped off. One thing is a puzzle: how is he going to get a nice Jewish boy to convince Palestinians to fuggetaboutit and sing Hava Nagila. He can't fire him, or he'll never hear the end of it from the apple of his eye, Ivanka.
We are living in "interesting times."
Maybe he became King to be able to command people to fix things, or get their heads chopped off. One thing is a puzzle: how is he going to get a nice Jewish boy to convince Palestinians to fuggetaboutit and sing Hava Nagila. He can't fire him, or he'll never hear the end of it from the apple of his eye, Ivanka.
We are living in "interesting times."
13
Buckle up, the Chinese curse is just warming up. Trump will be the Entertainer in Chief, he just can't get enough adulation.
Mr. Friedman thinks it's a good idea for Bill Gates and other giants to try to pull Trump toward the center.
However, Mr. Friedman, as true "progressive", thinks that the best politics is when you run so fast toward the left that you eventually hit a door with a "Communism" sign.
However, Mr. Friedman, as true "progressive", thinks that the best politics is when you run so fast toward the left that you eventually hit a door with a "Communism" sign.
4
"Trump clearly learns [how to manipulate] by talking to people."
DT's going to let you think you've pulled "him toward the center".
DT with help only those that, in his own words, "love Donald Trump", and not those that "oppose" him politically -- he's not going to help me because I am the opposition. That's in your full transcipt too.
DT's going to let you think you've pulled "him toward the center".
DT with help only those that, in his own words, "love Donald Trump", and not those that "oppose" him politically -- he's not going to help me because I am the opposition. That's in your full transcipt too.
2
I don't trust Trump, yet. But I don't trust the Times ever! For botching the election reporting. For everything else, I still read the Times!
5
Apart from the glaring pivots and changes on his campaign stances, one thing he has not turned away from is his own empire. And he is going to cling to the Trump Organization until the bitter end. We don't have a clue about his taxes or his corporation's overseas interests but we do know that it is certainly business as usual with the royal Trumps. Does he not realize -- legal or not or in between -- he is asking for hearings, investigations and possible impeachment if he attempts to run the country like a king and not a president?
1
I share Mr. Friedman's guarded optimism & hope.
Among most liberal people where I live in Massachusetts, I find the despair, disappointment & shock of Trump’s win palpable, and I didn’t vote for him myself because I have serious doubts about his competence & temperament. But maybe it’s time for everyone to take a deep breath, not over-react, and note a few silver linings in the clouds.
I don’t think Trump himself is especially prejudiced though there certainly is an element that sees him as an opportunity to espouse their prejudiced nonsense. Trump has disavowed the "alt-right" extremists. Let's hope that sticks.
I think most of Trump's supporters are decent, conservative, blue-collar people who feel the GOP these days mostly caters to the very rich, while they see the Democrats as having become increasingly too leftist over the years. They saw Trump as their only choice, a kind of protest vote. At least Trump’s base is largely comprised of working class people, and not militaristic plutocrats.
Trump is not a rigid neoconservative ideologue committed to starting unnecessary wars. His business background seems to have imparted some recognition of the need to negotiate, come to agreements, and make deals.
He doesn’t overdo religion pandering, which, as a secular Humanist, I personally appreciate.
I don’t think it’s all bad at this point. Let's wait a bit. Over-reaction is usually counter-productive, especially when it is preemptive.
Among most liberal people where I live in Massachusetts, I find the despair, disappointment & shock of Trump’s win palpable, and I didn’t vote for him myself because I have serious doubts about his competence & temperament. But maybe it’s time for everyone to take a deep breath, not over-react, and note a few silver linings in the clouds.
I don’t think Trump himself is especially prejudiced though there certainly is an element that sees him as an opportunity to espouse their prejudiced nonsense. Trump has disavowed the "alt-right" extremists. Let's hope that sticks.
I think most of Trump's supporters are decent, conservative, blue-collar people who feel the GOP these days mostly caters to the very rich, while they see the Democrats as having become increasingly too leftist over the years. They saw Trump as their only choice, a kind of protest vote. At least Trump’s base is largely comprised of working class people, and not militaristic plutocrats.
Trump is not a rigid neoconservative ideologue committed to starting unnecessary wars. His business background seems to have imparted some recognition of the need to negotiate, come to agreements, and make deals.
He doesn’t overdo religion pandering, which, as a secular Humanist, I personally appreciate.
I don’t think it’s all bad at this point. Let's wait a bit. Over-reaction is usually counter-productive, especially when it is preemptive.
5
Just finished reading the transcript of the NYTimes' meeting with Trump. Argh! Congratulations to the Times, by the way, for having the meeting on your terms, not his, and for setting a good tone, even when Trump, as usual veered far off course, talked about himself for the majority of the time, uttered countless lies and erroneous statements, and generally acted in that Trumpian way we have all become accustomed to. And congratulations to you, Tom, for correcting at least one of his misstatements.
But please, do not let him get away with those lies and "errors" in the future. Here are just a few statements that need correcting. People are NOT paying "100% increase in (health care) premiums" - that's ridiculous. Of course there have been increases - after the GOP's relentless vilification of the ACA, participation has not been what it should have been. Time to look at single-payer...
Wind turbines don't "kill ALL the birds" - cats kill more birds than do wind turbines. We DO manufacture robots in America! In fact, several American robotic firms were recently listed in the Top 50 robotics companies in the world in "Robotics Trend" magazine.
Just keep plugging away - and call Trump on his lies and misstatements.
But please, do not let him get away with those lies and "errors" in the future. Here are just a few statements that need correcting. People are NOT paying "100% increase in (health care) premiums" - that's ridiculous. Of course there have been increases - after the GOP's relentless vilification of the ACA, participation has not been what it should have been. Time to look at single-payer...
Wind turbines don't "kill ALL the birds" - cats kill more birds than do wind turbines. We DO manufacture robots in America! In fact, several American robotic firms were recently listed in the Top 50 robotics companies in the world in "Robotics Trend" magazine.
Just keep plugging away - and call Trump on his lies and misstatements.
3
I see absolutely no reason for hope. But not because of anything Mr. Trump will or will not do. Anyone with half a brain (even Ross Douthat, as much as it pains this atheist liberal to admit) knew that as president Mr. Trump would continue the same policies as those of the Obama administration. (Mr. Douthat predicted an end to the Iran nuclear deal, but I doubt that ). Any changes he does make will be minor tweaks, exaggerated by his rhetoric into major victories.
My hopelessness stems from the fact that enough of my fellow citizens either fell for Trump's nonsense, or saw his manipulations as a path to their own power, to put him in office.
My hopelessness stems from the fact that enough of my fellow citizens either fell for Trump's nonsense, or saw his manipulations as a path to their own power, to put him in office.
1
Sorry. I'm not quite part of this Trumpist normalization policy, that the mainstream media has apparently bought into.
Let's be honest.
You missed the warning sign months ago when he first became a presidential candidate, and even more recently with all the questionable business disclosures surrounding Trump University & the Trump Foundation and a possible conflict of insterest.
So, now everything is great after a Lunch-date?
Haven't you learned by now that Trump says one thing -- then tweets another, all within the amount of time and space it takes to print a headline???
You'll have to do better than this.
The World is watching.
Let's be honest.
You missed the warning sign months ago when he first became a presidential candidate, and even more recently with all the questionable business disclosures surrounding Trump University & the Trump Foundation and a possible conflict of insterest.
So, now everything is great after a Lunch-date?
Haven't you learned by now that Trump says one thing -- then tweets another, all within the amount of time and space it takes to print a headline???
You'll have to do better than this.
The World is watching.
7
I am a critic. No hope, none, zilch, never. He has lied, will continue to lie, and can't be expected to stop. So, you can hope for the best, and print only the best of what happens from this day forward -- that's what DT wants.
That's not what I want or expect from a credible new outlet.
That's not what I want or expect from a credible new outlet.
7
Trump is an experienced, smart con man. He told the NYT what he thought they wanted to hear, just like he told the cheering crowds at his rallies what he thought they wanted to hear. It's a strategy that obviously works for him. If we believe what he said in the NYT meeting, then this country has elected a man who has deliberately obscured his true beliefs in order to win. Hoping that Trump is suddenly going to become reasonable, moral and thoughtful is fantasizing. If we believe what he said in his rallies, then we have elected a bigoted demagogue. Half the country doesn't seem to care. And they don't deserve to benefit from the freedoms we enjoy here. I for one am not interested in "understanding" the other side of the country that voted for Trump. They are the same people who looked the other way as their neighbors were being herded to the gas chambers in Nazi Germany.
6
The fundamental problem is there seems to be no relationship between what comes out of his mouth, and what he is thinking, and what he is thinking is subject to continuing, ongoing change even in the course of a single 24 hour period. So--- one must simply trust nothing he says, whether it seems to be favorable, or not. Nothing at all.
5
Is Friedman trying to shake off the association with the NY Times's manipulation of the public before and after endorsing Hillary, and the spectacle of all those months of dismissing the Sanders campaign? Is he hedging out of fear that we might actually remember his role in the DNC corruption that he helped disguise as an honest nomination? We will remember how Trump got elected, and how this publication and other mainstream media made it out to be the apocalypse. We are being watchful, all right, and especially watchful of the press.
5
It would be a grave strategic error for the US to leave the field of fighting climate change. So China assumes leadership and in the years ahead as cities all over the world get inundated with water, who do you suppose will garner the lions share of the blame even more than the considerable integrated share of historical emissions due to the US. Doesn't there have to be a villain in every catastrophe? It isn't just ignoring the physics and chemistry of it all which are non-negotiable, it is ignoring the long term political game. Or would you rather make the Koch brothers fossil fuel businesses keep purring a little longer?
1
Trump needs to be judged by his actions not his words. He will say anything such as courting the 'alt-right' while simultaneously disavowing 'racism'. With respect to climate change, Trump has packed his transition team with climate deniers and I have no reason to believe his administration will be anything but hostile to environmentalists while embracing the fossil fuels industry. I hope my worst fears are proven wrong, but the early signs are anything but encouraging...
5
Trump won because at least a plurality of voters in the right places believe that his modus operandi is an acceptable way to conduct business, public and private.
Scary, isn't it?
Scary, isn't it?
6
I'm intrigued to see what happens with the Clean Power Plan. Power utilities are operated by risk-averse, intelligent business people. They must plan prudently, as their capital investment decisions are very long term, 30 years plus. So, what effect does a Trump administration have on big coal and all those miners that were promised a return of jobs? Fewer regulations, certainly. But will power utilities significantly alter their capital investment decisions, which are clearly trending away from coal and toward natural gas and renewables?
3
Of course Friedman has hope; he and Trump are fellow billionaires and billionaires must stick together, far above the very real concerns of ordinary human beings.
4
The Mather man is a pathological lier. Personnel is policy. There is no hope period.
3
I wonder if the author could be sent back in time so he could write an article on how futuristic and thought provoking the ovens at Birkenau are.
10
There is nothing to change the basic view that Trump is inexperienced, ill-informed, and unstable.
8
He tells you he's gonna think about whether climate change is real, and you go away happy.
Then he tells everyone else he's gonna slash all the NASA funding to study it.
Who got the best of THAT deal?
Then he tells everyone else he's gonna slash all the NASA funding to study it.
Who got the best of THAT deal?
7
Trump is going to invest in infrastructure that will define this country for generations all right: first and foremost, that infrastructure "investment" will be the SCOTUS. As you point out, he knows not of what he speaks, but relied on others to gin up his campaign promises. With regard to the Court, that means he promised he will be picking from an appointments list that was prepared by others with an extreme right wing agenda. They include the Federalist Society, US Chamber of Commerce, Manufacturers Association, coal and gas industry representatives, and others from that ilk, who have already conducted "extreme vetting" on any one with aspirations to be appointed to the court.
3
Trump is a textbook malignant narcissist. Of course he's going to say whatever the NYT wants to hear when he's in the room with them -- he'd rather be admired. Of course he is wildly ignorant of the actual issues -- "facts" are for suckers. Why should he be bored with heavy reading or thinking when he would rather not? Hard work is something other people have to do.
Consistent positions are something other people have -- to tell the truth, to stand up for something other than yourself -- that's inconvenient, so he doesn't have to do any of that. He lives by different rules.
The only thing we know for certain is his unceasing devotion to his own self-interest and his fundamental certainty that no one on the planet matters other than him. So whatever is best for his business interests and his whims of the moment will rule our country for the next four years.
Consistent positions are something other people have -- to tell the truth, to stand up for something other than yourself -- that's inconvenient, so he doesn't have to do any of that. He lives by different rules.
The only thing we know for certain is his unceasing devotion to his own self-interest and his fundamental certainty that no one on the planet matters other than him. So whatever is best for his business interests and his whims of the moment will rule our country for the next four years.
17
Et tu, Thomas? First Blitzer and Stephanopolous (and Gayle King asking "how can we work with you?" - really?!?) grinning in the Trump lobby, now you with your response to his ridiculous "open mind" comment, "I'd hate to see Royal Aberdeen under water." That's your concern? That reaching out to him about golf courses will make a difference? I read the transcript of the NYT session. The first third is all campaign process and how it affected him, him, him and how he'd like nice coverage so "it would make the job I am doing much easier." Did it occur to you all to walk out then?
7
Trump has stated that he advocates for clean water and clean air. He said he believes there is a connection between anthropogenic CO2 and climate change, and that the extent and nature of the connection should be clarified before he determines his administration's environmental policy. He's looking afresh at many viewpoints, reaching out to Bill Gates and others. Furthermore he has said that the cost of alternative environmental protection approaches should be examined to assess its impact on our industries and related middle class employment. These would be logical elements of a balanced environmental/economic policy for the new administration. I don't believe conclusions can be forecast for this review until its complete. Trump says he is approaching this assessment with an open mind and without ideological predilections. How many others have an open mind for a fresh review? Speculation, some of it wildly apocalyptic, seems to dominate the discussion. This will test the patience of those with strongly preconceived notions. But, let's wait a bit to see what actually develops from Trump's policy review, before letting hysteria prevail.
4
I recently asked a friend if Trump was "dumb like a fox". Her wise response had two facets. (1) During the primaries Donald told Republicans what they wanted to hear to win the primaries. During the general election he told a broader audience, those he had any chance of winning over, what they needed to hear to vote for him, or at least against Hillery. (2) Donald Trump divides the world into "winners", people like himself, and "losers", his adversaries. We all agree that the Trump who campaigned in the primaries and against Hillary had the potential to be the greatest loser in the history of the presidency. Donald's ego will require that he do the best job he possibly can, given the constraints of his limited knowledge of how government works and who can make it work. It won't be pretty, but it could be survivable.
Goodness, getting comfortable with power, aren't we? It's amazing how one lunch, where the President-elect walks back every major campaign promise he made, is treated as an opportunity to trust him.
I fear Mr. Friedman, and many of his colleagues at the Times, are in the denial stage of mourning.
I fear Mr. Friedman, and many of his colleagues at the Times, are in the denial stage of mourning.
7
It is becoming apparently clear that trying to read or understand the President Elect is incredibly difficult. He is turning out to be more of an enigma than anyone would have predicted. During the campaign, he was the used-car salesman who said whatever he needed to get people to vote for him. He normalized racism, sexism, and xenophobia to pander to his hard-core base. But once elected, he has started to change many of his extreme views on immigration, climate change, etc. While that may be the normal modus operandi of career politicians to gravitate to the political center after winning an election, it is something I did not expect of him. That's where the unpredicatability comes. Will he in two weeks time begin to reverse himself again. Who really knows ?
The real test for all Americans will come after January 20th, when Trump and his administration have to actually govern, and that's when his actions will speak much louder than his rhetoric.
The real test for all Americans will come after January 20th, when Trump and his administration have to actually govern, and that's when his actions will speak much louder than his rhetoric.
1
Wow, Tom. May I have some of what you are smoking? Trump's answers are either peppered with weasel words to make you think he's considering something new without ever making any commitment or chock full of statements that illustrate his lack of clarity and ignorance of crucial matters (claiming to be concerned with climate change while conflating it with "clean air" and "clean water" and simultaneously considering a hardcore climate change denialist to run the EPA?). Whether he's in full demagogue mode at a campaign rally or making his nominations, he's clearly shown that this leopard is not changing his spots.
6
I would not encourage the President-elect to be drawn to the center (as a concept), I would encourage him to be drawn to verifiable facts and evidence. That should be the basis for all of his decisions and policies.
1
The facts could make him go to the left. ("Left" and "Liberal" often means fact and human-values based.)
1
Trump is exactly what I thought him to be. An opportunist posting as a right wing extremist. He correctly understood how much of America is disgusted with Washington - on almost any front. He leaned into Clintons very unfavorable ratings and said what everybody he needed to win wanted to hear.
In essence - he is a shameless huckster . Which is another word for politician.
What has angered so many is he ignored the traditional political jargon, syntax and cliches and went straight to the lie - rather than using some coded innuendo.
He will now become what ever he chooses to be. Because he is not trained in lying like other politicians (he lies very differently) he will not abide by the rules politicans create the form a protocol of political speech so beloved by so many. He also won't abide by the "but thats how we have always done it" paradime.
Trump is a complete blank slate - and he will write on that slate as he chooses. Frankly - despite hysteria from the left and what will soon be rising indignation and anger on the right - he will not be either the demagog the left believes him to be or the sword wielding destructor of Washington the alt right envisions him to be.
He is - as of this day - unformed and unknown. Only time will tell what he will become.
In essence - he is a shameless huckster . Which is another word for politician.
What has angered so many is he ignored the traditional political jargon, syntax and cliches and went straight to the lie - rather than using some coded innuendo.
He will now become what ever he chooses to be. Because he is not trained in lying like other politicians (he lies very differently) he will not abide by the rules politicans create the form a protocol of political speech so beloved by so many. He also won't abide by the "but thats how we have always done it" paradime.
Trump is a complete blank slate - and he will write on that slate as he chooses. Frankly - despite hysteria from the left and what will soon be rising indignation and anger on the right - he will not be either the demagog the left believes him to be or the sword wielding destructor of Washington the alt right envisions him to be.
He is - as of this day - unformed and unknown. Only time will tell what he will become.
3
Mr. Friedman has a record of being wrong on important issues. Not sure how he pushes his way to the spotlight.
Trump tailors his message to the audience and keeps reporters guessing.
Mr. Friedman seems willing to normalize this abnormal individual. To what purpose?
Trump tailors his message to the audience and keeps reporters guessing.
Mr. Friedman seems willing to normalize this abnormal individual. To what purpose?
4
Trumps son, Baron, at age 10 should be able to help Dad with climate change. After all, his kids help with everything else. My 10 year old, 5th grade grandson knows all about climate change.
3
Repeatedly trying to moderate, justify and make acceptable the views of a life-long bigot and self centered sociopath is an endeavor made in vain and doesn't fool anyone. Trump is a creation of the Republican Party and their apologists.
1
Reading the transcript of this interview was akin to listening to a group of adults trying desperately to speak seriously about grown up issues with a spoiled self-centred child. I wish you all luck. You are going to need it.
8
And so the Times' reporters fall for this charlatan in just the same way as all others have before. Get in a room with Trump, listen with surprise (and restrained pride) as he pays you compliments, observe that it's all actually genuine because he stuck to his guns in a few areas, and then leave with some tentative warmth for him and new faith he may not be so terrible after all.
He's done this his entire life: racking up lawsuits; cheating people with his "university"; abusing small contractors; allegedly assaulting women; emboldening or espousing racist, misogynistic, xenophobic ideas and actions; insulting and bullying any who disagree with him; sending his family to pretend he's not done any of these things (FLOTUS-elect condemns cyber-bullying when her husband is the most visible cyber-bully in the world's history); making decisions without thought or reflection or empathy, and then bragging he can DO IT ALL with near impunity.
Because he can. He just showed you how he does it. And now Trump heads back into the world, spreading lies, destruction, and discord in his wake that only and ever benefits one thing: his twisted ego.
He may be our lawfully-elected President. We have to work with him when doing so will protect out country, but do not ever forget he's caused the damage he has because he knows how to charm you into thinking he's not the person he is.
He's done this his entire life: racking up lawsuits; cheating people with his "university"; abusing small contractors; allegedly assaulting women; emboldening or espousing racist, misogynistic, xenophobic ideas and actions; insulting and bullying any who disagree with him; sending his family to pretend he's not done any of these things (FLOTUS-elect condemns cyber-bullying when her husband is the most visible cyber-bully in the world's history); making decisions without thought or reflection or empathy, and then bragging he can DO IT ALL with near impunity.
Because he can. He just showed you how he does it. And now Trump heads back into the world, spreading lies, destruction, and discord in his wake that only and ever benefits one thing: his twisted ego.
He may be our lawfully-elected President. We have to work with him when doing so will protect out country, but do not ever forget he's caused the damage he has because he knows how to charm you into thinking he's not the person he is.
8
Trump seems exceptionally prone to taking the view of the last person he talked to and to saying whatever the immediate audience wants to hear. His choices for key transition personnel say far more than any words he may utter when he's trying to look good to those around the table, and those he has on the NASA and EPA transition indicate a complete surrender to the climate denial fantasy.
It seems to me that a very different approach might have a chance - to appeal to his sense of American exceptionalism. Recognize that the arguments about harming businesses are nothing more than saying we Americans can't create ways to build the economy and halt climate change. If you believe in American exceptionalism, saying "we can't" is anathema. An appeal to Trump's sense of his own, and American, exceptionalism that says, "Of course we can - we just need the [my] leadership to make it happen," is likely to be much more effective than any discussion of how many climate scientists are dancing on the heads of the 'certain' and 'uncertain' pins.
It seems to me that a very different approach might have a chance - to appeal to his sense of American exceptionalism. Recognize that the arguments about harming businesses are nothing more than saying we Americans can't create ways to build the economy and halt climate change. If you believe in American exceptionalism, saying "we can't" is anathema. An appeal to Trump's sense of his own, and American, exceptionalism that says, "Of course we can - we just need the [my] leadership to make it happen," is likely to be much more effective than any discussion of how many climate scientists are dancing on the heads of the 'certain' and 'uncertain' pins.
I am skeptical of giving Trump's words any credence or benefit of the doubt. His actions are what we should judge and his appointments thus far are extremists with scary and dangerous views. It doesn't seem surprising that he would try to woo over the Times with more moderate rhetoric. Narcissists do that and it is dangerous to believe them. Let's judge by his leadership and choices. Thus far all disasters.
3
Mr. Friedman, here's what you need to know about Donald Trump.
He is a raging narcissist, and the only thing that matters to him is that people like him. When he sits with journalists from the NYT, he will seek their approval by pretending to consider and agree with lefty causes. When he sits with the neo-Nazis, he will seek their approval by agreeing with them and their causes. He will promise whoever he is with at the time that he will work for them, just because he wants them to like him. He praised Putin and overlooked Russia's invasion of a nearby country. Why? Because he thought that Putin said nice things about him. That's it! That's the key to Trump right there! All Putin will continue to have to do is tell Donald that he has nice hair, or is a mighty strongman, and Donald will roll over to have his tummy tickled, while meanwhile Putin invades half of Europe, no questions asked. We do know this, don't we?
The man believes in nothing whatsoever other than his own sense of self-worth, as judged through the eyes of others.
Mr. Friedman, you and your NYT colleagues surely can't be so blind as to not see this? You can't seriously think Trump meant one single word of anything he said to you people yesterday. Are you interested in buying a bridge that connects Brooklyn to Manhattan, while we're at it?
He is a raging narcissist, and the only thing that matters to him is that people like him. When he sits with journalists from the NYT, he will seek their approval by pretending to consider and agree with lefty causes. When he sits with the neo-Nazis, he will seek their approval by agreeing with them and their causes. He will promise whoever he is with at the time that he will work for them, just because he wants them to like him. He praised Putin and overlooked Russia's invasion of a nearby country. Why? Because he thought that Putin said nice things about him. That's it! That's the key to Trump right there! All Putin will continue to have to do is tell Donald that he has nice hair, or is a mighty strongman, and Donald will roll over to have his tummy tickled, while meanwhile Putin invades half of Europe, no questions asked. We do know this, don't we?
The man believes in nothing whatsoever other than his own sense of self-worth, as judged through the eyes of others.
Mr. Friedman, you and your NYT colleagues surely can't be so blind as to not see this? You can't seriously think Trump meant one single word of anything he said to you people yesterday. Are you interested in buying a bridge that connects Brooklyn to Manhattan, while we're at it?
6
Mr. Friedman; well thought out, well written. Let's take him at his word that he wants to do a good job for the people, not just himself. But, as you suggest, please watch and warn if you see a creep toward neo naziism.
I have survived orphanages and boarding schools. Both institutional extremes exhibit the commonality of young people crying out for parental love and approval. I''ve heard kids with nightmares uncomfortable by nighttime caregivers too busy to intervene as they do their college studies, yelling out "shut up and go to sleep!". I have also seen rich kids get loaded with gifts - bribes to keep them happy as their parents pursue their quests of greater wealth. Both Donald Trump and the kids of Barbara and George H. W. Bush bring back those childhood experiences quite vividly. Jeb, George W., Donald and I to some degree are all angry for love.
1
Although it is exciting to have a 70 year old individual have multiple Road to Damascus conversations, most sane Americans might want to reflect on writings from the times of the War of Roses:
“For trust not him that hath once broken faith”
― William Shakespeare, King Henry VI, Part 3
“For trust not him that hath once broken faith”
― William Shakespeare, King Henry VI, Part 3
2
Good analysis. To get to the point where Trump would take prompt and aggressive action on climate change, he would have to abandon the Republicans or do a very substantial brain washing.
I read an article today that stated Trump intends to strip NASA of its climate science role. Sounds like the head is going deeper into the sand.
I read an article today that stated Trump intends to strip NASA of its climate science role. Sounds like the head is going deeper into the sand.
1
Reading his comments, I didn't see him say that Hillary wouldn't be prosecuted or that he wouldn't bring back torture.
At best, he said that he wouldn't necessarily be pushing hard for those things, but the national headlines suggest something entirely different.
At best, he said that he wouldn't necessarily be pushing hard for those things, but the national headlines suggest something entirely different.
2
After all, W pulled the wool over Friedman's eyes. Friedman believed, or pretended to believe, that democracy and freedom would follow the invasion of Iraq based on fraudulent claims of WMD.
2
Possibility: Trump syas what he thinks his audience wants to hear. Remember what Ted Kruz and others have said: everything that comes out of his mouth is a lie. When he speaks with shocking hyperbole, he lies. When he modulates those statements, he lies.
2
"Speaking of the Middle East, Trump said unprompted: “I would love to be able to be the one that made peace with Israel and the Palestinians,” adding, “I have reason to believe I can do that.” And he hinted that his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, could be his special envoy and “he’d be very good at it. … He knows the region.”
You live in such a silly country.
You live in such a silly country.
4
Notice that in all of Trump's gaseous wanderings in your interview, there is NO awareness that he might have had an obligation to educate himself about some of these issues BEFORE running for President, not now. Apparently, for him, you campaign on lies and distortions, win the office, and then set about making yourself fit for it. A long four years ahead...
4
Hope? His rambling "answers" to the questions about climate change were a nonsensical farce.
Trump spoke about "the hottest day on record" being in "1890-something". That's irrelevant to the topic of global climate change.
Trump spoke about his uncle's doubts about climate change. The uncorroborated thoughts of an MIT physicist/engineer from 1985 are irrelevant to the topic of global climate change.
Trump spoke about the need for "clean air" and "clean water". Again, totally irrelevant to the topic of global climate change.
Trump spoke about being an "environmentalist" because of his golf courses. Once again, this is a total and complete non sequitur to the topic of global climate change.
This ignoramus gives you hope?!
Trump spoke about "the hottest day on record" being in "1890-something". That's irrelevant to the topic of global climate change.
Trump spoke about his uncle's doubts about climate change. The uncorroborated thoughts of an MIT physicist/engineer from 1985 are irrelevant to the topic of global climate change.
Trump spoke about the need for "clean air" and "clean water". Again, totally irrelevant to the topic of global climate change.
Trump spoke about being an "environmentalist" because of his golf courses. Once again, this is a total and complete non sequitur to the topic of global climate change.
This ignoramus gives you hope?!
7
The depth and breadth of his ignorance is shocking. I've noticed on a number of issues he displays knowledge deficits across multiple disciplines that are needed to understand a problem and develop solutions -- economics, science, technology and law for example. This is especially true in the environmental area and for proposals around "clean coal" for example. It's almost beyond belief that such a person is president-elect.
2
I think it would be impossible to determine what Trump may or may not do...when he talks - he speaks in mostly adjectives and his point is lost in the garble. He says he will do - be - create lots and lots of things. I think he's hoping someone will give him a clue as to how any of it can possibly happen. I can only hope that he wakes up to the reality of climate change, the disastrous result of big tax cuts for people who don't need them, the necessity of the ACA, and the avoidance of the alt-right that he brought out of the dark corners of our country into full blown light.
1
So what are you saying Tom? That Donald Trump conned is base and is willing to change his mind on a lot of the issues he got elected on? Geeze that's a relief! For a moment there I thought he actually cared about his base. I guess we can count on him to do things the way we liberal elites want them done. Now you're sure we can rely on him? Right?!
As I read the Constitution, my understanding is the President, Judges, and Representatives are there to serve us...
It is time to take a close look at how those propositions have been perverted to server the few...
And now, one of the few, brazenly dictates when he will be accountable...
It is time for the Free Press to do its duty to illuminate these perversions...
Come on now, you can do it.
It is time to take a close look at how those propositions have been perverted to server the few...
And now, one of the few, brazenly dictates when he will be accountable...
It is time for the Free Press to do its duty to illuminate these perversions...
Come on now, you can do it.
1
How do you know he wasn't saying what The Times wanted to hear? Isn't that how he persuaded voters? Until he delivers on any of the promises that have emerged from both sides of his mouth, we just won't know.
5
Most conservatives knew during the primaries that Donald Trump is simply a New York Democrat. He's just showing it.
Clinton supporters need to relax. Trump will show you in fairly short order that there were never really many meaningful differences between himself and Hillary Clinton.
Clinton supporters need to relax. Trump will show you in fairly short order that there were never really many meaningful differences between himself and Hillary Clinton.
1
Trump offers the rich what they want in big tax cuts using trickle down economic theory as his justification; but he also suggests using massive public funds for much needed infrastructure repair using , I assume, Keynesian theory. (The latter being a good idea.) Can he have both without taking the country into bankruptcy? But then, he is what Bloomberg calls a "con" man. So who knows what he will do next except probably add another lie to his long list.
2
"he hinted that his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, could be his special envoy and 'he’d be very good at it. … He knows the region.'” Just one more example of Trump's almost impenetrable naivete. He knows about cyber issues; his son Barron is a wiz with computers. He can make peace in the Middle East; his Jewish son-in-law knows the region. You don't know whether to laugh or cry.
9
It is surprisingly easy to fool the top reporters and commentators in our country. Or, they are eager to get a piece of whatever that dull and blind their critical thinking skills.
5
Thomas, Thomas. Thomas. He's still just baiting you with this nonsense and you keep covering it like it is real. He's been doing this to you all along and you keep rising to take the bait. Wait until he actually does something before you try to spread this great white hope. You keep trying to divine meaning from a cesspool of words and telling us you have found sense. No, you haven't. He just wants attention and that is the sense of things to come.
8
Donald Trump is America's "Abuser in Chief." When things feel "out of control" to him and he is not deferred to, he becomes verbally abusive (e.g. rants on the NY Times, Hamilton, various correspondents). A couple of days later he shows up at your door (meeting with NY Times( with a large bouquet of roses(not prosecuting Clinton) and a box of candy(maybe some truth to climate change) and tells you he loves you ("the crown jewel"). You desperately want to believe him. So many of us do. He knows it. He is a master manipulator. We must all be wary and wise.
4
It seems as though the time would have been much better spent if the Times people had not asked questions but just peppered Trump with a relentless barrage of facts disputing the hundreds of inanities he repeated over and over until the electorate fell asleep out of pure exhaustion. I would have liked to see that so much.
5
Is he a pragmatist or a con-man or both? History will tell. He does want to be "great"---and now he has the biggest stage in the world. It would be delightful if he was great.
2
All dictators want to be great. Manson wanted to be great also. Who cares ?
"adopted extreme positions during his campaign to galvanize his base, he went out of his way to make clear he was rethinking them. How far? I don’t know. But stay tuned, especially on climate."
You say that because you care about climate. Trump knows how to play people, and he played you.
You say that because you care about climate. Trump knows how to play people, and he played you.
3
Don't try an normalize this guy, Mr. Friedman. Your Iraq War record as a cheerleader for W should give you pause when complimenting republicans.
8
How can anyone believe any of this? The man is a pathological liar.
6
I gave you way to much credit for discernment all these years. If you can be that easily conned by a known conman, you have none. I'm hopeful your colleagues will not be in the business of normalizing this man or his administration.
10
Did you learn nothing from this man's history or from his campaign? He is good at one thing and one thing only - telling whatever audience he's in front of what it is he thinks they want to hear! Now he's told you a soothing bed-time story, tailor made for the NYT, that he hopes will put you all to sleep long enough for him to do his worst. Stay awake, America.
4
So, maybe he needs a news reader to understand everything? What a relief!
2
Apparently, in addition to his name-brand bottled water, Trump now has his own Kool Aid.
I see this columnist, and others, drank a bunch of it yesterday. How did it taste?
I see this columnist, and others, drank a bunch of it yesterday. How did it taste?
4
Well, at least reads something, but I'm sure he only reads NYT articles that are about him.
My advice to the NYT is don't let him sucker you too.
My advice to the NYT is don't let him sucker you too.
3
And so it begins, Mr Friedman, with you normalizing Donald Trump. Trump is either a master at manipulation and you're the gullible receiver who hears what he wants to believe (a little flattery to you and the NYT apparently goes a long way). Or he's a cork in the ocean, and you're just cheerfully going to go along for the ride, swallowing whatever bilge comes along in his wake. Before too long you'll no doubt be normalizing his policies, too, along with the posturing bellicosity with which, as any real "readers" of this column already know, you are already quite comfortable. It would be a tiresome prospect if it weren't so utterly despicable and alarming.
3
As I watched Trump back-pedal on several issues on the CBS evening news, I felt like I'd landed in Jerry Seinfield's Bizarro world! I sincerely hope that he's not just playing to a new audience. Who knows? Stranger things have happened in the last year.
1
Jared Kushner could be his special envoy and “he’d be very good at it. … He knows the region.”
Yeah, that's been the only holdup so far to peace in the middle east. If only we had sent someone who knows the region! Why hadn't we thought of that? And Mr. Kushner is 35 years old so he's not burdened by prior experience either. Can't wait for the "winning"!
Yeah, that's been the only holdup so far to peace in the middle east. If only we had sent someone who knows the region! Why hadn't we thought of that? And Mr. Kushner is 35 years old so he's not burdened by prior experience either. Can't wait for the "winning"!
7
OMG the guy lies and lies and lies and then you sit down with him and he lies some more and you buy it? He is a psychopath - low affect, that cold callous nature means he lies with confidence. He tells you what you want to hear. Really people?
Misinformation, inconsistency, draw you in with support then reject over some small issue - anything (he'll make it seem like a big deal by his reaction) - then obsession through rejection. It's a cat and mouse game.
Mr. Friedman, I need you to know more.
P.S. Hope? In terms of leadership states, is a barrier state. It is a state of powerlessness and resignation. It is you putting faith in something outside of yourself.
Pick a resource state.
Misinformation, inconsistency, draw you in with support then reject over some small issue - anything (he'll make it seem like a big deal by his reaction) - then obsession through rejection. It's a cat and mouse game.
Mr. Friedman, I need you to know more.
P.S. Hope? In terms of leadership states, is a barrier state. It is a state of powerlessness and resignation. It is you putting faith in something outside of yourself.
Pick a resource state.
3
I'm truly disappointed in you, Thomas Friedman. This is selling your book? I wonder if you'll get a different reception form Bill Maher, next time?
4
Please. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
5
I've been a entrepreneur in the forest products industry for 30 years, developing ultra high efficiency primary processing, drying and lamination into beams and panels, but I could never find sufficient capital to grow it into providing 20-50 jobs. My background is mechanical and electrical engineering and I got a BS in Management, prior to launching and many years of R&D.
Yet there was no interest in investing in productive infrastructure that I could locate. My slow reinvestment of business profits can't do what is needed and banking seems to have gotten worse, not better. I used to talk with a loan officer and get funds as needed, now it takes a board decision.
Will Trump unlock my thirty years of preparation for making a productive business in the forest products industry, employing people, using proprietary technology with some form of equity financing? I guess that has yet to be seen, because I will guarantee you, computers are NOT the only opportunity, even though our government and bankers think so.
Yet there was no interest in investing in productive infrastructure that I could locate. My slow reinvestment of business profits can't do what is needed and banking seems to have gotten worse, not better. I used to talk with a loan officer and get funds as needed, now it takes a board decision.
Will Trump unlock my thirty years of preparation for making a productive business in the forest products industry, employing people, using proprietary technology with some form of equity financing? I guess that has yet to be seen, because I will guarantee you, computers are NOT the only opportunity, even though our government and bankers think so.
3
US monetary policy went haywire during Volcker's interest rate spike decades ago. Consequently, today's banks are not your grandfather's banks backed by local investors, they are loan origination mills that sell the loans to Wall Street to securitize. All this red tape is needed to make banking "global". It may be a poor substitute for local supervision, but the games the Fed plays with interest rates make securitization a safer bet to banks than holding loans in their own asset portfolios.
Trumo's verbiage may change from day to day, but his modus operandi remains constant. Say what he believes appeals to his audience at the time. Red meat to his faithful, Buddah's Delight to the NYT. On Monday he promised to end all restrictions on coal mining and fracking, on Tuesday he said he is giving serious consideration to climate change? Why did the NYT not ask him if he would put his fossil fuel policy on hold while he pondered the issue?
Why didn't the NYT ask Trump how long he believed he could get away with this double talk act?
Why didn't the NYT ask Trump how long he believed he could get away with this double talk act?
4
Why would any rational person believe a thing this man says? If I had voted for him because I wanted Clinton in jail (which I almost did) I would be furious now that he just stole my vote from me. Jeez louise!
3
Glad you actually could understand what he was saying. I read the full transcript and it read like the ramblings of a totally ignorant con man.
5
So, "the Donald" had 30 members of the "elite media" summoned to his golden palace yesterday, to school them on what he expects the "lying media" to handle or not handle, according to what nice things that are written about him. Hey, this man did NOT have a "mandate", and, he is NOT "the DICTATOR in chief". This was a free country, with freedom of speech, and a free press, as presented in our constitution.....and hopefully the NY Times, and other media outlets, will get a backbone, and stand up for that!!!
The Climate Scare? How come crusader Barack Obama, for all his promises, has done NOTHING about the climate? Because there is nothing that CAN be done.
This just in: the earth and probably most planets go through heating and cooling cycles. We can go back to lighting dung fires with pieces of flint and bathrooming outdoors and we STILL will see these cycles continue.
The giveaway that this is a hoax is that the people screaming the loudest do much more than us little people to make the atmosphere even more full of smoke and carbon. That;'s all you need to know.
It's a control issue. How else to sell ultimate government control over every human activity than to say that not doing so is killing the planet?
Hello, gullibility?
This just in: the earth and probably most planets go through heating and cooling cycles. We can go back to lighting dung fires with pieces of flint and bathrooming outdoors and we STILL will see these cycles continue.
The giveaway that this is a hoax is that the people screaming the loudest do much more than us little people to make the atmosphere even more full of smoke and carbon. That;'s all you need to know.
It's a control issue. How else to sell ultimate government control over every human activity than to say that not doing so is killing the planet?
Hello, gullibility?
2
The acid-rain problem of the '80s was resolved through government action.
The ozone-hole problem was resolved through international action with respect to Hydrofluorocarbons.
The US government and allied governments favorably resolved World War II.
You would, no doubt, trash Lincoln. at Gettysburg:
"we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain ... that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom ... and that government of the people ... by the people ... for the people ... shall not perish from this earth."
The ozone-hole problem was resolved through international action with respect to Hydrofluorocarbons.
The US government and allied governments favorably resolved World War II.
You would, no doubt, trash Lincoln. at Gettysburg:
"we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain ... that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom ... and that government of the people ... by the people ... for the people ... shall not perish from this earth."
1
What soul?
1
Egads, the fawning over Donald Trump! His "soul"! Lest we forget the 282 horrific tweet insults published on these very pages. NYT you have a journalistic responsibility to not fall for the same snake oil bought by 60 million Americans.
4
You write as if you have an obligation to be jovial and fair to the candidate when your obligation is to be vigilant and accurate on behalf of the American people.
5
No,He writes that he will give Trump a chance that by finally seeing the reality of actually be president that he will start to hear and take in to account a wider viewpoint. That's All
1
"Clean air" and "clean water" are "important". Are we supposed to worship him now? Or may we just say, "Duh"?
3
“I do read it. Unfortunately. I would live about 20 years longer if I didn’t.”
I think he should immediately double his reading of the Times.
I think he should immediately double his reading of the Times.
1
Please Mr Trump, Tell us who you are?
1
I don't believe anything that Trump says. Trump does not know what he does not know. He is not into studying anything. He is an empty vessel but filled with nothing but self-aggrandizing lies. Ultimately, as a president, his ACTIONS will speak much much louder than all his words combined. In the mean time, we are just wasting our time trying to figure out what he will or will not do, hoping against hope that he will not turn out the nightmare that millions thought he would be.
4
The man has abused our laws, our constitution, our country our press.
But your gonna give him a second chance because that's what an abused spouse does.
Wake up get out of the house.
Abusers need help and he's not asking for any.
But if you don't feel punished enough, the FBI goon squad will help out in your next beating.
But your gonna give him a second chance because that's what an abused spouse does.
Wake up get out of the house.
Abusers need help and he's not asking for any.
But if you don't feel punished enough, the FBI goon squad will help out in your next beating.
4
Donald Trump loves New York and wants New York to love him back. I suspect the his biggest upcoming fights will be with the cynical, establishment Republicans in his own party who do not share his "New York state of mind".
1
The first sensible photo portrait of the President elect Donald John Trump.
Thank you NYT.
Thank you NYT.
", it is not time to let down our guard and stop drawing redlines where necessary."
And with what troops will you defend these red lines?
You are not satisfied that he has made gestures in your direction. Like a mother trying to control her 18 year old daughter, you still want to watch over everything he says and does.
You have a glass which is two thirds full. Don't keep whining about the fact that it is not 100% full, if Trump was YOUR man, or totally empty, if he was consistent and stayed true to the Trumpets.
I find it amazing that because he is making concessions, NYT readers are accusing him of a lack of consistency. This is not a case of looking a gift horse in the mouth - it is a case of shooting the gift horse.
And with what troops will you defend these red lines?
You are not satisfied that he has made gestures in your direction. Like a mother trying to control her 18 year old daughter, you still want to watch over everything he says and does.
You have a glass which is two thirds full. Don't keep whining about the fact that it is not 100% full, if Trump was YOUR man, or totally empty, if he was consistent and stayed true to the Trumpets.
I find it amazing that because he is making concessions, NYT readers are accusing him of a lack of consistency. This is not a case of looking a gift horse in the mouth - it is a case of shooting the gift horse.
3
The real Bottom Line, Tom?
You just had a 'nice' lunch with the ghost of Nixon on steroids.
You just had a 'nice' lunch with the ghost of Nixon on steroids.
3
He's rethinking his harsh position on climate change? Article in the guardian states he is defunding NASA research on climate change.
#dontbefooledbytrump
#dontbefooledbytrump
4
Here we go again. Mr. Friedman writes that we should try to pull Trump "toward the center".
Mr. Friedman, are you ever going to acknowledge that "the center" is a moving target; that it is redefined by extreme statements like we have heard from Trump; or that no moral or ethical suasion can from a philosophy of forever centrism ?
Mr. Friedman, are you ever going to acknowledge that "the center" is a moving target; that it is redefined by extreme statements like we have heard from Trump; or that no moral or ethical suasion can from a philosophy of forever centrism ?
"The struggle for Trump's soul"? The man has no soul. Either Friedman knows this and writes this column anyway, a column where he kisses up to Trump because he craves "access", or Friedman is a fool and actually believes it (like George W Bush did when he first met Vladimir Putin and declared he "looked into his [Putin's] soul"). If the former, what is it Friedman and the other toadies of the American press think are gaining "access" to? Facts? Truth? Policy? Governance? Or is it just that toadies like Friedman don't know how to do their jobs any other way anymore. To be real reporters and journalists. To dig for the truth, to uncover inconvenient facts. To expose flawed policy and governance. And if the later, if Friedman and the US media actually believe anything that spews from Trump's "soul", then they are fools.
2
Et tu, Friedman? Really?
4
I can remember your musings on how the Iraq war would have such a positive outcome. Here we go again. Mr. Friedman, Sunglass Hut has a new shipment of rose-colored glasses. Just for you.
7
The Times really wants Trump to be "normal." I read yesterday that nobody was eating all that good food provided at the famous lunch. So much good conversation instead. Columnists hopeful but still fearful. Well. We'll see.
My own favortie part is the thought of 35-year-old real estate guy Jared Kushner bringing about peace beween Israel and Palestine. Speaking of lunch, Bibi will have Jared for lunch!
Fantasy. All of it. A vacuum cleaner mind at work -- last in, first out.
My own favortie part is the thought of 35-year-old real estate guy Jared Kushner bringing about peace beween Israel and Palestine. Speaking of lunch, Bibi will have Jared for lunch!
Fantasy. All of it. A vacuum cleaner mind at work -- last in, first out.
3
What's that old adage? You can fool some of the people some of the time,....or wolf in sheep's clothing, or the proof of the pudding is in the eating, or action speaks louder than words
2
"Wow, watching Trump try to forge a deal between Bibi Netanyahu and the Palestinians would be pay-per-view!"
This isn't supposed to be entertainment, Mr. Friedman! You of all people should understand that these matters are for more serious than that.
This isn't supposed to be entertainment, Mr. Friedman! You of all people should understand that these matters are for more serious than that.
3
No so fast, just look who his key cabinet personnel are.
2
Bruni was on the mark. Sorry to see Friedman so amendable to hot air.
2
sorry, but not surprised.
I hate hope, it distracts.
I'm afraid Trump will be a lot like LBJ who did not read books. He may have unbound ambition and alpha in spades, but be subject to the whims of unbridled anger and skin so thin that every slight...distracts.
I'm afraid Trump will be a lot like LBJ who did not read books. He may have unbound ambition and alpha in spades, but be subject to the whims of unbridled anger and skin so thin that every slight...distracts.
2
Since the ease and frequency of trump's lies are well documented... what are the chances that most everything he said is a lie?
3
....Mr Friedman admits Mr Trump has a soul...That is quite a concession from the Alt Left...gives us a starting point...
2
So when was Trump telling the truth? during the campaign? or speaking to the NYT?
not sure, but neither should you. this is a man who specializes in telling his audiences what they want to hear, regardless of his intents and his plans.
In fact I am not sure he knows them [intents and plans] himself. would you buy a used car from him?
not sure, but neither should you. this is a man who specializes in telling his audiences what they want to hear, regardless of his intents and his plans.
In fact I am not sure he knows them [intents and plans] himself. would you buy a used car from him?
2
Still walks like a duck...
2
I followed some of the live stream questions, and I have to say that I was very disappointed when the Times did not challenge Trump's comment that Breitbart is "just" a news site, like the Times, albeit a (much) more conservative media outlet. Not one Times reporter could cite one ridiculously false Breitbart headline story in the interview to counter that?! You let Trump claim that the New York Times and Breitbart are on the same level?! Did the Times reporters think that the Donald's ego was so fragile that he would get up and walk if they challenged him? And why is Steve Bannon not responsible for that content? This article shows the Times' complicity in trying to normalize trump. Now we see that trump thinks that NASA climate research is politicized. trump hates the New York Times, and now we are seeing the groveling ... he is laughing in his gold plated swimming pool! And this appointment of Nikki Haley - a diversity appointment?! Ha! Her lieutenant governor was an early trump supporter, and this is a reward for him! Watch for her to get dismissed after six months, her political career in tatters. That's her reward for not supporting trump.
5
Maya said"When someone shows you who they really are believe them". Don Corleone said "Hold Your friends close, but your enemies closer" DT is a lier and will always be one. He's keeping his list and god help anyone who crosses him. He wants us all to love him, not going to happen. Remember when Bill Clinton left office, he left us with a surplus, then George Bush came in and left us in a recession. President Obama came in and cleaned up the mess and now we've got this clown who will drop us back into the muck and the democrats will again have to clean it up. I feel for Gov Haley and any of the other's that he plans to "make nice" with. Because he's keeping his list and he may say "you're hired" now, but soon he'll be saying "You're fired.
Finally as a New Yorker, his excuse of using his son to keep his office in New York at Trump Tower is laughable. Children are resilient and his son would adapt. But the city is going to have to spend one million dollars a day and business are losing money so he can move from Washington and New York and do his business not the people's business. Some of you may be fooled, but I'm not. He's still dangerous and he's going to set us back or bring us to war. We need to stay vigilant and not just "give him a chance"
DT only cares about his brand, he does not care about any of us.
Finally as a New Yorker, his excuse of using his son to keep his office in New York at Trump Tower is laughable. Children are resilient and his son would adapt. But the city is going to have to spend one million dollars a day and business are losing money so he can move from Washington and New York and do his business not the people's business. Some of you may be fooled, but I'm not. He's still dangerous and he's going to set us back or bring us to war. We need to stay vigilant and not just "give him a chance"
DT only cares about his brand, he does not care about any of us.
5
If Mr. Friedman is feeling better, than I am feeling, well, at least .0001% better than yesterday. This opinion piece does help.
There are three words that we must all keep in the forefront of our minds when it comes to the new President-elect and the next four years as he tries to serve the nation: Normalization, Salesman, and Con-artist.
"Normalization" of hatred, of misogyny, of Islamophobia, of racism in general, and of living in a "post-factual" world, should not be accepted, especially by the press (especially the New York Times).
Donald Trump is a "Salesman", this is how he sold his snake-oil to the electorate, and convinced (almost a majority of) them to vote for him, but that doesn't mean he's qualified to sit in the Oval Office. Even during his meeting with the NYT Staff, the word "Salesman" was tossed out, and for good reason: the President-elect offered an answer that was nothing but a pitch to the team, it had no content.
Finally, he is the consummate "Con-artist", a man who has made a career out of getting things from contractors and then not paying his bill. President-elect Trump has already changed his tune on several issues, things he had promised his disaffected supporters. Now that he has gained the coveted "brass ring" he no longer needs their support, so why follow through? Why indeed. Jail Hillary? "She's been through a lot ..." "Losing was tough ..." Indeed. A wall? A fence and a wall. This is not to say the man will not be extreme, just highly unpredictable. Caveat emptor.
"Normalization" of hatred, of misogyny, of Islamophobia, of racism in general, and of living in a "post-factual" world, should not be accepted, especially by the press (especially the New York Times).
Donald Trump is a "Salesman", this is how he sold his snake-oil to the electorate, and convinced (almost a majority of) them to vote for him, but that doesn't mean he's qualified to sit in the Oval Office. Even during his meeting with the NYT Staff, the word "Salesman" was tossed out, and for good reason: the President-elect offered an answer that was nothing but a pitch to the team, it had no content.
Finally, he is the consummate "Con-artist", a man who has made a career out of getting things from contractors and then not paying his bill. President-elect Trump has already changed his tune on several issues, things he had promised his disaffected supporters. Now that he has gained the coveted "brass ring" he no longer needs their support, so why follow through? Why indeed. Jail Hillary? "She's been through a lot ..." "Losing was tough ..." Indeed. A wall? A fence and a wall. This is not to say the man will not be extreme, just highly unpredictable. Caveat emptor.
54
I have another word for you, regarding the family and friends business presidency of Trump & Co: kleptonepotism. Let's get used to using it.
1
So interesting to see that 90 percent of the negative comments are coming from the Coasts. What we have here is a progressive echo chamber. No one cares what you have to say.
2
The entire transcript is right published right there alongside your column, Tom. You choose a few quotes that bolster the claim that The president-elect is moderating his views about climate change, but leave out the paragraphs and paragraphs of quotes that show the exact opposite:
Wind turbines kill birds. They are all made by the Germans. "We've always had storms, Arthur." The hottest day on record was in 1890-something. It's a very divisive issue. A lot of scientists don't believe in climate change. The scientists sent troubling emails in Geneva, or somewhere like that. Clean energy only works because it's subsidized. It costs too much.
I could go on and on. Don't be taken in by nonsense. "We're looking at it very closely" is an empty phrase from an empty suit.
Wind turbines kill birds. They are all made by the Germans. "We've always had storms, Arthur." The hottest day on record was in 1890-something. It's a very divisive issue. A lot of scientists don't believe in climate change. The scientists sent troubling emails in Geneva, or somewhere like that. Clean energy only works because it's subsidized. It costs too much.
I could go on and on. Don't be taken in by nonsense. "We're looking at it very closely" is an empty phrase from an empty suit.
2
He said what he needed to say to get elected, which is as much a sad reflection on the electorate as it is the man, and of course the media sensationalized every utterance he made, but now hopefully the experts will educate him on issues like the reality of climate change and he'll be more thoughtful about what he actually tries to do in office
8
The potential problem is that to be educated one has a to be willing to learn and that means acknowledging how much one does not know. Mr. Trump does not come across as a listener or a man who can acknowledge his lack of education and awareness on certain topics. i hope for all of our sakes that I'm wrong.
1
Conventional human wisdom is that at any political media lunch you are either a diner or you are on the menu.
Mr.Trump will become President-elect on December 19, 2016 after the Electoral College votes. At noon on January 20, 2017 Donald John Trump will take the Presidential oath of office and become the President of the United States of America.
Let us see how much hope you have when the big bad alpha wolf bares his fangs in the midst of his wolf pack. Methinks that we are on the menu.
Mr.Trump will become President-elect on December 19, 2016 after the Electoral College votes. At noon on January 20, 2017 Donald John Trump will take the Presidential oath of office and become the President of the United States of America.
Let us see how much hope you have when the big bad alpha wolf bares his fangs in the midst of his wolf pack. Methinks that we are on the menu.
2
Trump may have moderated some of his stated views (climate change, use of torture) but his modus operandi remains a comstant. He spouts the rhetoric that he believes is receptibe to his audience at any particular time. He feeds red meat to his faithfil aand Buddah's Delight to the New York Times . I wonder why the Times, with Trump in front of him, did ask if his reconsideration of his climate policy means he would abandon the promis made 24 hours earlier to nullify all regulations governing fracking and coal mining? One converasation taled Trump out of waterboarding and worse? There are two critical questions the Times failed to ask: what do you really believe? How long do you think you can get away with this sthick?
1
His 70 years on this planet tells you who and what he is.
You could put in a lot of words here, but they boil down to no integrity, decency or evidence of wisdom. Just an insatiable, self absorbed ego.
People his age don't change. Friedman thinks he gives people hope. Oh brother. And it's only going to get worse.
You could put in a lot of words here, but they boil down to no integrity, decency or evidence of wisdom. Just an insatiable, self absorbed ego.
People his age don't change. Friedman thinks he gives people hope. Oh brother. And it's only going to get worse.
3
There is one thing that keeps me rooting for Trump - he is way better than Pence! Whatever you can say about Trump, when push comes to shove he is a pragmatist when it comes to his self-interest. Pence on the other hand is a true believer. He is a religiously inspired "my way or the highway" guy. I wonder if he has ever had a second thought in the last 30 years.
4
I don't understand why now any of us would believe any of his comments? He repeatedly lied and fabricated his own facts throughout the campaign. Maybe this is the "good" cop versus the "bad" cop? But if he takes a moderate stance, you think his rabid supporters will take it lying down? All you have to to is take say 30 mins and scan the detailed background factual articles on his personal history to make you realize that you cannot depend on anything he says or does. I think he probably has a borderline personality disorder, is incapable of empathy and can act normal one minute and then go off the tracks the next. There are many of these types among us-- capable and friendly one minute, but nutso, hostile and aggressive the next. He is totally, 100% self-serving and this office will be used to promote his various businesses and increase his empire. The hard work will be done by the minions. You read between the lines of his responses and you find he has no awareness of the complexity of these issues and is incapable of understanding all the implications of major decisions he will have to make-- the total opposite of Prez Obama. So maybe some of the admin's actions will make sense and some not so, but having this type of person at the helm totally scares the daylights out of me.
4
Given that president elect Trump is primarily a showman that responds to the audience, the left might be more effective if they spent less time criticizing Trump and more time encouraging him to pander to them.
2
Donald J Trump ran a well-oiled, high school type campaign. Forget qualification. Tell the people what they want to hear even though it's improbable and unlikely. What the hey! You'll get the votes.
Mr. Trump ran to win the office not to provide visionary leadership, political or otherwise. So said, so done. Had I voted for Trump, I would be upset as he has wavered on many of the topics he emphasized so passionately during his campaign. That's right folks! You fell for it!
About coal-As most of the world attempts to move forward in taking actions to preserve the planet (I'm always amazed by how little attention is given to the effects of coal mining on workers [COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, etc.]-an even better reason to diminish its use), we will have a president who want to re-ignite this industry.
I've always believed that indifferent to political view, one should always respect the president. I'll hold to that belief throughout the next 4 years---somehow.
Mr. Trump ran to win the office not to provide visionary leadership, political or otherwise. So said, so done. Had I voted for Trump, I would be upset as he has wavered on many of the topics he emphasized so passionately during his campaign. That's right folks! You fell for it!
About coal-As most of the world attempts to move forward in taking actions to preserve the planet (I'm always amazed by how little attention is given to the effects of coal mining on workers [COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, etc.]-an even better reason to diminish its use), we will have a president who want to re-ignite this industry.
I've always believed that indifferent to political view, one should always respect the president. I'll hold to that belief throughout the next 4 years---somehow.
2
Back in the '60s, Trump would have gotten expelled from Scarsdale High School for what he did to get elected US president.
Now it is Trump who is the Trojan Horse. He's now making nice with the NYT after yesterday's spectacle with TV news commentators. One who makes up stories and lies continually - as Trump demonstrated time and time again in the campaign and throughout his life - is not to be trusted. (The truth in this is told through the people he has already named as cabinet members.) Wait and watch!!
2
Wow, I am truly impressed by the depth of his knowledge:
“I’m looking at it very closely. … I have an open mind to it. We’re going to look very carefully. … You can make lots of cases for different views. … I will tell you this: Clean air is vitally important. Clean water, crystal-clean water is vitally important.”
And that leaves you hopeful? I mean, if my second grader would tell me something like that, I would press him to be more specific! A know-nothing surrounded by more know-nothings: Carson as housing secretary? What is his expertise, just being black to take care of the horrible "innercities"?
UN ambassador Nikki Haley? Expertise: having „foreign experience“ by visiting NC? There goes your hope, but that was foreseeable with a Bannon in charge of the White House.....
“I’m looking at it very closely. … I have an open mind to it. We’re going to look very carefully. … You can make lots of cases for different views. … I will tell you this: Clean air is vitally important. Clean water, crystal-clean water is vitally important.”
And that leaves you hopeful? I mean, if my second grader would tell me something like that, I would press him to be more specific! A know-nothing surrounded by more know-nothings: Carson as housing secretary? What is his expertise, just being black to take care of the horrible "innercities"?
UN ambassador Nikki Haley? Expertise: having „foreign experience“ by visiting NC? There goes your hope, but that was foreseeable with a Bannon in charge of the White House.....
7
"Asked if he read The New York Times, Trump said: “I do read it. Unfortunately. I would live about 20 years longer if I didn’t.”
I feel the same way, Facts are painfully exhausting.
I feel the same way, Facts are painfully exhausting.
3
There is one and only one constituency that Trump cares about: the New Yawk elite. Fly-over land is going to wake up pretty soon to that fact and hopefully they won't get too angry. Trump has one goal in mind now: a New York Times editorial saying how the paper was wrong and Trump is a genius. Putting Ben Carson in charge of a government agency isn't going to help him with that, nor will allowing Giuliani or Christie anywhere near the halls of power...but then again he only stands to gain in contrast to those hacks.
1
Gee, and we didn't even vote for Trump. How did we luck out?
Ug, harass multiple women, call your opponent a crook, talk horribly demeaning explicit talk regularly to a radio shock jock, call President Obama the "Founder of Isis", threaten to jail your political opponents, defend voter suppression efforts in swing states you barely won, but give the NYT 1hr of what they want to hear and it's all ok.
Perhaps he did what he needed to do -- to get a "conservative" who's ready to spend for the middle class -- into power. Can't see how he's not going to destroy the deficit completely and threaten economic ruin again with the tax cuts and the spending and de-regulation (GWB anyone?), but he said some of the right things and he's tolerable.
The real brutal lesson from this election is that if winning is the only thing that matters, do what you what you need to do get the prize. You can say anything, threaten anything, slander anything, harass anything -- the morality of the electoral college system will not check you.
What happened to caring about how you got something rather than getting it?
Perhaps he did what he needed to do -- to get a "conservative" who's ready to spend for the middle class -- into power. Can't see how he's not going to destroy the deficit completely and threaten economic ruin again with the tax cuts and the spending and de-regulation (GWB anyone?), but he said some of the right things and he's tolerable.
The real brutal lesson from this election is that if winning is the only thing that matters, do what you what you need to do get the prize. You can say anything, threaten anything, slander anything, harass anything -- the morality of the electoral college system will not check you.
What happened to caring about how you got something rather than getting it?
1
We must keep in mind everything this man has said and done and who he is choosing to surround himself with as his closest advisors. He donned his fox in sheep's clothing for the NY Times interview. Don't be fooled. Keep a critical eye on the whole picture. There may be little depth or conviction to any of the views he has spouted and that might be the most frightening aspect of all. He is as easily manipulated as he manipulates. Frightening.
84
Mr. Friedman, Trump told you exactly what you wanted to hear. He is a master at playing his audience and you and the NYT staff were just played.
We will be seeing legislation from his staff and the Republican controlled congress that will change our nation and how we interact with one another for years.
Should we follow our President-elect's example and stop paying taxes?
At t
We will be seeing legislation from his staff and the Republican controlled congress that will change our nation and how we interact with one another for years.
Should we follow our President-elect's example and stop paying taxes?
At t
1
Paying taxes is a ritual like voting here in New York City.
If President-Elect Trump is serious about restoring jobs lost by the coal industry, he should consider building 'Waste-to-Energy' facilities in those areas. WTE would restore jobs and help keep the environment clean.
Here is an excellent business case presented by Matt Williams:
http://acore.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/WTE-in-Sweden-and-the-US-Mat...
Let's help those displaced workers get jobs and also help overcome climate change.
Here is an excellent business case presented by Matt Williams:
http://acore.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/WTE-in-Sweden-and-the-US-Mat...
Let's help those displaced workers get jobs and also help overcome climate change.
2
There is always "hope" Mr. Friedman.
The Jewish people had it while Hitler rounded them up and worked them to death and killed them in extermination camps while the German people had a grand time partying in the great economy.
Every soldier has it just before they go into what they know is a no-win battle because their commander ordered them to.
Slaves had it just before they were hanged and or sold away from their families.
Women have it when a rapist attacks them with plans to kill them - and usually does.
Children have it when they suffer terrible abuse at the hands of hateful parents.
There may be hope for the long-term future of America but right now we are in clear and present danger, as our grandchildren and probably their children are.
The question is "Are average citizens going to recognize it take action to prevent it from totally taking hold?" We can have hope about that.
The Jewish people had it while Hitler rounded them up and worked them to death and killed them in extermination camps while the German people had a grand time partying in the great economy.
Every soldier has it just before they go into what they know is a no-win battle because their commander ordered them to.
Slaves had it just before they were hanged and or sold away from their families.
Women have it when a rapist attacks them with plans to kill them - and usually does.
Children have it when they suffer terrible abuse at the hands of hateful parents.
There may be hope for the long-term future of America but right now we are in clear and present danger, as our grandchildren and probably their children are.
The question is "Are average citizens going to recognize it take action to prevent it from totally taking hold?" We can have hope about that.
4
If Bill Gates and others can help Trump, I still have some hope. Trump is a dangerous psychopath, not just ignorant and foolish. We can't afford to take our eyes off of him for a minute.
2
I am not appeased. The day before his meeting with the NY Times he announced his plan for the first 100 days, which included lifting all restrictions on gas, coal and oil.
3
George Monbiot writes that climate change, left unaddressed, will lead to war. "Trump's Climate Denial is Just One of the Forces That Point Towards War" in the Guardian.
How long will it take Trump to study climate change? Has he ignored the problem for the last decade? Do his children talk about climate change? Does he think he is immune to climate change because he lives in the penthouse? We are running out of time, and it will require a huge change in how we live to stop the worst of climate change. Is Trump the man to do it? (I doubt it)
How long will it take Trump to study climate change? Has he ignored the problem for the last decade? Do his children talk about climate change? Does he think he is immune to climate change because he lives in the penthouse? We are running out of time, and it will require a huge change in how we live to stop the worst of climate change. Is Trump the man to do it? (I doubt it)
1
And so the Normalizing of Donald in the mainstream media continues at full speed, this time with a key assist from the NYT and its pundits.
All of the racist, misogynist and inflammatory statements that he made during the campaign were all, of course (wink, wink), just campaign rhetoric, "locker room talk"' if you will.
The Real Donald is just an open-minded, magnanimous all-around Mr. Nice Guy who humbly wants what is best for all of the American people. The two-million plus plurality of Americans who voted for Hillary just need to lighten up and "get over it", as Antonin Scalia famously said of the 2000 election.
Why did they wait until after the election to tell us that it was all a big act on Trump's part? And who will tell his many rabid supporters who really believed him that it was all a big joke?
All of the racist, misogynist and inflammatory statements that he made during the campaign were all, of course (wink, wink), just campaign rhetoric, "locker room talk"' if you will.
The Real Donald is just an open-minded, magnanimous all-around Mr. Nice Guy who humbly wants what is best for all of the American people. The two-million plus plurality of Americans who voted for Hillary just need to lighten up and "get over it", as Antonin Scalia famously said of the 2000 election.
Why did they wait until after the election to tell us that it was all a big act on Trump's part? And who will tell his many rabid supporters who really believed him that it was all a big joke?
4
No one believes anything politicians say anymore. Not even Trump supporters.
I think Trump's supporters believe that the style and methodology that won them over to his campaign will steamroll the whole planet into submission to the US, which is how it will become great again.
It didn't take long for the mainstream media to toady up to Trump. After all, it's good for ratings.
2
Bravo, Mr Friedman. We need more journalists with the courage to report and analyze events as they are. And I believe that silence is compliance. How do despots gain power? Once more, thank you.
One can see how critical it is for many liberals that Trump conform to their worst fears about his Presidency. IF Trump moderates in actual performance of the job, the Hitlerian Bogey man is taken away and they will look foolish and have less leverage for future power. Certain factions of liberals or even Republicans and Conservatives NEED Trump to fit their worst conception of a Trump Presidency.
I am not hopeful -- all you have to do is dissect Mr. Trump's comments regarding the use of waterboarding -- he's only flipped because a General said he didn't think it was useful -- you might get the same results from a beer and cigs -- "useful" misses a whole host of ethical decisions that humanity and certainly the leader of the free world has to make. Mr. Trump seems incapable of any of this on any level. An empty vessel at the whim of every "dangerous" vision of what is turning out to be a very dangerous cabinet. While the NYT might be smitten because he finally said you were a "jewel" -- it should be (and will I'm sure) very skeptical of this unfit and frankly "scary" man who will be representing the people (although he doesn't know that's his job) for the next four years.
2
Mr Friedman and the editorial board suddenly think that Trump is moderating his views? He doesn't retain "views" for much more than the time it takes to compose a 40-character Tweet. Our president-elect doesn't know much, but he clearly understands, like PT Barnum did, that "there's a sucker born every minute". Unfortunately, the biggest clown in this circus is the CEO.
Seriously? Who cares what Donald Trump says about anything to anyone, anyplace, anywhere? The media is now going to monitor his every word, which can change on a whim, and attempt to make a reasonable evaluation of what he means or is likely to do? This is insanity. The man is a train wreck about to happen, a loose canon on the ship of state - a hustler, a con man. What pundit can claim to navigate the depths of his twisted psychology?
2
Michael...N.Carolina et al... We have needed more than "arm chair psychiatry" in this crucial time in the Country's life. Trump portrayed a Psychopathic Personality during his whole Campaign. His chronic Lying has given him the power of redefining "Truth" to mean Anything which is Convenient to Him. He has and is still occupying the absolute Center of Attention (COA).... at Our expense. He is still a man Free of any Lifetime
Responsibility for any "Guilt" for ever doing Anything "Wrong". Here is the Embodiment of Greed on the threshold of the Throne who has been restored to his Twitter "License". I'm just an average old (White) man, worried about my Grandchildren, who may be inheriting a Public Psychopathic President. Meanwhile, I'm watching, Michael, as we may be
Giving this Pretender the Power to Redefine Truth. Fortunately, I am to average and menial for President Trump to care about.
Responsibility for any "Guilt" for ever doing Anything "Wrong". Here is the Embodiment of Greed on the threshold of the Throne who has been restored to his Twitter "License". I'm just an average old (White) man, worried about my Grandchildren, who may be inheriting a Public Psychopathic President. Meanwhile, I'm watching, Michael, as we may be
Giving this Pretender the Power to Redefine Truth. Fortunately, I am to average and menial for President Trump to care about.
Amazing that we have come to be happy because a President-elect will actually renege on most of his promises. We've come to be happy with the mere fact that he's maybe not a racist or bigoted but he just espoused these views only to get the votes of a racist and bigoted electorate. We are happy that most of the campaign promises were just lies to fool people into voting him to power. Hurrah for the great US democracy !
Please Mr. Friedman, do not be taken in by his performance for that is what it was. He will say whatever he thinks will please his audience. I urge you and your fellow journalists at the Times and other publications as well as the broadcast and cable media to hold his feet to the fire. Question everything he says , dig deeply into whatever public documents there are. Really examine the background of his proposed appointees and publicize their views while critically reviewing them. Let's face it, if he "moderates" his views and positions he will alienate many of his supporters. Faced with that he may change his mind again.
1
I agree. Please be weary of him. He's an empty suit just taking in the last audiences views. We must defeat him in two and four years with Democrats. He's so unfit to be president.
1
Look, I'm no fan of Mr. Trump, but so far in this thread, I have read Clinton supporters call Trump all of the following: "narcissist, pathological liar, chameleon, fraud, king, dictator, tyrant, neophyte," and a spoiled "boy" with no "aptitude." But I didn't read, yet at least, their previous name calling like "misogynist, racist, deplorable, Islamophobe" that cost them the election, so maybe they think calling him and his supporters different names and hurling different insults will help them win the next election? Or maybe it's just sour grapes because their own "champion" blew it, and took the once mighty Democratic Party off the cliff with her?
And BTW: what's this "boy" stuff - girls?
And BTW: what's this "boy" stuff - girls?
1
Another newspaper reported that Bob Walker, Trump's senior advisor on Nasa, has decreed that the incoming administration will scrap Nasa’s climate change research and crack down on “politicized science.” Nasa’s earth science division will have its budget cut, which will reduce its world-renowned research into temperature, ice, clouds and other climate phenomena. No more “politically correct environmental monitoring”. NY Times, and Friedman, got played yet again. It's sad.
1
Now we know that the fate of the planet hinges on the effects of climate change on Trump's golf courses.
Dictator or Benevolent Dictator? We will know very shortly. If he privatizes Medicare to placate the right wing, we will be in big trouble.
My fervent wish is to be proven wrong about Donald Trump. I hope this interview is the beginning of that process.
2
Thomas Friedman, you want Trump to open his mind to phasing out coal and then natural gas and oil. You seem to think this might be possible.
Well to find out how hard that might be, first talk with your Editors to find out why they cannot commission a single article about the countries that have already done this. Ask them why they do not know that all of New York City's waste sent down to coal country for storage is a resource that could take the place of coal. Ask them what they know about Cornell Tech's heat-pump system and why they do not report on it. Open their minds to more than solar and wind.
Or failing that just read this report presented at Marakeech but as far as I know not reported by the Times:
"Scaling up just 15 Nordic solutions can reduce 4 Gt of global emissions"
http://www.sitra.fi/en/news/green-scale/scaling-just-15-nordic-solutions...
That is just a part of The Nordic Theory of Everything (Anu Partanen) but oh so important. Try it.
Only-NeverInSweden.blogspot.com
Dual citizen US SE - being kept warm in SE by one of the 15
Well to find out how hard that might be, first talk with your Editors to find out why they cannot commission a single article about the countries that have already done this. Ask them why they do not know that all of New York City's waste sent down to coal country for storage is a resource that could take the place of coal. Ask them what they know about Cornell Tech's heat-pump system and why they do not report on it. Open their minds to more than solar and wind.
Or failing that just read this report presented at Marakeech but as far as I know not reported by the Times:
"Scaling up just 15 Nordic solutions can reduce 4 Gt of global emissions"
http://www.sitra.fi/en/news/green-scale/scaling-just-15-nordic-solutions...
That is just a part of The Nordic Theory of Everything (Anu Partanen) but oh so important. Try it.
Only-NeverInSweden.blogspot.com
Dual citizen US SE - being kept warm in SE by one of the 15
Funny how when bragging about Scandinavia's commitment to reducing carbon emissions, very few talk about the 1.7 million barrels of oil Norway pulls out of the North Sea every day.
@ IJReilly Tampa - First there is no bragging at all here. There is a clear presentation of 15 Nordic solutions in which neither the Times nor you are interested.
Second, Norway understands very well that it simultaneously must be developing renewable. There was a Norwegian TV series, Ockupation, that dealt with this by depicting a future Norway where a Thorium reactor makes it possible for the country to move on. But oil producing countries cannot tolerate this, and Russia takes over.
Norden does not consist of Norway alone. Excluding Finland there are Sweden, Denmark, Finland. The point of my comment is that even when solutions other than wind and solar are presented to the Times, the Times shows not the slightest interest.
Perhaps on this Trump and the Times and you will happily accept a rising-sea-level future, even for the Trump estate.
Larry L.
Second, Norway understands very well that it simultaneously must be developing renewable. There was a Norwegian TV series, Ockupation, that dealt with this by depicting a future Norway where a Thorium reactor makes it possible for the country to move on. But oil producing countries cannot tolerate this, and Russia takes over.
Norden does not consist of Norway alone. Excluding Finland there are Sweden, Denmark, Finland. The point of my comment is that even when solutions other than wind and solar are presented to the Times, the Times shows not the slightest interest.
Perhaps on this Trump and the Times and you will happily accept a rising-sea-level future, even for the Trump estate.
Larry L.
I would like to take the President elect at his word, but given how much he flip flops, changes his mind and varies his stances, who can you take anything he says at face value?
2
Chameleon. Oxford dictionary figurative definition: A person who changes their opinions or behaviour according to the situation:
‘voters have misgivings about his performance as a political chameleon’
Another example sentence -
‘As he showed yesterday, he is above all a brilliant political chameleon.’
If there was a photo example next to the definition, it would be of Trump
‘voters have misgivings about his performance as a political chameleon’
Another example sentence -
‘As he showed yesterday, he is above all a brilliant political chameleon.’
If there was a photo example next to the definition, it would be of Trump
He won because we were all duped to go for Hillary over Bernie, now we're stuck with him, but he seems to be more energized by challenges than making money, so maybe help him learn so he can get to what might be the biggest challenge ever, peace in the Middle East. I think he's serious about this. Think about it.
These are strange times, New York Times.
These are strange times, New York Times.
HRC won the popular vote by big numbers which are still growing.You have no proof that Bernie would not have been attacked with equal fervor by the right wing propaganda machine, and perhaps not have won the popular vote, or if so, not by the margins that HRC has.
Karen despite having s most brilliant and highly paid campaign team, the entire democratic establishment behind her, wealthy Hollywood stars, wealthy billionaires like Warren buffet....Hillary could not get the electoral college votes. You would think these brilliant minds would have thought about everything. It looks like they missed the prize.
1
The only thing consistent about Trump is his inconsistency. This may seem heartening to some, but I am wary of believing anything this man says. The proof is in the pudding, I suppose. I'll believe what he says when he follows through with action.
62
All through the campaign the journalists kept waiting for Trump to change. He did not. He cannot. He will not change as President. Read the transcript of the interview. It was all about me (Trump) and how wildly successful I am, turning to then flatter the receptive journalists. This must change or we will lose our country. Hold him accountable. No one has and it is time.
1
Yikes! I'm more scared of Trump now than I was before I read this article. What we need right now is a strong leader who can actually make hard decisions based on FACT, not conjecture. What we got was a "flim flam man." Hopefully the press will stick to doing what they do best and keep a "Burr under the Saddle" rather than yielding to the temptation of thinking that he might actually be someone whom we can trust.
It's called a sucker punch. It's where the assailant (White Feather Donnie) suckers the victim into dropping their guard in order to perform a vicious strike. When that fella shakes your hand, always watch what the other hand is doing and count your fingers before and after. Only a fool believes anything that comes out of his mouth and lets their guard down.
2
Hope? He seems like an inarticulate, rambling fool. Reporters asked him pointed questions yet weren't able to pin him down to real concrete answers. He sounded like a mobster in a good mood.
2
Trump is just saying things. You cannot go by what he says. You have to consider what he does to gain a measure of the man. Like, yanking the family health benefits from his disabled infant nephew, mockingly imitating the spastic movements of a disabled reporter, grabbing women by their private parts, denying contractors their due pay, not providing his tax returns, discriminating against Black renters, defrauding students, appointing a hard right alcoholic wife beater as his senior advisor, etc., etc. Nothing Trump says now can undo his unethical and illegal actions. Don't be taken in, he's good at conning, always remember that. He is not to be trusted, especially when he flatters you or says things you like. That's how he conned his contractors to do business with him, despite his reputation.
3
The mere act of providing services to Trump is worth its invoice value in free publicity from association with the Trump name.
Haha Steve, that's a good one! But I don't think the contractors he stiffed would agree to that.
I read the transcript of the meeting. Mr. Friedman, I believe you are giving the President-Elect way too much credit. His responses were rambling scrambled thought patterns that sounded like a ten year old child on a heavy dose of amphetamines.
He was at times evasive and was constantly referring to himself, his business, his assets... truly narcissistic responses that really never included any cognisant answers.
He sounded exactly how your newspaper has been describing him for the past several months. He is not fit to be our President. God help us!
He was at times evasive and was constantly referring to himself, his business, his assets... truly narcissistic responses that really never included any cognisant answers.
He sounded exactly how your newspaper has been describing him for the past several months. He is not fit to be our President. God help us!
2
Friedman went on a Sunday morning talk show after the election and said Trump's number one agenda item should be climate change - Apparently he missed what the voters decided - If the voters wanted climate change to be high on the list they would have voted for Hillary - Friedman is an opinion writer that doesn't absorb facts on the ground when they change
2
The voters will want climate change to be addressed when it affects their ability to survive. Climate change is not a policy to discuss. It is a global planetary event that is occurring regardless of policy discussions or elections. What IS important is the actions taken by the human race to either mitigate the amount of heat buildup or just let it run amok.
It will eventually be "high on the list" as it is definitely occurring and can not be ignored.
It will eventually be "high on the list" as it is definitely occurring and can not be ignored.
Jim-- the voters did vote for Hillary, en masse. She won.
1
Actually, the planet is the biggest bully in town, and climate change is the biggest issue. That's "facts on the ground" for you. The planet doesn't vote, but it is a huge threat multiplier and after four decades of ignoring the message, we are about to be hammered.
But as to Trump, he's already turned away from what he said at the meeting yesterday.
He plans to defund climate science research at NASA, claiming, with extreme political bias, that it is political bias.
But as to Trump, he's already turned away from what he said at the meeting yesterday.
He plans to defund climate science research at NASA, claiming, with extreme political bias, that it is political bias.
1
You can't be serious. "“I’m looking at it very closely." This is no sign of moderation or change. This is exactly what he always said on campaign when he meant: you can wait for me looking at it for the rest of your life.
And he doesn't learn by listening. He's less aggressive face-on-face because he's a coward and can't stand rejection in a close situation. And he's always very impressed by what he listened to last.
I just don't grasp that serious, inteligent people still wait for Trump to change. And even believe they can influence him by playing on his whims or explaining things in a reasonable way to him. It's bizarre.
And he doesn't learn by listening. He's less aggressive face-on-face because he's a coward and can't stand rejection in a close situation. And he's always very impressed by what he listened to last.
I just don't grasp that serious, inteligent people still wait for Trump to change. And even believe they can influence him by playing on his whims or explaining things in a reasonable way to him. It's bizarre.
1
We should be preparing for climate change as if it is a reality because, well, it is.
Do we need another study from NASA to confirm this? No, we don't. The affected states should begin taking action. Save the study money and provide the states with block grants.
The horses have left the climate change barn. Trump truly has bigger fish to fry.
Do we need another study from NASA to confirm this? No, we don't. The affected states should begin taking action. Save the study money and provide the states with block grants.
The horses have left the climate change barn. Trump truly has bigger fish to fry.
He will soon "learn from a much wider network of people," consisting largely of generals and intelligence operatives. When they make it clear to him that a new war is necessary, Mr. Friedman will no doubt be primed to play the same role he did in 2002.
5
A few steps forward on some important issues, maybe. As you say, Trump is a listener not a reader which means who he gathers around him and listens to will be critical. So far, the choices he has announced are not inspiring. We still need see how Trump's administration is going to treat civil rights. How are we going to treat Muslims, immigrants from Mexico and Latin America etc., who gets his proposed tax breaks, how many people lose health insurance, who really benefits from the infrastructure spending and many more.
Better than during the election, I agree, but the proof will be in the bills that come from Congress and the Executive Actions he takes after January 20th. We need to keep our guard up and his feet to the fire.
Better than during the election, I agree, but the proof will be in the bills that come from Congress and the Executive Actions he takes after January 20th. We need to keep our guard up and his feet to the fire.
20
And so we begin to see the differences between high powered business tactics and life-long politicians. Businesspeople make it public, politicians scheme in the back rooms.
Trump saw other candidates competing to take away his "business". He did what was necessary to win, said what was necessary to get the publicity for his company. Business people know that you need to get your company out in front of the public to succeed. The media - social, print and broadcast - gobbled up every publicity grab he offered.
Competition subdued, he is now turning his attention to building his "brand". What's the product? How will it be marketed? What's the profitability (which in this case means his legacy)? As this article pointed out, Trump must now appeal to a diverse cross-section of citizens. Every Presidential candidate faces this. This is why campaign promises are so difficult to keep.
Trump is smart enough to know what he doesn't know, even if he rarely acknowledges that publicly. The fact that he is talking with those who opposed him shows that it wasn't personal, it was just business.
The government doesn't run by business rules and so Trump faces a steep learning curve. The career politicians know that there's a lot at stake. Perhaps this is the needed combination to break up the stagnant and contentious attitudes of our elected officials.
I believe America will survive this, we have been thorough far worse in our history.
Trump saw other candidates competing to take away his "business". He did what was necessary to win, said what was necessary to get the publicity for his company. Business people know that you need to get your company out in front of the public to succeed. The media - social, print and broadcast - gobbled up every publicity grab he offered.
Competition subdued, he is now turning his attention to building his "brand". What's the product? How will it be marketed? What's the profitability (which in this case means his legacy)? As this article pointed out, Trump must now appeal to a diverse cross-section of citizens. Every Presidential candidate faces this. This is why campaign promises are so difficult to keep.
Trump is smart enough to know what he doesn't know, even if he rarely acknowledges that publicly. The fact that he is talking with those who opposed him shows that it wasn't personal, it was just business.
The government doesn't run by business rules and so Trump faces a steep learning curve. The career politicians know that there's a lot at stake. Perhaps this is the needed combination to break up the stagnant and contentious attitudes of our elected officials.
I believe America will survive this, we have been thorough far worse in our history.
I do not believe he's smart enough to know what he doesn't know.
He completely lacks the ability to assess himself or his behavior.
He completely lacks the ability to assess himself or his behavior.
Thomas Friedman suggests we give Donald Trump a chance to do the right thing. But, I recall Richard Nixon's admonition in the 1960s when he advised the press to watch what he does, not what he says he will do.
It costs nothing and is politically astute for Trump to make nice, sound open-minded, and appear gracious and self deprecating (except of course if you are one of the Hamilton cast). Trump, the President, not only can afford to do this but should do so since it is the one feint he will be permitted him.
But, look at his intended appointments and the very Trump most voters feared emerges. Jeff Sessions appointed AG, a man possessing a type of racism that humiliates African American lawyers who believes in jailing drug users and enforcing 3-strikes laws, a construct most judges, the ABA and most State Bar Associations deplore. Trump is considering a climate denier as energy secretary and will appoint as intelligence chief a reactionary, retired general who was mustered out. There is Steve Bannon, the last man consulted in the WH, who is charged with directing an assault on federal workers (if sources are correct) trying to accomplish what Reagan could not, an assault to an attack on private sector laborers and employees. Then, we can see how Trump actually meant to fulfill his promises to American workers.
Trump the gentleman (an anomaly?) can hang out while Trump's appointees execute the very plans that made America fear his Presidency. Watch what he does first.
It costs nothing and is politically astute for Trump to make nice, sound open-minded, and appear gracious and self deprecating (except of course if you are one of the Hamilton cast). Trump, the President, not only can afford to do this but should do so since it is the one feint he will be permitted him.
But, look at his intended appointments and the very Trump most voters feared emerges. Jeff Sessions appointed AG, a man possessing a type of racism that humiliates African American lawyers who believes in jailing drug users and enforcing 3-strikes laws, a construct most judges, the ABA and most State Bar Associations deplore. Trump is considering a climate denier as energy secretary and will appoint as intelligence chief a reactionary, retired general who was mustered out. There is Steve Bannon, the last man consulted in the WH, who is charged with directing an assault on federal workers (if sources are correct) trying to accomplish what Reagan could not, an assault to an attack on private sector laborers and employees. Then, we can see how Trump actually meant to fulfill his promises to American workers.
Trump the gentleman (an anomaly?) can hang out while Trump's appointees execute the very plans that made America fear his Presidency. Watch what he does first.
1
And I've got some swampland in Florida.
2
President elect Trump's bark has always been worse than his bite. He is willing to work with people. He sees the Israeli Palestinian situation as a challenge and he likes challenges and wants to win them.
1
Trump kisses up to the Times. Bigly or Big League. Either way you want it.
Let us see how the Times handles Trump. You know, kissing up can be a type of underlying bullying. We can picture Trump saying "And I treated them so nicely!"
Don't fall for it Times. It 's just part of the game. We're paying for the NYT version of the NYT. Not the Donald Trump version of the NYT.
Let us see how the Times handles Trump. You know, kissing up can be a type of underlying bullying. We can picture Trump saying "And I treated them so nicely!"
Don't fall for it Times. It 's just part of the game. We're paying for the NYT version of the NYT. Not the Donald Trump version of the NYT.
5
What? The ultimate salesman tells you what you want to hear? What do you suppose he'll tell Fox? Or Breitbart?
2
Let's not start pretending that Trump's word salad makes sense.
9
Ha!
"Trump said Mattis told him of torture: “I’ve never found it to be useful.” (Many in the military and the C.I.A. have long held this view.)"
Ya THINK!?
Here's the thing about the overarching Military mind. Unlike the civilian leadership class it bows in fealty to the Military are loathe to go to war; seeing it always as the last, and worse, solution to any geo-political problem. It kind'a sort'a comes from knowing it's you that's gonna be bleeding on the battlefields and not your civilian leaders.
Same same with torture. It would be better to be viewed by your enemies as one who does not engage in systemic torture, and so have your fellow soldiers, your band of brothers, reap the same "benefit" when captured than to be viewed as an enemy who uses it with abandon. Call it tit for tat. Leaving aside the reality that torture doesn't work the American military mind would rather not go there for all the detrimental reasons you can connote from tit for tat.
Just some thoughts on the obvious (to me - a military brat by rearings).
John~
American Net'Zen
"Trump said Mattis told him of torture: “I’ve never found it to be useful.” (Many in the military and the C.I.A. have long held this view.)"
Ya THINK!?
Here's the thing about the overarching Military mind. Unlike the civilian leadership class it bows in fealty to the Military are loathe to go to war; seeing it always as the last, and worse, solution to any geo-political problem. It kind'a sort'a comes from knowing it's you that's gonna be bleeding on the battlefields and not your civilian leaders.
Same same with torture. It would be better to be viewed by your enemies as one who does not engage in systemic torture, and so have your fellow soldiers, your band of brothers, reap the same "benefit" when captured than to be viewed as an enemy who uses it with abandon. Call it tit for tat. Leaving aside the reality that torture doesn't work the American military mind would rather not go there for all the detrimental reasons you can connote from tit for tat.
Just some thoughts on the obvious (to me - a military brat by rearings).
John~
American Net'Zen
Donald Trump is a charlatan who was elected president. He was inexplicably taken on as an agent of change for the middle class. A more foolish notion I cannot explain. His nomination of Jeff Sessions as AG speaks volumes.
3
Sessions has promised to enforce U.S. immigration law. That's a win-win-win-win-win-win-win-win-win for the American people. More jobs. Higher wages. More affordable housing. Less congestion. Better schools. Less crime. Less welfare. Lower taxes. More freedom.
Dream on, and continue with your head in the sand.
Tpm Friedman said, "Bottom line: The campaign is over, but the struggle for Donald Trump’s soul has just begun. Trump clearly learns by talking to people, not reading." And in walked the gatekeeper, Reince Priebus with Donald Trump's carefully vetted calendar.
3
Mr Friedman, you met him - did you really get the impression he's man to take by his words? Because everything I've seen so far suggests otherwise.
3
Why does the media insist on trying to convince us that Trump is "really, really trying" to be a different person than he was when he campaigned? Why do they insist on convincing us that he "will change and be more moderate?" Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice; shame on me. What is it going to take to get the media to stop normalizing this guy -- when someone tells/shows you what they are, please believe them. The guy is 70 years old and isn't about to change now. It's all about him, his family, and his brand, and to he// with the rest of the country. There are a lot of us out here who will not go quietly into the night.
3
It is clear to me that this man is lost truly lost. His bravado will not serve him as it has in his business, private life, and this recent election. The need to surround himself with family and close allies tells me he is not as confident as he appears. He has entered and arena like never before. His answers to your questions were no answers at all. I read his comments as being very child-like. Keep at it NY Times DO NOT give this man an inch, not an inch !
4
You have been Trumped NY Times. He is playing you for positive coverage and it sounds like you bought it
He will continue to treat the executive branch as a new revenue generating stream for ...himself. He will not show his taxes and he will include a little personal business in every foreign trip. His kids will be in meetings and running his business...it will be the messiest most conflicted presidency ever...
And the sad thing is that if we get rid of him we get Pence...which is like installing the Koch Brothers in the oval office
The only question I want answered is why Americans voted for a republican after 8 years of racist obstruction. How could they?
He will continue to treat the executive branch as a new revenue generating stream for ...himself. He will not show his taxes and he will include a little personal business in every foreign trip. His kids will be in meetings and running his business...it will be the messiest most conflicted presidency ever...
And the sad thing is that if we get rid of him we get Pence...which is like installing the Koch Brothers in the oval office
The only question I want answered is why Americans voted for a republican after 8 years of racist obstruction. How could they?
5
Because, for some unknown reason (and hopefully the books that will come out about this election will shed light on this) NONE of HILLARY's CAMPAIGNING addressed the fact that there would be CHANGE in a CLINTON presidency IF the obstruction could be eliminated by winning the SENATE, and moving on winning the HOUSE. Look, it was all "let's continue what has been successful", but it WAS NOT successful because of Republican obstruction. Obamacare was passed with a democratic Congress. We needed Hillary and surrogates to say "CHANGE" - bring in OUR TEAM. Bring in the senators, the representatives, the governors and me, and you'll see CHANGE CHANGE CHANGE. And as far as the Obamacare premiums going up, HILLARY and surrogates should have said "PROBLEM!, PRIORITY ONE in a Clinton administration". Oh, and campaign should have gone to the forgotten states that Trump should NOT have won. ...
Friedman picked up on something potentially useful about Trump: that he learns from people. Hopefully Friedman with get a chance to interview Trump. Being more persuasive and less moralistically patronizing than other NYT columnists Friedman may yet become a helpful political agent without having explicitly tried.
I'll believe it when he gets rid of his radical right entourage.
3
I'd like to believe that maybe, just maybe, Trump might moderate some of his views, especially on climate change. However, when I see who he is surrounding himself with, I'm more of a pessimist than Friedman and the NYT editorial board. His cronies, who espouse extreme views, have his ear 24/7 and since Trump is a tabula rasa, good luck. I wish that I could be as optimistic as Friedman is.
1
Mr. Trump says that "he does not need this job." Why did he spend 18 "rough" months campaigning for a job he did not need? Obviously his huge ego had a lot to do with it. His desire to truly make TRUMP a worldwide brand is another. The fact that he believes only HE can fix our problems may actually be OUR saving grace. During the campaign he said what he felt was necessary to get elected. Now that he has the job, he will need to make decisions that actually get problems solved. Very few of our presidents had so much to "lose" by not achieving their goals. Trump's goal is to prove that he is a great man. Let's hope that his supersized ego winds up making him a superbly successful president.
Nixon made nice with Democrats and, in the spirit of bipartisanship, pushed through such great progressive programs like OSHA, the EPA, and wage and price controls.
And, since no good deed goes unpunished, he was impeached by the Dems ( with the help of the weasel GOP).
And, since no good deed goes unpunished, he was impeached by the Dems ( with the help of the weasel GOP).
2
Friedman, when you sup with the devil, you need a long spoon. If the media do not get a longer spoon, we are all done for.
1
Thomas, that's what Trump says this week, next week, different story. Did you already forget he's Don the con?
4
Mr. Friedman, you just gave us all the "highlights" you spoke of in your first paragraph. With the added opinion that Trump speak on the phone a good deal with Tim Cook and Bill Gates. Seems you had a very -- perhaps too -- relaxing lunch.
Donald Trump never lies. He never has lied. To lie you have to be able to distinguish truth from falsehood, fact from fiction. He does not have that ability.
Nothing he ever says constitutes a commitment. He feels no need to be consistent or coherent.
In short, nothing that he says may be relied upon. This applies to both the good and the bad things he says.
We are not going to know what he will do until he does it, because he is not going to know what he will do until he does it.
This gives cause for both hope and despair.
We'll all be watching him for the next four years like gamblers round a roulette wheel. And that's what we are.
Nothing he ever says constitutes a commitment. He feels no need to be consistent or coherent.
In short, nothing that he says may be relied upon. This applies to both the good and the bad things he says.
We are not going to know what he will do until he does it, because he is not going to know what he will do until he does it.
This gives cause for both hope and despair.
We'll all be watching him for the next four years like gamblers round a roulette wheel. And that's what we are.
8
wow...spot on Bejay. The one thing we all have going for us is DT clearly wants to be viewed as a "successful" president. What he *does* is far less interesting to him than *succeeding*. His base may have put him in office, but it will be the elite media that ultimately gets to say whether he in fact succeeds. As such, they have a lot more influence than we might think!
It's "Lucy and the Football"
1
Oh please-he's trying to scam the New York Times just like he's scammed vendors, business partners, and students of Trump University! He is what he was on the campaign trail: a shell of a human being who won by appealing to the dark side of the American character. Mr. Friedman, I expected better of you.
5
Mr. Friedman, you report that Trump speaks of an "open mind" on climate change. However, a story in the November 23rd Guardian indicates that the president elect is poised to defund Nasa's important research on climate change. If this story is accurate, perhaps he was blowing smoke at you.
4
Hey, that would be surprising!
Lose all your hopes. If Trump does not follow the Republican agenda, the Republican Congress will impeach him at the first opportunity. Pence will become the next president, a man with real convictions, a real nightmare. There will be no happy ending to these four years. :-(
6
He'll have broken so many laws within the 1st year, they'll be forced to indict him. Lock Him Up!
No. As I said. if Trump is impeached US will be in a worse prediction with Pence. Ironically, Democrats should resist impeachment and they can stop it in Senate.
It is it will be interesting to watch the various internecine battles that Trump is already setting up within his cabinet once he completes it. Take a possible DoD chief Mattis and the designated NSA head Flynn, how will it go on torture?
Stay tuned for the upcoming clashes on walls, health and, yes, Clinton.
I just cannot see what is being now bandied as a diverse admin being advertised and how it can efficiently work given opposite actors and Trump's volatile character and lack of depth of ideals.
Maybe he will ask his Twitter followers for advice......
Stay tuned for the upcoming clashes on walls, health and, yes, Clinton.
I just cannot see what is being now bandied as a diverse admin being advertised and how it can efficiently work given opposite actors and Trump's volatile character and lack of depth of ideals.
Maybe he will ask his Twitter followers for advice......
3
Anybody ask him about his comments about Comey ? He called him corrupt, didn't he ?
“there was collusion there, it was corrupt and rigged” - Trump
Nobody cared how the President feels about his corrupt FBI director ? That's odd.
“there was collusion there, it was corrupt and rigged” - Trump
Nobody cared how the President feels about his corrupt FBI director ? That's odd.
Loose all your hopes. If Trump does not follow the Republican agenda, the Republican Congress will impeach him at the first opportunity. Pence will become the next president, a man with real convictions, a real nightmare. There will be no happy ending to these four years. :-(
2
Mr. Friedman, you are being naive. Donald Trump's behavior isn't a choice. He has serious, dyed-in-the-wool problems. What you observed are symptoms of these problems. Personality disorders are serious and intractable. To approach Mr. Trump without understanding this puts you at a considerable disadvantage.
7
Trump quoted Mattis as saying, “Give me a pack of cigarettes and a couple of beers and I always do better” than anyone using torture. Concluded Trump, “I was very impressed by that answer.”
How Trump and Mattis think offering non-alcohol drinking Muslim terrorist suspects a couple of cold ones is going to get them to open up is a question the NYT might have asked.
How Trump and Mattis think offering non-alcohol drinking Muslim terrorist suspects a couple of cold ones is going to get them to open up is a question the NYT might have asked.
6
But they smoke, so not all is lost. :o)
Actually, ISIS isn't too keen on smoking either. Anyway, moving on...
Your contention that Trump will have trouble creating the millions of jobs he promised is the very reason (apparently) that people in the midwest voted for him. Like you and the New York Times, those people have been conned and are in for bitter disappointment. As you note, manufacturing jobs are not coming back and now we're left with this con man in the White House. Democrats, get ready for being blamed when Trump cannot fulfill on his promise to create jobs. For sure, Trump won't take that responsibility. The only one who will do well under a Trump administration is Trump and his family.
4
Tom, you are very naive. There cannot be a struggle for something that doesn't exist.
1
OH for Pete's sake, the guy has NO clue what he's talking about!! He's "moderating" his positions because the only position he had was to say whatever he needed to and WIN. And now he doesn't have any policies, he changes his mind daily, he'll lean into the person who has his ear. Quit trying to make him normal. He's not normal. He's in WAY over his head.
10
So who's afraid of the big bad wolf now??
"Wow, watching Trump try to forge a deal between Bibi Netanyahu and the Palestinians would be pay-per-view!"
It would only be worth watching if the Palestinians had someone in their corner. They should apply for membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. That would make it worth preparing the popcorn.
It would only be worth watching if the Palestinians had someone in their corner. They should apply for membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. That would make it worth preparing the popcorn.
1
You are honestly falling for the hope thing, Thomas? You, who always was a fan of ironclad pragmatism?
2
“I’m looking at it very closely. … I have an open mind to it. We’re going to look very carefully. … You can make lots of cases for different views. … I will tell you this: Clean air is vitally important. Clean water, crystal-clean water is vitally important.”
This - this?! - gives you cause for hope?! Empty statements can't be critiqued; non-committal hot air can't be questioned. When you say essentially nothing, you can't be held to it. (Not to mention his unhinged idea of sending his son-in-law as peace envoy to the Middle East. Did you ask him how Kushner is qualified, beyond being a Jew, which isn't a qualification at all?).
A softening? It's a tactic. That's the only lesson here.
This - this?! - gives you cause for hope?! Empty statements can't be critiqued; non-committal hot air can't be questioned. When you say essentially nothing, you can't be held to it. (Not to mention his unhinged idea of sending his son-in-law as peace envoy to the Middle East. Did you ask him how Kushner is qualified, beyond being a Jew, which isn't a qualification at all?).
A softening? It's a tactic. That's the only lesson here.
7
Pleased to hear that Mr. Trump reads The Times. Perhaps now those who voted for him or supported him could be induced to do so. It is said that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. The solution: a LOT of knowledge. The problem of public corruption is always with us and a vigorous free press is always needed like a physician controlling high blood pressure-- you can't cure it, only control it.
5
Fascinating. The NY Times has learned to court the king. Lovely. Let's all bow.
4
Why does this sound like he's playing all of you? As during the campaign, he'll say anything to excite his audience. He continues to do anything to find another ounce of adulation. I trust the NYTimes staff won't fall for his fawning.
6
Kudos for making any sense of that brimming swamp of unhinged, rambling verbiage. It just gets surrealer and surrealer.
2
I agree that all of this is surreal. President Obama says "Reality has a way of asserting itself." I am sure ready for reality to make a appearance.
How can a man like this be trusted when he was elected by using lies and false promises? He is the ultimate con man, gaining people's trust in order to get what he -- the Donald -- wants.
6
I wish the Times would stop trying to absolve Trump of the many political transgressions he committed during the campaign because he 'appeared' to reconsider positions (without making any real commitments). Trump awakened an ugly hate in America which he cultivated throughout the Obama administration. His actions are unforgivable - completely unforgivable. He told you what you wanted to hear to make you question what you think you know, and you have been played. For proof, just look at his entourage - these are not people with America's best interest involved, these are hateful, stupid people willing to do serious harm to further their own agendas. Swallow your arrogant pride NYT, spare us your second guessing and do your jobs as journalists.
4
For the first time since his election I don't feel AS Fearful of the President-elect. From reading the Times coverage it is again clear just How Needy The Donald is of being praised & loved, even after improbably winning the Nomination & the Presidency itself. A psychiatrist revealing the reasons for his immense & intense neediness would have one of the biggest best sellers in publishing history. Maybe such a book would be possible IF the author was willing to give The Donald a percentage of the profits (say 70% or higher) or it was put out by Trump Publishing. He could include the proviso for any hire in his administration that if they wrote a book during or after working for him that their book would be put out by...wait for it...Trump Publishing!
Although he doesn't have the moniker of the previous Republican President, most people think of him as pretty decisive, especially early in the morning with his first tweets of the day. After reading about his encounter with retired general James Mattis as the reason for his change of mind on waterboarding I realized we may have a President Zelig on our hands. So now it'll be important whomever the last person he talks with before making a decision is, the World better have a string of Climate Scientists at the ready because we can ill afford him talking to a climate change denier before deciding on the Paris Accords.
It was nice to also read that Mr. Trump thinks he can bring Peace between Palestine & Israel - Good Luck!
Although he doesn't have the moniker of the previous Republican President, most people think of him as pretty decisive, especially early in the morning with his first tweets of the day. After reading about his encounter with retired general James Mattis as the reason for his change of mind on waterboarding I realized we may have a President Zelig on our hands. So now it'll be important whomever the last person he talks with before making a decision is, the World better have a string of Climate Scientists at the ready because we can ill afford him talking to a climate change denier before deciding on the Paris Accords.
It was nice to also read that Mr. Trump thinks he can bring Peace between Palestine & Israel - Good Luck!
1
Hope springs eternal, Mr. Friedman.
However, we know that Donald Trump is a charlatan and swindler in business, and has been for many years; that he is an intractable liar; that he is a documented sexual predator; that he is devoid of empathy, to the point of taunting a disabled man on television.
It appears then that he is simply a textbook sociopath. No other conclusion comports with what we know. His continuously changing positions and affect are anything but encouraging to me.
Seventy year old sociopaths do not change.
However, we know that Donald Trump is a charlatan and swindler in business, and has been for many years; that he is an intractable liar; that he is a documented sexual predator; that he is devoid of empathy, to the point of taunting a disabled man on television.
It appears then that he is simply a textbook sociopath. No other conclusion comports with what we know. His continuously changing positions and affect are anything but encouraging to me.
Seventy year old sociopaths do not change.
5
While I have hope that his extreme views were just a campaign tool, my gut isn't buying this. Remember when Trump went to meet Mexico's President during the campaign? While there, he didn't go bombastic. However, later that same day, he flipped the switch at a rally in Arizona, and it was all "Build the wall", again.
It strikes me that he will say whatever a specific audience wants to hear, but will keep his real views to himself.
It strikes me that he will say whatever a specific audience wants to hear, but will keep his real views to himself.
88
He's got real views to even keep to himself?
1
To Billsen: I am in agreement with everything you said, save one: that he "will keep his real views to himself." You have made an assumption that he has "real views." I suspect there is no "there" there, that there are no "real" views.
In this piece, I heard the gullible aspect of Mr. Friedman's intellectual sensibilities that also found George W. Bush's assertions about the necessity to invade Iraq credible. What have we come to when noted long-time journalists at our most prestigious media institutions listen to the babble of a lunatic with such bizarre insouciance?
9
Well said!! Couldn't have said it better. I have NO confidence this admin will do anything good for the country. And believing otherwise just because this guy comes to have lunch and spews a few platitudes is simply being daft.
Reading these comments has been illuminating. It's amazing to me how people who are totally opposed to some of the stands that Trump has taken in the past are now criticizing him for talking to people, getting their advice, and changing his mind. This has been what has been missing in our government for the last 20 years.
This is like the flip side of the Obama era. There are a lot of left wing NeverTrump people who are unfortunately going to oppose everything Trump does, just because he is Trump. Just as pathetic a picture as what we saw for the last 8 years during the Obama administration.
Personally, I have high hopes that Trump is going to be a GREAT president.
This is like the flip side of the Obama era. There are a lot of left wing NeverTrump people who are unfortunately going to oppose everything Trump does, just because he is Trump. Just as pathetic a picture as what we saw for the last 8 years during the Obama administration.
Personally, I have high hopes that Trump is going to be a GREAT president.
When I see him also talking with more moderate Republicans (Romney was a start) and Democrats and scientists and scholars and experts, then I'll agree with you.
Candidate Trump and President-Elect Trump are two different people.
I think (hope) he will surprise on the upside.
I think (hope) he will surprise on the upside.
1
Is there any way out of this? It feels like this guy gets a pass on everything. I have heard his supporters say they don't care if he fixes anything, then turn around and say they think he will fix everything. Those who got him elected just want a white man in the White House. End of story. Until we can fix the system, nothing else seems to matter. Trump will sell our beautiful republic to the highest bidder. Our kids, and their future generations, will pay a horrible price.
4
man bites dog is news; Trump not really having a position on anything except cultivating adulation is no surprise.
6
As you state America is a manufacturing giant but employs far fewer workers than it ever did thanks to robotics, etc. The voters who believe that Mr Trump can bring back their jobs have been conned.
As the biographer of Trump commented once, and I paraphrase here, Mr Trump has a vocabulary of about 200 words. I think that I will actually examine his speeches and comments to see if there is any truth to it. (I suspect there is). And apparently Mr Trump almost never reads. Anything.
As the biographer of Trump commented once, and I paraphrase here, Mr Trump has a vocabulary of about 200 words. I think that I will actually examine his speeches and comments to see if there is any truth to it. (I suspect there is). And apparently Mr Trump almost never reads. Anything.
4
American's tolerance for lying is getting worse, in that they apparently accept lying as a normal way of doing business. And since Trump lies so much who can tell when he is telling the truth or what? Trust, another victim of republican politics.
5
My god, don't you know when you are getting played?
We have seen this movie time and again. Trump introduces a feeling of suspense to keep attention rapt upon him.
Will Trump abide by the election results? He openly said he would keep us in suspense.
Will Trump actually show up for the debates?
Will Trump actually show up for the meeting with the NY TImes?
And on every policy issue, what will Trump do? Let's wait for Trump. Let's not pre-judge Trump. No matter what Trump does, maybe next time will be different, so let's waiit for Trump.
This is almost the dictionary definition of autocracy, in which all public processes grind to a halt to wait for one man. It is the essence of Trump's stance that everything is negotiable except Donald's own self interest, so he keeps everyone in suspense as much as he can and as long as he can.
It is the art of the big con and the birth of the biggest kleptocracy the world has ever seen.
We have seen this movie time and again. Trump introduces a feeling of suspense to keep attention rapt upon him.
Will Trump abide by the election results? He openly said he would keep us in suspense.
Will Trump actually show up for the debates?
Will Trump actually show up for the meeting with the NY TImes?
And on every policy issue, what will Trump do? Let's wait for Trump. Let's not pre-judge Trump. No matter what Trump does, maybe next time will be different, so let's waiit for Trump.
This is almost the dictionary definition of autocracy, in which all public processes grind to a halt to wait for one man. It is the essence of Trump's stance that everything is negotiable except Donald's own self interest, so he keeps everyone in suspense as much as he can and as long as he can.
It is the art of the big con and the birth of the biggest kleptocracy the world has ever seen.
9
Give me a pack of cigarettes and many many beers and perhaps I'll find some solace in having this utterly unqualified and morally bankrupt man as president.
Trump is all bluster and bravado, but is, in fact, very weak-minded. He is easiy swayed by the last voice he hears, which is typical of people who possess no core values, knowledge, or even an understanding of themselves.
Trump is all bluster and bravado, but is, in fact, very weak-minded. He is easiy swayed by the last voice he hears, which is typical of people who possess no core values, knowledge, or even an understanding of themselves.
8
There are quite a few references to "glimmers of hope" in these comments from liberal and progressive-minded readers. Does Trump have "liberal instincts" deep inside that are starting to shine through? Has is contact with celebrity culture imbued him with affinities that belie his overtly bigoted, racist and sexist campaign? Despite the fact that this shows him to have virtually no core guiding principles other than self-aggrandizement, this might actually be better than the alternative of a dogmatic establishment, tea-party or cultural conservative as president. If Trump is so impressionable and plastic, progressives need to have a seat at his table to engage him. Out of despair, darkness and disorientation, there may indeed be a sliver of light and reason. We shall see.
15
The struggle for Trump's soul is just beginning? Are you serious? His Faustian bargain was signed and delivered some time ago. Our's is a particularly soulless political era in which the public trust is traded for personal advantage, both in money and in ego. Trumps and Clintons alike are in the game for the same reason, and it's not to advance the public good. Let's not be silly about this. The sole question is on which side one's bread is buttered. Voting for the lesser of the evils in fear of wasting one's vote has led us into this moral cul-de-sac. There is no exit if we continue with the same game.
2
Unfortunately President-elect Trump has established a modus operandi where words have no permanent or lasting meaning. His public comments on numerous issues are self-evidently incompatible and contradictory in nature, and when the music stops large swaths of people will left without a chair.
The the only thing to give anyone authentic hope (including his supporters) will be his actions, and at this point all anyone can do is speculate. And while we can optimistically speculate, this is a far cry from hope.
The the only thing to give anyone authentic hope (including his supporters) will be his actions, and at this point all anyone can do is speculate. And while we can optimistically speculate, this is a far cry from hope.
64
You must take a look at the larger picture. He is still surrounded by "extreme characters." The influence of the alt-right; white supremacists; racists; misogynists; homophobes; all manner of execrable individuals is present and undeniable. The hatred and evil that this man has exposed and encouraged cannot be overlooked or ignored.
His lack of knowledge about every important issue cannot be compensated for by "talking to people." On the question of waterboarding and torture, he is ready to change his mind because Mattis "never found it to be useful." Never mind that it's morally wrong. He is impressed by shallow and simplistic thoughts and statements. What you characterize as a struggle for his soul is actually evidence of absence of integrity, moral character, and understanding of history, global forces, science, and humanity.
You should not be lulled so easily into complacency and acceptance. There is a lot at stake here, and we need the press to hold those in power accountable and to ensure that the truth prevails.
His lack of knowledge about every important issue cannot be compensated for by "talking to people." On the question of waterboarding and torture, he is ready to change his mind because Mattis "never found it to be useful." Never mind that it's morally wrong. He is impressed by shallow and simplistic thoughts and statements. What you characterize as a struggle for his soul is actually evidence of absence of integrity, moral character, and understanding of history, global forces, science, and humanity.
You should not be lulled so easily into complacency and acceptance. There is a lot at stake here, and we need the press to hold those in power accountable and to ensure that the truth prevails.
5
We are going to look into it. We're going to look at a lot of things. We're going to be tough, we're going to be smart, and we're going to be fair. We're going to have the top people and we're going to make America great again.
There. I just saved America the need for any more interviews. I've answered every question.
There. I just saved America the need for any more interviews. I've answered every question.
21
So Nikki Haley, a person who has not been outside of one of our most backward states, who has not negotiated deals beyond her borders, is going to the UN as ambassador.
Are you kidding me?
Are you kidding me?
We are going to look into it. We're going to look at a lot of things. We're going to be tough, we're going to be smart, and we're going to be fair. We're going to have the top people and we're going to make America great again.
I think that we do have to give Mr. Thomas Friedman enormous credit for getting Trump a face-saving opportunity to moderate his prior position about global climate change and the U.S. response to it. I saw an article written by Tom Friedman somewhere around one week ago in which he respectfully asked Trump to reconsider his views. I read the transcript of the NYT meeting with Trump, including exactly what each of them said.
Although I do find what Thomas Friedman says valuable, sometimes it does seem overly rambling on various topics. Yet, that is nothing compared with the endless rambling that Trump continually uttered as laid out in the meeting transcript. That said, let's say it loud and clear that Trump did himself (what's important to him) and us all much good with the NYT meeting.
Although I do find what Thomas Friedman says valuable, sometimes it does seem overly rambling on various topics. Yet, that is nothing compared with the endless rambling that Trump continually uttered as laid out in the meeting transcript. That said, let's say it loud and clear that Trump did himself (what's important to him) and us all much good with the NYT meeting.
Mr. Friedman has grudgingly revealed a President-elect without ideology and canned refrain, someone who listens without assuming to know. It is time Mr. Friedman and other NYTimes pundits do likewise; drop their own talking points and bigotry to risk becoming authentic, to learn and admit their lack of knowledge to forge new ground.
Authenticity has been missing since the Clinton’s first came on the scene with guilt and blame their modus operandi. The air is cleaner already Mr. Friedman, as much of the pollution is indeed man caused, particularly the global warming done in the name of politically-correct hubris.
Authenticity has been missing since the Clinton’s first came on the scene with guilt and blame their modus operandi. The air is cleaner already Mr. Friedman, as much of the pollution is indeed man caused, particularly the global warming done in the name of politically-correct hubris.
1
Since he reads the NYT, the NYT needs to become a teacher of American history and government. This is important. All columnists need to use each column to present some aspect of the history and structure and functioning of American government, along with the columnists's personal opinions. Generalities and opinions won't be enough - you have to include specific fact after specific fact. Basic to the art of persuasion is that specificity equals credibility. But persuasion aside, you have a new job now: educator in how American government works. The president-elect seems not to have grasped, just yet, the nature and scope of a president's powers, or the role of the Justice Department, the FBI, Congress and the Supreme Court. People see the world through the lens of their experience. So, he sees the world through his experience, which is that of a CEO and a TV actor. You must provide the education. It would probably best to do it in such a way that you don't start with the "ruler-slap". You will need to appeal to the vanity and desire for popularity. It may be possible also to appeal to a better angel that may lurk somewhere in there - the person who rebuilt Wollman Rink in the 80s. However - what we have seen so far suggests that you will also need to be very, very tough with the student. Don't assume any prior knowledge, though.
2
You can forget about anything changing.
40% of Americans get *all* their info from Murdoch Media - Fox.
40% of Americans get *all* their info from Murdoch Media - Fox.
After a campaign that saw the NY Times do their best to hold Trump accountable for the lies and craziness he spewed on a daily basis, he came for a visit. Unsurprisingly, the charlatan charlatened. Certainly, you must report that he said his views on several important issues were moderating. Wisely, you did so with some skepticism. What seems obvious is that the man simply says what he thinks his audience wants to hear. His impromptu trip to Mexico during the campaign is a perfect example. He said wonderful things about the Mexican leadership and people while in their midst, and then hours later said the exact opposite to throngs of anti-immigration supporters at a rally. I believe that he genuinely has no cognitive dissonance over the conflicting viewpoints. In his mind, the calculus is very simple; you speak the words that make your audience think you're great.
I don't know if Trump has grasped that very soon he will have to start making decisions. On what basis will he make them? Deeply held personal convictions? Has he offered any evidence at all that he has any? Or will it be based on whoever last expressed an opinion to him? He has indicated he wants to continue doing his rallies, so will he make decisions based on what that audience wants to hear? If his cabinet is split, the media wants one option and his base wants another, how will he decide? Relying on his soul seems...is there a word for hopelessly desperate?
I don't know if Trump has grasped that very soon he will have to start making decisions. On what basis will he make them? Deeply held personal convictions? Has he offered any evidence at all that he has any? Or will it be based on whoever last expressed an opinion to him? He has indicated he wants to continue doing his rallies, so will he make decisions based on what that audience wants to hear? If his cabinet is split, the media wants one option and his base wants another, how will he decide? Relying on his soul seems...is there a word for hopelessly desperate?
2
You blinked. He told you what you wanted to hear and you believed it, and it didn't last a whole day. You forget that climate science denial is an industry and Republicans in Congress are a bought and paid for subsidiary of it. If you thought Trump was smart enough to see through them I have a swamp to sell you. He is a conscienceless con man, and you wanted to believe.
Here's what's really happening:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/nov/22/nasa-earth-donald-tr... "The incoming administration will scrap NASA’s climate change research and crack down on “politicized science”, Bob Walker, Donald Trump’s senior adviser on issues related to the space agency, said. The agency will focus on deep space exploration, following Trump’s campaign promise to explore the entire solar system before the end of the century. NASA’s earth science division will have its budget cut, which will reduce its world-renowned research into temperature, ice, clouds and other climate phenomena. It was set to have its budget increased to $2bn in 2017, while space exploration was set to be $2.8bn. Walker said earth-centric science was better for other agencies and that NASA should step away from what he previously called “politically correct environmental monitoring”."
By the way, unskeptical "skepticisim" is the politically correct position, out of whack with both reality and the vast majority of expertise worldwide and over time.
Here's what's really happening:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/nov/22/nasa-earth-donald-tr... "The incoming administration will scrap NASA’s climate change research and crack down on “politicized science”, Bob Walker, Donald Trump’s senior adviser on issues related to the space agency, said. The agency will focus on deep space exploration, following Trump’s campaign promise to explore the entire solar system before the end of the century. NASA’s earth science division will have its budget cut, which will reduce its world-renowned research into temperature, ice, clouds and other climate phenomena. It was set to have its budget increased to $2bn in 2017, while space exploration was set to be $2.8bn. Walker said earth-centric science was better for other agencies and that NASA should step away from what he previously called “politically correct environmental monitoring”."
By the way, unskeptical "skepticisim" is the politically correct position, out of whack with both reality and the vast majority of expertise worldwide and over time.
6
Seriously? The Presidency is now a reality television show and the visit to the Times was just another episode to add to the drama. How scary that he could play the Times and we get a piece like this? He is considering his positions? Nothing in his intellect or experience underlies his positions other than wooing the audience in front of him. I do hope journalists wake up and help protect us from an unstable narcissist who we are supposed to call President.
17
Beep, beep, beep. That is the sound of Trump backing away from many campaign promises made to con people into voting for him. How will his supporters react as one by one, he changes his mind about climate change, immigration, making America great again? The hardest pill to swallow will be when his supporters are still unemployed or underemployed when the next election cycle hits. Beep, beep, beep...
2
I didn't vote for Trump and I can't imagine a circumstance where I would. But I've given up the idea that I know everything some time ago. And I find it encouraging that, even surrounded by an apparently universal chorus singing the same song he's looking at new lyrics. This says something about him other than he's guided by the last person he talked to.
28
What he has is a well developed personal constitution, founded on life's experience and enormous talent. Everything we've seen him do over the past 30 - 40 years has been to get a result. He's a good person and the country is fortunate he knew how to rally troops to win and moderate the victory lap. Think about it before you take issue or you'll miss how there is a man for every season.
1
I hope you will take a closer look at what he has actually done, instead of what he says about himself. Talk is cheap. "A People’s History of Donald Trump's Business Busts and Countless Victims"
http://www.newsweek.com/2016/10/28/donald-trump-business-busts-victims-5...
You seem to have missed the bullying and hate promotion. My news is full of new hate crimes. What is happening to us all?
http://www.newsweek.com/2016/10/28/donald-trump-business-busts-victims-5...
You seem to have missed the bullying and hate promotion. My news is full of new hate crimes. What is happening to us all?
1
Ann Coulter tweeted her displeasure with President Elect Trump, especially on not prosecuting Hillary Clinton. i would say the lunch was a total success!!
2
My concern is that he was blowing smoke and charming everyone one in that room who so want to believe he isn't a facist Nazi climate denier. My concern is that getting the libs and the realists to let their guard down will give him time to build his alt-right movement. Hope I am wrong.
5
So, did he mean it then? Does he mean it now?
How many lies are we willing to ignore from a man who lies like he breathes (to rephrase Frank Bruni's comment today), effortlessly and automatically?
In the decades since he came onto the scene there have only been two things true about him; he will say whatever he can to get your attention and then he will use that to get your money. That is the essence of branding, and that is all he is: a brand. An empty, but familiar, facade meant to reassure you simply by its ubiquity.
How many lies are we willing to ignore from a man who lies like he breathes (to rephrase Frank Bruni's comment today), effortlessly and automatically?
In the decades since he came onto the scene there have only been two things true about him; he will say whatever he can to get your attention and then he will use that to get your money. That is the essence of branding, and that is all he is: a brand. An empty, but familiar, facade meant to reassure you simply by its ubiquity.
5
Have you ever bought a car? Trump is a president with a used car salesman mentality, he says a lot of things that sound like he is saying something but in the end he says nothing of substance. It is all maybe, could be. we'll see, i'll have to look into that, possible. Went he was talking to his collision of rubes, nar do wells, and phobics he was very definitive, knowing they would love him no matter what he did. The easiest person to sell a car to is some one who can't afford one. He has no soul, so stop looking for one, all that matters to him is selling what ever is on the table in that particular moment, he is totally disconnected to anything but himself. He is a masterful con man but can he con his way through a presidency? So far, the answer is yes and he has opened the door to a brave new world.
4
Trump is a centrist and a pragmatist at heart. He has more political leverage now than LBJ. Anyone who stands in his way will be castigated and Twittified- as somebody who doesn't want to make America great again. No Senator is willing to stand in front of that barrage unless they are holding 5 aces. I say give the guy a chance. If liberals were so worried about the country- then they should have come out and voted- 80 million of them didn't bother to show up at the polls.
2
Mr. Friedman writes: "Trump clearly learns by talking to people, not reading." I think that the Republican leadership know this and is very happy to know that his Chief of Staff, the individual who will schedule his meetings and decide who will get Mr. Trump's ear, is Rance Preibus. I imagine that in the coming weeks Mr. Preibus will make sure that Mr. Trump hears A LOT MORE from mainstream "thinkers" like, say, Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell and less from the Alt-Right types. Whether Mr. Ryan's and Mr. McConnell's views on climate change, health care, and military intervention are "extreme" is debatable. I expect they will make it clear to Mr. Trump that the cost to companies to meet environmental standards is too high, the cost to taxpayers to provide affordable health care is too high, but the need for more military spending is unquestionable. Is it extreme to assign a price point for environmental degradation? For the health and well being of every citizen in our country?
2
No matter what he says now to get favor from his hometown paper he has unleashed a hatred of Jews, mexicans, immigrants, Muslims, children being bullied daily in schools, little girls, and their parents in communities all across this country. People are afraid for their neighbors who will come to their door and rip their children from their parents. Never in my life have I been afraid that my neighbors would cause harm to my family and my friends. That is what he has given legitimization in this country. Not to mention the threat to women that they must give up their life if they have a problem pregnancy.
6
Can a leopard ever change its spots? You all know the answer. After showing his cards for a year and a half and bragging about them, it's highly unlikely that he will change, or even moderate. It's not part of his personality. However, the fact that he's a narcissist who wants and needs endless approval from everyone, could make a difference. So, he will say things to get that approval. What he actually does is the key. Unlike a leopard, he wants to be loved...so, he will try to take actions to create that feeling. He's a skilled manipulator, as well, so Mr. Friedman better watch out. Verbal promises, like contracts, can easily be broken, when its in his interest. Whether or not those interests parallel those of the country is yet to be seen.
1
No normal man could have said half the vulgar things he said about Mrs. Clinton and his Republican opponents during the campaign while truly believing them.
Mr. Trump is not a normal man, he did say those things, he does believe them; and that is why I consider every word he says the ramblings of a disturbed individual.
Mr. Trump is not a normal man, he did say those things, he does believe them; and that is why I consider every word he says the ramblings of a disturbed individual.
4
Yes, that's what did it for me.
I have never in my life heard an adult call other adults names. He's cruel willing to say do things that no normal person would think of just to win.
Disturbing.
I have never in my life heard an adult call other adults names. He's cruel willing to say do things that no normal person would think of just to win.
Disturbing.
One thing Friedman does not get along with most, is that the factory with one man and a dog should be planned and built with American engineers instead of Chinese engineers.
1
Any screenwriter will tell you that one trick to creating an effective drama is to use "reversals." Set up the scene or character in one direction, and when the audience least expects it, do the opposite. Confounded expectations are captivating to humans.
And now watch the NYT editorial board trip over themselves trying to understand Trump's performance today. Are we happy that he's reversed course, or mad that he's so shallow? Should we say we that we support his new positions, or decry his flip-floppery?
Trump will end up being our worst, most entertaining president ever.
And now watch the NYT editorial board trip over themselves trying to understand Trump's performance today. Are we happy that he's reversed course, or mad that he's so shallow? Should we say we that we support his new positions, or decry his flip-floppery?
Trump will end up being our worst, most entertaining president ever.
3
Before we throw everybody under the proverbial bus and since we have no choice since he will be the President very soon, let's see if his actions match his words to the NYT on Tuesday. If they do, great. If not, we will have plenty of time to criticize him.
1
But we don't have time. The physical and cultural climate of the earth are changing while we pretend to wonder if he is serious.
We know he isn't and never was.
We know he isn't and never was.
2
Brad, you don't get the point.
What if he turns out to be a good president? Then we will have lost the opportunity to criticize him.
Better to use the chance NOW while he hasn't actually fulfilled his promises (to the NYT).
As the NYT believes, Carpe Diem, seize the moment, criticize him NOW, before he does anything good!
What if he turns out to be a good president? Then we will have lost the opportunity to criticize him.
Better to use the chance NOW while he hasn't actually fulfilled his promises (to the NYT).
As the NYT believes, Carpe Diem, seize the moment, criticize him NOW, before he does anything good!
1
There is no way to bring the number of jobs back that Trump is talking about. The people in coal country and the rust belt do not want to deal with the fact that jobs have been leaving the US for a long time. I really don't want to believe it either, but that is just the way it is. The US is post-factory.
1
Trump is a master manipulator. I don't believe any of this for a second. He is simply trying to appease his critics so they won't speak out so vociferously against him before he takes office. This is all part of the long con, and I for one won't be falling for it.
6
History has shown, over and over again, at all times and on every continent, that giving the benefit of the doubt to strongmen with egomaniacal tendencies has been a fool's errand, and that "hope" in this context is a fool's gold. This is no time to be fools on account of some misplaced sense of fairness.
Have we really learned *nothing* from history?
Have we really learned *nothing* from history?
9
When Trump says something today that seems better than what he said yesterday, all that means is that it's a different day. The most fearful thing about the President-elect aren't his crazy policies. It's that he changes policies at the drop of a hat. People fear too much that he's evil. But to be evil you must have a devious plan that you carry out. The evidence suggests that he has no plans and that he is utterly incompetent. Today is Wednesday. Let's see where he stands on climate change now.
5
I read a lot of wishful thinking in this, but I frankly cannot be reassured to learn that the last person who speaks to 45 is the one who will decide US policies
6
If DJT cared about "doing a good job," he'd never have run, because he'd recognize his fundamental lack of fitness (too-thin knowledge, too-thin experience) makes the odds of pulling of "good job" way too long. He'd respect the office and our country enough to find an alternative path to influence, one that doesn't carry the enormous risk of disaster his presidency now poses for all of us.
Disaster. He threw that word around a lot during his campaign. It's hard to see how we can protect ourselves from the one that is coming after this honeymoon period is over, after the 18 months of ego-feeding rallies are long past, after the challenge of making good on insanely unrealistic promises starts to hit home. We know how he reacts when cornered. It isn't going to be pretty.
Disaster. He threw that word around a lot during his campaign. It's hard to see how we can protect ourselves from the one that is coming after this honeymoon period is over, after the 18 months of ego-feeding rallies are long past, after the challenge of making good on insanely unrealistic promises starts to hit home. We know how he reacts when cornered. It isn't going to be pretty.
1
Oh please. First of all, Trump can't be trusted with anything he says. It changes depending on what is in it for him at that moment. I don't understand this phenomenon of giving Trump the benefit of the doubt, of giving him a chance to finally show us who he really is, tell us what he really means, thinks, plans to do, especially in the wake of a defeat of his opponent who was deemed absolutely unfit to be president because she was untrustworthy, case closed, despite the facts that said otherwise, and in fact showed that Trump is in fact a pathological liar.
Donald Trump is a fraud. He has been his entire life. Foolish is the one who thinks he's sincere in anything other than his own personal gain. I don't believe he ever actually wanted this job or really thought about what it entailed. I think he wanted to be "king of the world" to satisfy his bottomless pit of narcissism.
And even if he is being sincere as Mr. Friedman hopes, all he's done is become Hillary Clinton, only with actual crimes committed and serious mental and personality disorders. To think it turns out we could have had the "Friedman Trump" in Clinton without the Trump Trump in Trump.
The Iraq war and the eEectoral College election of Donald Trump: The two hugest blunders (well, three if you include the Bush/Cheney admin.) in US history, all in less than one generation.
Figure it out, America.
Donald Trump is a fraud. He has been his entire life. Foolish is the one who thinks he's sincere in anything other than his own personal gain. I don't believe he ever actually wanted this job or really thought about what it entailed. I think he wanted to be "king of the world" to satisfy his bottomless pit of narcissism.
And even if he is being sincere as Mr. Friedman hopes, all he's done is become Hillary Clinton, only with actual crimes committed and serious mental and personality disorders. To think it turns out we could have had the "Friedman Trump" in Clinton without the Trump Trump in Trump.
The Iraq war and the eEectoral College election of Donald Trump: The two hugest blunders (well, three if you include the Bush/Cheney admin.) in US history, all in less than one generation.
Figure it out, America.
5
He quoted Mattis as saying, “Give me a pack of cigarettes and a couple of beers and I always do better” than anyone using torture. Concluded Trump, “I was very impressed by that answer.”
It used to give me great pleasure when I picked my son up from first grade and he would tell me what he learned in school that day. Hearing Trump go through the process of learning how to be President - at this late stage is deeply disturbing however. He has insulted the American people and his supporters by willfully failing to prepare for the task
It used to give me great pleasure when I picked my son up from first grade and he would tell me what he learned in school that day. Hearing Trump go through the process of learning how to be President - at this late stage is deeply disturbing however. He has insulted the American people and his supporters by willfully failing to prepare for the task
4
During the campaign, climate change was a con, a myth. Now there is a lot of truth in it. During the campaign he was going to send Hillary Clinton to jail. Now he's going to call off all the investigations. It seems that he lied to his supporters to get elected. Or maybe he's lying now, for whatever reason. Maybe he just has no concept of truth and fiction and will say whatever will keep his name in the headlines because he needs to be in the spotlight to assuage his insecurities. It has become fairly obvious he has no firmly held beliefs or standards.
2
Please remember one thing we learned, Trump knows how to play to the crowd. He will say what he thinks the audience wants to hear. Put him in front of a different group and he will says different things.
1
If the problem of shutting down coal mines is characterized as "people put out of work by the abrupt decline of coal used as fuel," then there's much that you can do for the people affected that doesn't require revival of the coal business.
2
Am I the only one who will never get over the fact that Trump mocked a disabled man, threatened to jail his political opponent and, among so many other things, revealed that he is a sexual predator?
When two of the most respected opinion writers of our generation--Brooks and Friedman--decide to give him a chance or encourage us to listen, I can't simply forget what he's said and done over the last 18 months.
I thought character counted for something.
When two of the most respected opinion writers of our generation--Brooks and Friedman--decide to give him a chance or encourage us to listen, I can't simply forget what he's said and done over the last 18 months.
I thought character counted for something.
11
Don't fall into the Trump trap - believing what he says. He is influenced by the last person he spoke to and he's modulates his messages to fit the audience. We need the press to be skeptical, be focused on getting to the heart of the matter, stop with false equivalency and push back on everything he says. We need an opposition party- the Deomcrats - and the press can help.
5
One can hope Trump will focus on clean air and water while creating jobs. A Conservation Corps could offer millions of jobs greening our country as it develops the best methods and machines to convert our economy from "Financial Services" focused to Sustainability Services.
BTW-Trump should look into the rigged system allowing all the Wall Street Wealthy investors in Maddoff to keep the billions they made because they moved them off-shore. That is the type of rigging that just isn't right.
BTW-Trump should look into the rigged system allowing all the Wall Street Wealthy investors in Maddoff to keep the billions they made because they moved them off-shore. That is the type of rigging that just isn't right.
As we all know that the Donald is a reality show performer. We'll soon find out we are duped if we take his performance with NYT yesterday as real. He has been a con man running business, he will be a con man running the country. He cons some people all the time, that is he cons different people at different time. Always, different people are hopeful or even happy at different time
3
Trump play acted through the interview, saying things he thought would please his liberal audience. His goal is to enrich himself, his family, and his cronies using the presidency for pay to play deals. Why do you think he suddenly let go of prosecuting "Crooked Hillary and the corrupt Clinton Foundation". He can't prosecute her for doing the same thing that he is going to do.
He used populist ideas and the American working class to get elected, just like Bush used the religious right. He got the racists behind him in a whipped up frenzy of hate that he can't control now and that will come home to bite him. And yes, he is a racist. He, Bannon, Sessions, and Flynn can deny that all they want. People can see the obvious.
All he is thinking about is four years out in 2020 and how much richer and out of debt he will be. He flat out just told us, he can't have conflicts of interest as president. He will emulate Putin's oligarchy in running the country. Privitizing federal infrastructure and social programs, throwing contracts to his billionare buddies. Creating middle class high paying jobs is not his concern or he would have already done it with his businesses. All the while, he will be bribing heads of state to benefit his business brand.
The good news is that he is woefully ignorant of Constitutional law and he has lawyers telling him what he wants to hear. His hubris will be his downfall. He is on a one way road to impeachment.
He used populist ideas and the American working class to get elected, just like Bush used the religious right. He got the racists behind him in a whipped up frenzy of hate that he can't control now and that will come home to bite him. And yes, he is a racist. He, Bannon, Sessions, and Flynn can deny that all they want. People can see the obvious.
All he is thinking about is four years out in 2020 and how much richer and out of debt he will be. He flat out just told us, he can't have conflicts of interest as president. He will emulate Putin's oligarchy in running the country. Privitizing federal infrastructure and social programs, throwing contracts to his billionare buddies. Creating middle class high paying jobs is not his concern or he would have already done it with his businesses. All the while, he will be bribing heads of state to benefit his business brand.
The good news is that he is woefully ignorant of Constitutional law and he has lawyers telling him what he wants to hear. His hubris will be his downfall. He is on a one way road to impeachment.
5
He saw Clinton and Blair make tons of money. Berlisconi Putin the guys in Ukraine and thought that he could do that too.
All he cares about is compensating for his low self esteem. He'll drain the US treasury worse than Cheney Rumsfeld ever did.
All he cares about is compensating for his low self esteem. He'll drain the US treasury worse than Cheney Rumsfeld ever did.
I'm encouraged that he's rethinking many of his outlandish positions touted during the campaign. But I have a sense of Schadenfreude for his supporters who elected him. I wonder what will happen when they wake up and realize he can't really do much to improve their lives.
An exceptional con man with a personality disorder stemming from deeply rooted insecurities that cause him to "bend" sound bites to be the center of attention and appease the audience he is in front of to gain approval.
3
His "out" on being too aggressive on increasing America's carbon footprint could be in support of US workers. Firmly establishing US leadership in alternative energy products and technologies could be sold as a job creator. If he wants to gain a few more fans in blue states and younger age groups, this is one of his few paths. He will continue to be a tough sell.
1
Trump changes his mind on a daily basis or even hourly in some cases. Until I see actual written policies put forth, I've largely stopped paying attention to what he says.
2
President-elect Trump can do lot but the problem is his expertise in various fields is very week and cable his surrounds himself extremely negative about democratic programs. Their endeavor to cancel all types of laws passed by Obama administration to sleep. They undo all the progress made by Obama for minorities, health program, climate change and many others. It is imperative upon media and other pundits to be vigilant and properly scrutinize his programs and polices geared for the welfare of minorities and the people called Hillary called "deplorable".
I'm not a big time business man but I think in the world of wheel and deal real estate perhaps one can lie all day long to any number of people and at the end of the day, if all sides are relatively happy, t's good. Things like that are not what I admire but again, I'm not there - not in that world.
I don't want this kind of real estate deal mentality to be the key character trait of our president. It's like living in a chamber of falseness - A house of maybe. Some type of test lab for our nation's sanity and wherewithal.
God, I'm gonna miss President Obama.
You people in every form of journalism must watch this man and the administration very carefully. And keep telling us what's going on. This could get way out of hand. I know that's an understatement but it's all I can muster at 6:15 am.
I don't want this kind of real estate deal mentality to be the key character trait of our president. It's like living in a chamber of falseness - A house of maybe. Some type of test lab for our nation's sanity and wherewithal.
God, I'm gonna miss President Obama.
You people in every form of journalism must watch this man and the administration very carefully. And keep telling us what's going on. This could get way out of hand. I know that's an understatement but it's all I can muster at 6:15 am.
1
There's a difference between an open mind and an empty head. Trump has repeatedly demonstrated his unwillingness or inability to learn anything, and I don't think that's changed. What matters is who will be tending to this vast open space, and what will they shovel into it? Based on the people I see assembling around him, I'm not terribly optimistic.
2
The President-elect waged a brilliantly innovative political campaign, defeating the most ambitious, experienced, and intelligent politicians in the running while spending far less than they did. He won primarily by focusing on the plight of the Americans left behind, a focus that only one other national politician shared: Barrack Obama. Obama proposed numerous policies to address what Trump spoke about, but the Republicans blocked them all. Maybe now we have a second chance!
1
I cannot agree that it was a brilliant campaign. I think he simply got very, very lucky that he ran at the specific time he did. I also think he was lucky he ran after more than two decades of the republicans tearing down every support beam of a rational and effective government.
Whenever Trump stuck to the script and appeared more presidential or backed away from some of the more extreme positions there is this feeling: Oh maybe he is not as bad as he appears to be.
But the words coming out of Trump's mouth don't mean much not the candy and maybe not the red meat either that should be obvious to anyone who has followed his campaign. Only his actions matter. Unfortunately I get the feeling that Trump's reign only has one motto:
L'etat c'est moi
But the words coming out of Trump's mouth don't mean much not the candy and maybe not the red meat either that should be obvious to anyone who has followed his campaign. Only his actions matter. Unfortunately I get the feeling that Trump's reign only has one motto:
L'etat c'est moi
It's great, and thank you Tom Friedman for advising us that Trump has moderated some of his positions post-election, but it is still harrowing that he has been given credibility and the power to take our country in a really devastating direction with so few safeguards available. Press freedom is so essential to monitor the development of how we pull out of the potential downward spiral.
1
Trump is so out of his element that he probably doesn't even realize that he is constantly changing positions. Further evidence can be shown by his cabinet picks of people hardly qualified to do the jobs, i.e. Ben Carson. Even Nikki Haley is a case just finding some job to reward her for her undying loyalty.
Trump is putting together a team of advisors that could lead us into a plethora of trouble going forward. It is my home that the Times and other media sources continue to monitor and question his actions. Our only hope is that he is around for just 4 years, & a qualified replacement appears in 2020.
Trump is putting together a team of advisors that could lead us into a plethora of trouble going forward. It is my home that the Times and other media sources continue to monitor and question his actions. Our only hope is that he is around for just 4 years, & a qualified replacement appears in 2020.
Nikki Haley's never been out of SC! Do qualifications count for nothing? Wow.
So climate change depends what it costs the companies? A clear message that his priority is corporate profits and not the good health of the planet. Someone should point out the relationship - if the planet dies, there will be no corporate profits.
Friedman reveals that in the entire time since Trump announced, Friedman has never met him, never been in the same room with him. I'd expected something more from Friedman.
He says a deal with Netanyahu and the Palestinians would be pay-per-view. Well, we pay for it. A lot, for decades. Let's view.
As for his son-in-law doing it, anyone with the full backing of the US President will have real power to deal. Get their attention first, and much can happen.
On torture, a friend of mine who did interrogations for two years in Vietnam during that war said the exact same works as Mattis. Beer and cigarettes. It must be in a manual, because the expression is the same as I first heard from him decades ago.
On climate, I believe in the human role, but I also believe that it is not necessary to win that argument. The more important argument is that we need to do something about it, whatever the blame. Even if it were entirely natural, which I don't believe for a second, we'd still have the same problem, and we'd still have to pay to cope with it. Part of coping with it would be efforts to reduce it.
We need to get ready for what we'll get of it even with whatever efforts we can make now. There will be expenses for our companies even if we do nothing, as they pay more for the extra warming that comes from neglect of the issue. Mar-a-Lago for example will sink -- what will that cost? So will much of New York, Boston -- what will that cost "our companies"?
He says a deal with Netanyahu and the Palestinians would be pay-per-view. Well, we pay for it. A lot, for decades. Let's view.
As for his son-in-law doing it, anyone with the full backing of the US President will have real power to deal. Get their attention first, and much can happen.
On torture, a friend of mine who did interrogations for two years in Vietnam during that war said the exact same works as Mattis. Beer and cigarettes. It must be in a manual, because the expression is the same as I first heard from him decades ago.
On climate, I believe in the human role, but I also believe that it is not necessary to win that argument. The more important argument is that we need to do something about it, whatever the blame. Even if it were entirely natural, which I don't believe for a second, we'd still have the same problem, and we'd still have to pay to cope with it. Part of coping with it would be efforts to reduce it.
We need to get ready for what we'll get of it even with whatever efforts we can make now. There will be expenses for our companies even if we do nothing, as they pay more for the extra warming that comes from neglect of the issue. Mar-a-Lago for example will sink -- what will that cost? So will much of New York, Boston -- what will that cost "our companies"?
2
A bold president with real flexibility and an ability to engage all sides may be our only chance to break the gridlock.
And regarding Trump's decision making? I did always agree with the apprentice he eventually hired. (That was intended to be funny, all you would-be critics).
So I'm going to remain warily encouraged.
And regarding Trump's decision making? I did always agree with the apprentice he eventually hired. (That was intended to be funny, all you would-be critics).
So I'm going to remain warily encouraged.
2
There is no greater gift our President-elect can give those who did not want him as our leader than hope and especially at this time, gratitude, for all of us who have accepted him as our President. Knowing that Mar-a-Lago - Trump's Villa Mauresque in Palm Beach, Florida - will be the southern White House for the coming 4 years more or less, is cold comfort to Floridians who have had enough of Republican politics to last a lifetime.
Two hopeful signs today - the day after the 53rd Anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's assassination in Dallas Texas, which united us all in four passionately unforgettable days of mourning - that Trump has named Nikki Haley, one of his staunchest GOP critics, Governor of South Carolina, to be our U.N. Ambassador, and that Good Dr. Ben Carson who was for Trump in his climb to the Presidency, has been named Head of HUD in Trump's Cabinet-to-be.
Trump is not a wise or introspective man, he is clever and - as with all con men - sure of his abilities to pull the wool over all eyes watching him. Which he did with the mainstream media and social media. Twitter was his shield and buckler, and he has created a new way of winning presidential elections - promising the world to his followers and then reneging on his promises - and all the other execrable loaves and fishes , bread and circuses he fed to his people for 17 months. Notwithstanding Trump, we shall give thanks tomorrow for the great bounty we receive in our sweet land of Liberty.
Two hopeful signs today - the day after the 53rd Anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's assassination in Dallas Texas, which united us all in four passionately unforgettable days of mourning - that Trump has named Nikki Haley, one of his staunchest GOP critics, Governor of South Carolina, to be our U.N. Ambassador, and that Good Dr. Ben Carson who was for Trump in his climb to the Presidency, has been named Head of HUD in Trump's Cabinet-to-be.
Trump is not a wise or introspective man, he is clever and - as with all con men - sure of his abilities to pull the wool over all eyes watching him. Which he did with the mainstream media and social media. Twitter was his shield and buckler, and he has created a new way of winning presidential elections - promising the world to his followers and then reneging on his promises - and all the other execrable loaves and fishes , bread and circuses he fed to his people for 17 months. Notwithstanding Trump, we shall give thanks tomorrow for the great bounty we receive in our sweet land of Liberty.
A few days ago Carson's spokesman said Carson wouldn't be taking any offered jobs because "he was no good at running stuff".
Knowing that why would anyone hire him???
Knowing that why would anyone hire him???
I am not worried most about Trump's con artist skills, good as they are. There are many Republicans and others who know when a con is being perpetrated. And there are those who don't know they are being conned and those who love it because it serves their needs.
It is revolting to see sleazy con tactics used as a means to wield great power. But it is the evidence that Mr. Trump will conflate his personal ambitions with the office of president that is most troubling and seems clearer. That's one con that few around him seems to care much about but which can change this country's governance to look a lot more like Russia and other countries where rules of law are violated by abuse of power.
It is revolting to see sleazy con tactics used as a means to wield great power. But it is the evidence that Mr. Trump will conflate his personal ambitions with the office of president that is most troubling and seems clearer. That's one con that few around him seems to care much about but which can change this country's governance to look a lot more like Russia and other countries where rules of law are violated by abuse of power.
Trump is a chameleon and will, perhaps without conscious awareness, say whatever he thinks those around him want to hear.
He will need the stabilizing influence of a a very experienced and strong politician once he ventures into international waters. He needs a consultant who is available 24/7.
Trump, please put Obama on speed-dial.
He will need the stabilizing influence of a a very experienced and strong politician once he ventures into international waters. He needs a consultant who is available 24/7.
Trump, please put Obama on speed-dial.
5
I have been around people like Donald Trump. They are quick to be influenced by the last person to make an impression on them -- and they are just as likely to change that attitude if they are influenced more strongly and more recently by someone taking an opposite point of view. As managers, they can be among the worst to work for because there is no underlying strategy, just a "where the river flows" approach. You never know where you stand with such people. For a small business this can be unnerving; for a powerful nation it is unacceptable, even dangerous.
8
So fascinating - how we attempt to convert ourselves into believers: that someone so many viewed as dangerous (even deranged) can be transformed into possibility and hope by being voted into office.
Either we are very optimistic beings -- or deluded followers-in-the-making. Whichever, we are in for quite a painful period of cognitive dissonance.
Either we are very optimistic beings -- or deluded followers-in-the-making. Whichever, we are in for quite a painful period of cognitive dissonance.
Buried within his comments is the nut of how he operates, unchanged from day one, every decision is seen through the lens of business transactions. Gen Manis sold him on interrogation over torture, climate change is a problem but not woth dealing with if it hurts business.
The question is can he turn his simple A= B business equation into a more complex one that can see that it is not just how you extract information but how you use it.
He has shown not aptitude for taking multiple opinions and synthesizing them into a coherent plan.
What has been so admirable about Obama is this ability. He made mistakes but added those mistakes to his body of knowledge. Patiently he has laid the foundation for foreign and domestic policies that would continue to blossom if the next president would only have enough foresight to nurture and tweak them as situations developed.
Trump likes to brand everything with his name. The question to be answered after 4 yrs is will he follow along the Obama path and just rename it Trump or build the house the Republicans want to build.
The question is can he turn his simple A= B business equation into a more complex one that can see that it is not just how you extract information but how you use it.
He has shown not aptitude for taking multiple opinions and synthesizing them into a coherent plan.
What has been so admirable about Obama is this ability. He made mistakes but added those mistakes to his body of knowledge. Patiently he has laid the foundation for foreign and domestic policies that would continue to blossom if the next president would only have enough foresight to nurture and tweak them as situations developed.
Trump likes to brand everything with his name. The question to be answered after 4 yrs is will he follow along the Obama path and just rename it Trump or build the house the Republicans want to build.
1
The fact President-Elect Trump learns by listening and not by reading is critical and not to be underestimated. Without question, he "learns differently" as they liked to say at my kid's school. His learning style suggests that positive, assertive (that is not aggressive or hostile) engagement will glean the greatest results fro the greater good. He is a "sensor" in the way he approaches people and the world around him. The better we are able to understand what makes Mr. Trump "tick" that better able we will be as moderating influencers
2
Nothing in what Mr. Friedman writes gives me hope. First, Trump’s pivot to the world of reality, is nothing more then a political necessity. With the election over, Trump’s base of woefully gullible voters (those whom Lincoln noted could be fooled all of the time) is no longer needed. To govern, Trump has to secure the cooperation of people who know better. Second, the move away from torture was easily predictable. After all, the military brass hats don’t want to end their careers as indicted war criminals having to dodge international arrest warrants for the rest of their lives. Third, despite the rhetorical value of “struggle for Donald Trump’s soul”, there is no such thing as a soul, and if there was, Trump’s would already be condemned. Finally, it is regrettable that Mr. Friedman chose not address Trump’s refusal to abide by ethics laws and the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution. The United States is (or at least should be) a sovereign, constitutional republic and not just another fully owned subsidiary of Trump, Inc. Trump is an opportunist and a manipulator. So long as good people allow themselves to be conned by predictable shifts in Trump’s outward appearance (yesterday a radical, today a moderate and tomorrow, who knows what) I see very little hope for our country.
3
One of the important roles of the president is to show dignity and respect for the institutions, founding documents and principles on which this country was founded. One of the symbols that represents the idea of that office is the White House. The president lives in the house that the country owns and that is where he does its business, not his business.
Tyrants and dictators want all the binding symbols of state to reflect them. Trump should learn to read so he can read the Constitution to understand his obligation to the country. Otherwise after 4 yrs of Trump all the rights we hold to be self evident will be meaningless and all the cohesion the symbols that represent those rights will be broken.
Tyrants and dictators want all the binding symbols of state to reflect them. Trump should learn to read so he can read the Constitution to understand his obligation to the country. Otherwise after 4 yrs of Trump all the rights we hold to be self evident will be meaningless and all the cohesion the symbols that represent those rights will be broken.
1
I am a manufacturing engineer and Tom, while I love reading your column, I have to say I have a particular disdain for economists who like to profess that manufacturing will never come back to this country. Whether we want to go back to the days of Perot, economists would say, 'Asia will never build the high quality' then to 'Asia will never build high tech' to now saying 'there is no manufacturing to bring back, it's all robots!' All of these rationalizations are incorrect and frankly a cop out for what really drives American companies to manufacture oversees.
In my 25 years doing this, I have been part of closing 12 US manufacturing plants and moving the work overseas. I have been part of supply chain leadership and decision makers and it always comes down to one reason and that is wages.
Automation has always been part of our business and the truth is that robotics and full automation will only be viable for the largest and highest volume processes, and at the same time, even with robotics, there is a whole team of higher skilled engineers required to keep them operational.
If the president elect would like to have a cogent trade policy, he should look at protecting American wage rates versus ALL imports and apply a duty based on the differential. If there is no wage incentive to produce off shore, every one of those millions of jobs will come back as quickly as they left.
In my 25 years doing this, I have been part of closing 12 US manufacturing plants and moving the work overseas. I have been part of supply chain leadership and decision makers and it always comes down to one reason and that is wages.
Automation has always been part of our business and the truth is that robotics and full automation will only be viable for the largest and highest volume processes, and at the same time, even with robotics, there is a whole team of higher skilled engineers required to keep them operational.
If the president elect would like to have a cogent trade policy, he should look at protecting American wage rates versus ALL imports and apply a duty based on the differential. If there is no wage incentive to produce off shore, every one of those millions of jobs will come back as quickly as they left.
1
Trump promised to bring good-paying jobs to America by incentivizing and pressuring American companies. One of the biggest mistakes made has been to allow American corporations to take manufacturing facilities away from the US and establishing them in countries where wages were significantly lower, making it impossible for American companies that stayed behind to compete. Though American companies have made extraordinary profits with the global economy, they will not concede these profits without a serious battle. The best way to return jobs and profits to the US is to tax these multinational corporations so that profits made by outsourcing jobs are greatly minimized. To allow these corporations to seek slave labor all over the world for larger profits was a big mistake. They are the culprits who caused our economic problems today. $800 billion in trade deficits is unsustainable when the middle class has to pay with their jobs.
A complete reversal in corporate power and policy has to be enacted by our government.
A complete reversal in corporate power and policy has to be enacted by our government.
2
If there's one quality in which Trump has the largest advantage over Obama at this stage in the transition it is a lack of naïveté in dealing with business leaders. Perhaps one other advantage is that he's more willing to get along with foreign powers, whereas Obama seemed to overcompensate for his domestic naïveté with multiple ill-fated and destructive clandestine coupes.
Perhaps we'll learn something from this. In this troubled world we have today, perhaps a strongman approach is what is needed. Trump has already put the Liberals in their place, and he recognizes that putting Americans first doesn't mean abandoning the world! It simply means that we cannot project an effective presence around the world unless our own system is function and our own citizens are reasonably happy with their government.
Friedman has been a futurist on the economy for a long time, and unfortunately, being too far ahead in economic thinking leads to divisive and destructive policy. Also Friedman needs to understand that the current approach towards globalization and the maximization of capital returns world wide is what caused the crash and the following recession and the current low level of worker participation in the US.
Maybe now that he's taken the white nationalist/alt-right, bogus narrative of recent press articles off the table we can make some progress.
Perhaps we'll learn something from this. In this troubled world we have today, perhaps a strongman approach is what is needed. Trump has already put the Liberals in their place, and he recognizes that putting Americans first doesn't mean abandoning the world! It simply means that we cannot project an effective presence around the world unless our own system is function and our own citizens are reasonably happy with their government.
Friedman has been a futurist on the economy for a long time, and unfortunately, being too far ahead in economic thinking leads to divisive and destructive policy. Also Friedman needs to understand that the current approach towards globalization and the maximization of capital returns world wide is what caused the crash and the following recession and the current low level of worker participation in the US.
Maybe now that he's taken the white nationalist/alt-right, bogus narrative of recent press articles off the table we can make some progress.
1
I remember when Gore conceded the election to Bush. I wished Bush the best and hoped that he'd be a good president, surround himself with good people, have the ability to understand the limits of the presidency and the influence it has. Then 9/11 happened and I saw him and his people lose any good will or generosity of spirit that that tragedy generated. They fumbled at finding bin Laden. They fumbled in Afghanistan, in Iraq, at keeping the economy going. He left office and I breathed a sigh of relief.
At least Obama tried to fix things. He attempted to improve all our lives. He wasn't the perfect president but he was something that Bush was not: careful. Now we have Trump coming in. Rarely have I seen a president-elect who is so unwilling to submit to the demands this office will make. He doesn't appear to understand that the merest hint of scandal will prevent him from keeping our good will because we have been primed to see scandals in the smallest misstep by the GOP.
Trump's election was not the result of a United States that wanted him in the office as much as it is a testament to the fact that the Electoral College votes are on his side. If he and the GOP want to win our hearts and minds they'd better work for all of us instead of some of us. Nothing I've heard indicates that such a thing will come to pass during Trump's term. Why? Because the GOP and the money supporting it doesn't come with an interest in the middle and working classes.
At least Obama tried to fix things. He attempted to improve all our lives. He wasn't the perfect president but he was something that Bush was not: careful. Now we have Trump coming in. Rarely have I seen a president-elect who is so unwilling to submit to the demands this office will make. He doesn't appear to understand that the merest hint of scandal will prevent him from keeping our good will because we have been primed to see scandals in the smallest misstep by the GOP.
Trump's election was not the result of a United States that wanted him in the office as much as it is a testament to the fact that the Electoral College votes are on his side. If he and the GOP want to win our hearts and minds they'd better work for all of us instead of some of us. Nothing I've heard indicates that such a thing will come to pass during Trump's term. Why? Because the GOP and the money supporting it doesn't come with an interest in the middle and working classes.
3
Give me a break, Mr. Friedman.
We are all in an abusive relationship with slings and arrows thrown our way for a year and a half. Now that the King deigned to meet with you and seemed almost reasonable, you dismiss all the insanity that's already happened in the first two weeks of his reign?
You are a fool.
Less than half the voters elected Chance the gardener.
Stop trying to polish a turd.
We are all in an abusive relationship with slings and arrows thrown our way for a year and a half. Now that the King deigned to meet with you and seemed almost reasonable, you dismiss all the insanity that's already happened in the first two weeks of his reign?
You are a fool.
Less than half the voters elected Chance the gardener.
Stop trying to polish a turd.
27
This man does not engender hope but fear. He and his henchmen are to be feared for what they represent and what they will do to the American dream. You cannot believe a thing he says. Judge people by what they do, not by what they say.
Expose and educate. Do your research, dig into the man and his dealings and report them honestly to the country. Look into the failings of the GOP and expose and educate. This GOP party and their standard bearer are a disaster for this country that can only be eradicated through the sunlight of truth shining on their darkness. Expose and educate, the job of the free press.
Expose and educate. Do your research, dig into the man and his dealings and report them honestly to the country. Look into the failings of the GOP and expose and educate. This GOP party and their standard bearer are a disaster for this country that can only be eradicated through the sunlight of truth shining on their darkness. Expose and educate, the job of the free press.
11
For all the soothsaying about hoping Trump is moderating his views and give him a chance, I'm not going to change my view, seeing how he divided the country and blamed everyone but himself! His early plan was to bury Hillary, which he did, and even though he may change his spots, his posse seems as determined as ever to 'lock her up' and have a 'whites only' core of power!
4
Mr. Trump should and will be judged on his actions not his words.
It will be refreshing to see how the NYT Editorial Board, Columnists, and Opinion writers will deal with his successes. We already know how they will deal with his failures.
It will be refreshing to see how the NYT Editorial Board, Columnists, and Opinion writers will deal with his successes. We already know how they will deal with his failures.
3
The question is not how the NY Times will deal with Trump's failures, but how his supporters will. And since many supporters will define failure as Trump backing off his most extreme promises, the rest of us need to know whether these supporters will angrily demand--- Tea-Party style--- yet more reactionary leaders to fulfill Trump's wildest promises. We need to know just how far the apparently bottomless pit of Trump supporter anger and resentment descends.
1
The only "success" he's had so far is hoodwinking his supporters into believing he believes or will do "this" while now saying he believes or will do "that". For reference, this is called "lying". Judging by Clinton's popular vote total, a growing majority of Americans didn't buy the act. Hardly a success story.
2
I read the entire transcript.
I don't doubt Trump can be charming when he wants to be, but his answers didn't read so moderately. He essentially argued to give climate skeptics more attention (The Guardian posted an article indicating his advisors think climate change is 'politicized science), claimed "political correctness" was a problem with cabinets, rambled incoherently when asked about Syria, and loved your compliment that he didn't seem "awed" by the job. Perhaps that's because he hasn't actually started the job.
I don't doubt Trump can be charming when he wants to be, but his answers didn't read so moderately. He essentially argued to give climate skeptics more attention (The Guardian posted an article indicating his advisors think climate change is 'politicized science), claimed "political correctness" was a problem with cabinets, rambled incoherently when asked about Syria, and loved your compliment that he didn't seem "awed" by the job. Perhaps that's because he hasn't actually started the job.
4
I don't understand why the Times' columnists believe anything this man has to say? Why didn't anyone ask him the meta question about his saying whatever he feels like to a particular audience instead of reading his statements as signs of moderation?
18
Trump with the Times was the same as Trump with the Mexican President.
He's not going to confront people and tell them what they don't want to hear. That runs contrary to his need to be loved.
He'll save that for later.
Watch what he does, not what he says.
He's not going to confront people and tell them what they don't want to hear. That runs contrary to his need to be loved.
He'll save that for later.
Watch what he does, not what he says.
12
I think it would be a good idea to help to guide Donald J. Trump....into
making some decisions by thoughtful journalists....since it seems that
he would welcome your friendship.....looks like a start.....since he has
never governed before...and yes...the job of President is daunting for
a neophyte....don't you think....just sayin' Tom.
making some decisions by thoughtful journalists....since it seems that
he would welcome your friendship.....looks like a start.....since he has
never governed before...and yes...the job of President is daunting for
a neophyte....don't you think....just sayin' Tom.
I think that any hope that dt will be anyone else than the person who presented himself during the campaign, is delusional.
You were there Mr. Friedman, as were all the others we hear from at NYT''s. You have been there for about 18 months.
The NYT's front pages have been full of articles about who he is surrounding himself with, in what is a truly pathetic charade of a 'transition' of power in the richest and most powerful nation in the world.
The thought that he will 'learn', or 'moderate' his views based on good advice is again delusional. He won't learn anything from a wider network of people. He will still have his 'Trump whisperers', none of whom seem to be able to comprehend the gravity of the office. And he will continue to be his immoderate, crazy self.
I don't envy you your job, or any of the other journalists who will have to cover this. You must be exhausted by now, and your life in the trenches of truth seeking and exposure, should you choose to accept it, is only beginning.
It may be hyperbole, but I can't remember when the service of a true fourth estate has been needed more than now. And not just on this topic.
You were there Mr. Friedman, as were all the others we hear from at NYT''s. You have been there for about 18 months.
The NYT's front pages have been full of articles about who he is surrounding himself with, in what is a truly pathetic charade of a 'transition' of power in the richest and most powerful nation in the world.
The thought that he will 'learn', or 'moderate' his views based on good advice is again delusional. He won't learn anything from a wider network of people. He will still have his 'Trump whisperers', none of whom seem to be able to comprehend the gravity of the office. And he will continue to be his immoderate, crazy self.
I don't envy you your job, or any of the other journalists who will have to cover this. You must be exhausted by now, and your life in the trenches of truth seeking and exposure, should you choose to accept it, is only beginning.
It may be hyperbole, but I can't remember when the service of a true fourth estate has been needed more than now. And not just on this topic.
5
Trump hasn't shown any basis for us to be hopeful. I think we have to be cautious not to "interpret" his words as we would like to.
6
We talk about Trump as if he's the character Billy Mumy played in the Twilight Zone episode, "It's A Good Life". Mumy's character had to be stepped around and spoiled because he had the capability to murder people with his mind and due to his immaturity, he did so often.
"Oh..isn't it nice...the fact that Trump never thought through his views or really didn't have any is an OPPORTUNITY...maybe if we're nice to him he'll stop saying that climate change is a hoax and won't completely destroy the environment and maybe if we're nice to him he won't torture people in violation of U.S. and international law."
This is ridiculous. Just because Trump acts like a spoiled 12-year-old boy doesn't mean we have to treat him like one. He still has a racist, anti-semite in the White House. It doesn't matter that he now claims he doesn't want the support of the alt-right. What matters is that his views mean he has the support of the alt-right. It's his views that are the problem.
We have to accept that he's the President because he won the election. We shouldn't do to him what he and other Republicans did to Obama. But we don't have to accept his rancid views or most of his proposals. There should be no letting up of legitimate criticism where it's deserved. Congress needs to be constantly reminded that a vast plurality of voters (probably 2 million) voted for Clinton and they'll be targeted if they blindly follow Trump to take us back into the worst of our past.
"Oh..isn't it nice...the fact that Trump never thought through his views or really didn't have any is an OPPORTUNITY...maybe if we're nice to him he'll stop saying that climate change is a hoax and won't completely destroy the environment and maybe if we're nice to him he won't torture people in violation of U.S. and international law."
This is ridiculous. Just because Trump acts like a spoiled 12-year-old boy doesn't mean we have to treat him like one. He still has a racist, anti-semite in the White House. It doesn't matter that he now claims he doesn't want the support of the alt-right. What matters is that his views mean he has the support of the alt-right. It's his views that are the problem.
We have to accept that he's the President because he won the election. We shouldn't do to him what he and other Republicans did to Obama. But we don't have to accept his rancid views or most of his proposals. There should be no letting up of legitimate criticism where it's deserved. Congress needs to be constantly reminded that a vast plurality of voters (probably 2 million) voted for Clinton and they'll be targeted if they blindly follow Trump to take us back into the worst of our past.
7
I'm very reluctant to use the words Trump and President in the same sentence, but here we go: Trump will be in the strongest position any US president has been in a long time. He owns the Republicans, he does not owe his position to them and he can do anything he wants. His supporters will justify his changing positions and he's good at selling stories. He can play Republicans and Democrats in the Congress to do whatever he (or his circle) wishes. It's good to be the Emperor - for now!
4
It was in early 2003 that I sat in the audience at the University of South Florida and listened to Thomas Friedman insist that Iraq's weapons of mass destruction necessitated a U.S. invasion. To my knowledge, Friedman never owned up to the fact that his cheerleading rendered him complicit in a decade-long debacle.
Now Mr. Friedman again is trying to play both ends against the middle in his suggestion that we somehow have "hope" because of this meeting. The concern I have -- along with millions of other Americans -- is that this president-elect is so clearly lacking in decorum that we've already lost too much on the world stage to hope for anything but the possibility that 50 years from now this will be only be remembered as an embarrassment and not the beginning of the end of our great nation as many of us fear it might be. What hope can we have -- really -- when this cartoon character named Trump says the things that he does and chooses advisors who represent and are applauded by white supremacist groups? He gives you hope, Mt. Friedman? Have you read the mourning papers?
Now Mr. Friedman again is trying to play both ends against the middle in his suggestion that we somehow have "hope" because of this meeting. The concern I have -- along with millions of other Americans -- is that this president-elect is so clearly lacking in decorum that we've already lost too much on the world stage to hope for anything but the possibility that 50 years from now this will be only be remembered as an embarrassment and not the beginning of the end of our great nation as many of us fear it might be. What hope can we have -- really -- when this cartoon character named Trump says the things that he does and chooses advisors who represent and are applauded by white supremacist groups? He gives you hope, Mt. Friedman? Have you read the mourning papers?
8
Well, a dim light at the door of the tunnel is better than no light at all. It does appear that Trump learns more by listening than reading, and that is perfectly ok; a legitimate and potentially very effective learning style. We can hope that his exposure to new ideas (new to him at least), delivered by people he admires and respects, and whose approval he seeks, will help him to form coherent policies. Maybe his knowledge base will expand exponentially as he rubs elbows with people like Obama and Gates.
I also find it interesting that he reads the Times. Why? Not much love for him here; does he want that?
I also find it interesting that he reads the Times. Why? Not much love for him here; does he want that?
4
Mr. Friedman,
One of the unintended consequences of this election that has really perplexed me was the magnitude of erroneous information that spread, swaying voters who may have voted differently. Your words, "Trump clearly learns by talking to people, not reading" jumped off the page because if news organizations want to turn around the speculation that the media is corrupt, "talking to people" who don't have the attention span, literacy levels or time to read will counteract some of the negative views of the so called "liberal media." Perhaps all of the opinion writers can take a tour of the country and set up town hall meetings with residents while also live tweeting the meetings so they can see and hear you guys are not so evil after all.
I'm happy you all had the meeting. What did you all do with that great food afterwards since nobody was interested in eating? Lol
One of the unintended consequences of this election that has really perplexed me was the magnitude of erroneous information that spread, swaying voters who may have voted differently. Your words, "Trump clearly learns by talking to people, not reading" jumped off the page because if news organizations want to turn around the speculation that the media is corrupt, "talking to people" who don't have the attention span, literacy levels or time to read will counteract some of the negative views of the so called "liberal media." Perhaps all of the opinion writers can take a tour of the country and set up town hall meetings with residents while also live tweeting the meetings so they can see and hear you guys are not so evil after all.
I'm happy you all had the meeting. What did you all do with that great food afterwards since nobody was interested in eating? Lol
2
Another way to view this is that since unexpectedly winning the Presidency, Trump has decided to be Emily Litella: "You know all those things I said during the campaign? Never mind!"
2
"on several key issues ... he went out of his way to make clear he was rethinking them."
You guys really don't get it...
The liberal media took Trump's words literally but didn't take him seriously. Trump's supporters are apparently a lot smarter - they took him seriously but didn't take his words literally.
Sure, he said some things to get elected. And now he's modifying some of those things. That doesn't mean he is rethinking anything.
You guys really don't get it...
The liberal media took Trump's words literally but didn't take him seriously. Trump's supporters are apparently a lot smarter - they took him seriously but didn't take his words literally.
Sure, he said some things to get elected. And now he's modifying some of those things. That doesn't mean he is rethinking anything.
5
Jay--Only until Jan. 20. Then all bets are off.
1
Quite amazing!!.... we have elected a President who really wanted this job and knew exactly what to do to get it. But he didn't spend much time studying the issues in great depth and is now saying "ok people, can someone help me come up with good public policy positions that make sense?" At least he appears to be listening.
2
I was about as anti-Trump as they come -- too much downside risk. But for this moment, I'm starting to like this Trump. In the end, he might actually be right about being in a unique position to heal this country after all. Shocking I know.
My optimism is very guarded of course, but I hope this feeling continues. If he's doing it so we'll love him, is that so bad? Don't criticize it, work with it.
We'll see.
My optimism is very guarded of course, but I hope this feeling continues. If he's doing it so we'll love him, is that so bad? Don't criticize it, work with it.
We'll see.
1
The essence of a good con man is that he plays to his audience's needs and wants ....and one of the only superior talents that I agree that Trump possesses is the ability to con "huuugely"... It has already started. Be afraid, be very afraid
As history has shown over and over, the men who move into the White House do not fundamentally change their personae by making that move. Nor do their underlying political values, their north star, change. For Trump to come to the NYT and mouth some vague, non-committal platitudes when responding to questions should not provide even a glimmer of optimism that he might be pivoting towards reason, rationality, or science. Rather he was trying to avoid controversy and awkward unanswerable follow-up questions. And he was hoping to manipulate the NYT into taking it a little easier on him.
Trump is surrounding himself with deeply conservative politicians, wealthy corporate executives, and interventionist anti-Muslim military officers. These are the men Trump will be listening to. Peace between Israel and the Palestinians? Trump will never achieve that with the people he's putting in place. Believe me. Bring back jobs? Can't happen when it's the top 0.1% giving Trump advice, and when Trump himself says conflict-of-interest rules won't apply to him. Sad!
Trump will undoubtedly find a non-white-male token or two to serve in his cabinet in minor roles. Doing so will not show he is trying to be the president of all Americans, no matter how much he talks about "my African American" or "my Asian American"). Rather it will show he hopes to play us all for fools, like he did in his NYT interview.
Trump is Trump. Believe me.
Trump is surrounding himself with deeply conservative politicians, wealthy corporate executives, and interventionist anti-Muslim military officers. These are the men Trump will be listening to. Peace between Israel and the Palestinians? Trump will never achieve that with the people he's putting in place. Believe me. Bring back jobs? Can't happen when it's the top 0.1% giving Trump advice, and when Trump himself says conflict-of-interest rules won't apply to him. Sad!
Trump will undoubtedly find a non-white-male token or two to serve in his cabinet in minor roles. Doing so will not show he is trying to be the president of all Americans, no matter how much he talks about "my African American" or "my Asian American"). Rather it will show he hopes to play us all for fools, like he did in his NYT interview.
Trump is Trump. Believe me.
15
I hope Friedman is right. But look again on who he thinks will save the day: the elite with whom he regularly fraternizes, indeed the super-elite, the billionaires. Should we really rely on the kindness of billionaires to defend our values, including the value of democracy? Wouldn't it be nice if for once Mr. Friedman acknowledged that the world is not made by the super-elite only, but in fact really made by the rest of us?
2
The prospect of a Trump Presidency remains scary, but I also think the Times should examine whether it contributed to the election's bitter national dialogue. Although much of the Times coverage was insightful and fair, there were many instances when it jumped to the worst possible conclusions about the meaning of Trump's language.
The single best question a journalist can ask when his or her ears perk up is "what did you mean?" But I rarely hear this asked by the media. There are many reasons for this, one of them being the desire not to undercut a newsworthy provocative statement by finding out that it wasn't what the speaker really meant--kind of like being afraid to pick apart a good anecdote because it might turn out to be exaggerated and therefore not made for great copy.
This wasn't just true of the media's relationship with Trump. It happens all of the time. But with Trump it was especially egregious because he likes saying provocative things he doesn't necessarily mean if it serves a purpose. It accounts for many of his walkbacks.
For example, how many times did the press continue to quote his "Chinese hoax" theory--as Friedman does here--without also mentioning that he retracted the comment. Ditto for his quote that women who have abortions should be "punished."
If I am being naive, then we have reason to be afraid. While we wait to find out, I'd also like to mention that asking "what do you mean?" is a great question for improving a marriage.
The single best question a journalist can ask when his or her ears perk up is "what did you mean?" But I rarely hear this asked by the media. There are many reasons for this, one of them being the desire not to undercut a newsworthy provocative statement by finding out that it wasn't what the speaker really meant--kind of like being afraid to pick apart a good anecdote because it might turn out to be exaggerated and therefore not made for great copy.
This wasn't just true of the media's relationship with Trump. It happens all of the time. But with Trump it was especially egregious because he likes saying provocative things he doesn't necessarily mean if it serves a purpose. It accounts for many of his walkbacks.
For example, how many times did the press continue to quote his "Chinese hoax" theory--as Friedman does here--without also mentioning that he retracted the comment. Ditto for his quote that women who have abortions should be "punished."
If I am being naive, then we have reason to be afraid. While we wait to find out, I'd also like to mention that asking "what do you mean?" is a great question for improving a marriage.
“Trump clearly learns by talking to people, not reading.”
Wow! Do we really need a president learning on the job? More importantly, why was he not listening to the other side before the election? Because he would not have won.
With his flips on several issues in the NY Times interview, Trump is tacitly admitting that Republicans don’t have all the answers, which is a good thing. But then he must follow up on his “talking to people” from the other side with concrete actions. How about appointing Democrats to head the EPA and the Labor Department? How about forcing the Republican senate to vote on Merrick Garland?
If Trump wants to be a president for all Americans, he must quickly take some actions to also placate Democrats, who believe the Electoral College that Trump had once denounced robbed them of yet another presidential election.
Wow! Do we really need a president learning on the job? More importantly, why was he not listening to the other side before the election? Because he would not have won.
With his flips on several issues in the NY Times interview, Trump is tacitly admitting that Republicans don’t have all the answers, which is a good thing. But then he must follow up on his “talking to people” from the other side with concrete actions. How about appointing Democrats to head the EPA and the Labor Department? How about forcing the Republican senate to vote on Merrick Garland?
If Trump wants to be a president for all Americans, he must quickly take some actions to also placate Democrats, who believe the Electoral College that Trump had once denounced robbed them of yet another presidential election.
2
At this point, I don't trust a thing he says. I'm watching for those actions that speak louder than his words.
14
He's an inveterate liar. Always has been, always will be. It surprises me that he stands there, bald faced, without a fear, in the world, except for the fact that you reporters are positively drooling to report your positive feelings about his "claim of the day." I think he should give up his armed protection, as he suggested Mrs. Clinton do, and see what happens.
1
Dear Mr. President-elect,
Clearly you seek the adulation of the esteemed journalists of the New York Times. Here's how you can obtain that adulation (and the adulation of their readers too):
1) Be a strong proponent of climate remediation (do it for the kids, OK?). Treat it as an amazing opportunity to create more jobs by helping support the growth of alternative energy technology and businesses in the US.
2) Don't repeal Obamacare until you come up with something better.
3) Pour money into infrastructure projects and don't be afraid to borrow money to do it (after all, you were never afraid to borrow money in private business).
4) Don't pour more money into the military. Sure, military spending creates jobs, but the products produced provide no economic output in the way a new machine or road does. We are already armed to the teeth, you know?
5) Give work visas to foreign students who do well here. We need their brains. Sending them back to places like China only works against our own economic interests.
6) Stop with the fake news and conspiracy stuff, OK? I'm glad you finally walked away form the birther stuff, but seriously, you never even apologized to President Obama. He's such a class act. He sacrificed a lot of sleep for this country (thank you President Obama - it's an impossibly hard job and somebody had to do it). You would have come across as much classier if you had apologized to him. It's not too late to do it. Publicly.
Thank you and good luck.
Clearly you seek the adulation of the esteemed journalists of the New York Times. Here's how you can obtain that adulation (and the adulation of their readers too):
1) Be a strong proponent of climate remediation (do it for the kids, OK?). Treat it as an amazing opportunity to create more jobs by helping support the growth of alternative energy technology and businesses in the US.
2) Don't repeal Obamacare until you come up with something better.
3) Pour money into infrastructure projects and don't be afraid to borrow money to do it (after all, you were never afraid to borrow money in private business).
4) Don't pour more money into the military. Sure, military spending creates jobs, but the products produced provide no economic output in the way a new machine or road does. We are already armed to the teeth, you know?
5) Give work visas to foreign students who do well here. We need their brains. Sending them back to places like China only works against our own economic interests.
6) Stop with the fake news and conspiracy stuff, OK? I'm glad you finally walked away form the birther stuff, but seriously, you never even apologized to President Obama. He's such a class act. He sacrificed a lot of sleep for this country (thank you President Obama - it's an impossibly hard job and somebody had to do it). You would have come across as much classier if you had apologized to him. It's not too late to do it. Publicly.
Thank you and good luck.
8
Trump is a master showman whose goal is to please his audience. The question is: Who is his audience now? And, how much can he stray from the right's orthodoxy? OK, two questions.
4
As someone who was very very anti-Trump during the election, I say give the guy a chance. I'll take this Trump over campaign Trump or even Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio.
If he wants to listen to reason and moderate his positions, let him. I don't care what he says or has said. If he doesn't pull out of the Paris Climate Accord, destroy the ACA, and pushes through an acceptable infrastructure bill, I will whole heartedly support him in 2020.
If he wants to listen to reason and moderate his positions, let him. I don't care what he says or has said. If he doesn't pull out of the Paris Climate Accord, destroy the ACA, and pushes through an acceptable infrastructure bill, I will whole heartedly support him in 2020.
4
Trump may be finally realizing what he doesn't know. Even for a narcissist that can alter ones perspective. Trump wants to be acknowledged and respected by by people who are recognized as substantive. That would seem to be the key to getting Trump's ear. No one has more credibility and perceived gravitas at the NYT than Tom Friedman on global issues. If he were able to arrange a lunch with Donald Trump. There would be definite potential for some new Trump perspectives to emerge on some really important issues. The only obstacle might come from the Republican dogmatists. Trump has said he would love to settle the Israeli,Palestinian issue. Who better than Tom Friedman to explain the issues and obstacles. If that issue can give Tom entre to Trump's ear, good things could happen.
1
Kinda like asking the wolf to explain how the hen house works!
He says anything and he does anything. And now he's playing you for fools. Trump is obsessed with NYT because he's living in the 1980s emotionally and reads the paper as what it once was, the official record of US society. That ship has sailed. However, now he has his ego wish fulfilled, he can snap his fingers and bring every "enemy" journalist to his feet. All this "hope" stuff is so banal. this guy is only going to do the worst. If NYT doesn't print SEVERAL stories each day about his use of the office for personal gain and his conflicts of interest, you need to hand back your Pulitzers.
5
Mad Dog Mattis is a great man and a great Marine, and it's good that he has explained torture to Trump. It's not rocket science. You get more flies with honey than vinegar. The "tough guys" talk about torture. The really tough guys...like Mattis...talk about chivalry and duty and honor. "No better friend, no worse enemy." Hoorah!
5
Once more, we hear that what he will do about climate change 'depends on what it will cost our companies.' Doesn't depend on scientific consensus or data collection or any larger moral responsibility for the erosion of the planet.
Pro tip, Donald: it is going to cost 'our companies'--and all of us--an incalculable amount more if you don't study this hard enough.
Pro tip, Donald: it is going to cost 'our companies'--and all of us--an incalculable amount more if you don't study this hard enough.
3
Sorry Tom, but Trump was doing what he does best -- saying what he thought his audience wanted to hear. Parse his words and it is obvious he committed to nothing -- except to continue to operate his businesses as he saw fit.
5
I think I can explain what's happened with this election. I think a Woody Allen screenplay has fallen on the wrong desk.
Ever seen his film Zelig? Is Trump - Zelig?
Ever seen his film Zelig? Is Trump - Zelig?
1
For the sake of the Democratic party, let's hope that Trump's success in reaching out - not just to an ethnic group but to the MAJORITY of the working class - instills some humility in their perspectives on America and its problems. For the sake of the nation and the world, let's hope that the humility our President elect seems to have - albeit deeply hidden - will continue to help him grow and reach out to listen and learn more. I did not vote for him but that does not mean I want him and the frustrated voters who elected him to fail - none of us can afford a four year disaster.
4
Of course, I only know what transpired at this meeting from what I'd read yesterday about it. Maybe those present, like Mr. Friedman, came away with a differemt/better impression. I did not see hope. I saw a profund lack of even a minimal understanding of the issues confronting our country.
It's as if one were having a converstion where the other person's response to just about everything was: "Yeah, I guess so", "Maybe, I'll see", "I'll think about that one", "Don't worry, things will be OK, believe me".
It's as if one were having a converstion where the other person's response to just about everything was: "Yeah, I guess so", "Maybe, I'll see", "I'll think about that one", "Don't worry, things will be OK, believe me".
8
The idea that Trump has a soul is a fantasy. The man has no depth or ethics - this isn't an opinion, look at the facts of what he has done, said and lied about.
God help us survive the next four years of this ill-educated fool as President.
God help us survive the next four years of this ill-educated fool as President.
13
This is the Kellyanne Conway Trump.
I expect that within 72 hours, the other Trump, the Steve Bannon Trump, will be sending out 3 am tweets saying just the opposite.
I expect that within 72 hours, the other Trump, the Steve Bannon Trump, will be sending out 3 am tweets saying just the opposite.
23
When the US has a trade deficit of hundred of billions per year with China the factories are in the wrong place. Like the other "experts" on international trade Friedman was wrong. Too bad these experts left it up to Trump to try to fix things.
2
It is increasingly obvious that Trump himself has no idea of what he is going to do. The best one can hope for is for him to realize he is way over his head and will in fact listen to people who know something. This is a faint hope given his massive ego and self-adulation. It will all depend on whether he surrounds himself with people who can talk him out of his worst impulses. The first appointments were not very encouraging. the trio Jeff, Bannon and Flynt are the stuff of nightmares, Nikki Halley on the other hand is a tiny flicker that all will not be in that mold. He may well co-opt the "establishment" with his appointments. What he will be unable to do is deliver raw meat to his most rabid supporters and still maintain a presidential facade.
9
When Barack Obama was inaugurated during the Crash he had no idea what he was doing. The new president relied on his Wall Street advisors. Then he relied on Bernanke. The biggest "trickle down" ever was born. Here's hoping Trump sticks to his guns on fiscal stimulus, trade reform, tax simplification, reduced regulation, small business incentives, and immigration.
Bob to Ann: Will you marry me?
Ann: No, I won't.
Bob again: Will you marry me?
Ann: I said no?
Bob again: Will you marry me?
Ann: OK, I will,
Bob: Why are you so inconsistent? Don't you have any core beliefs?
Ann: No, I won't.
Bob again: Will you marry me?
Ann: I said no?
Bob again: Will you marry me?
Ann: OK, I will,
Bob: Why are you so inconsistent? Don't you have any core beliefs?
Our country has thousands of experienced and responsible individuals who have studied the issues and considered the consequences of their actions. Instead, we have elected a person who has to learn everything from the bottom and is in the hands of a group of individuals of doubtful probity. What gave impulse to the Renaissance was the printing press which allowed people to learn from books, skills that previously could only be learned by traveling to the places where the practitioners of those skills resided. Unfortunately for us, Trump does not read and is, therefore, condemned to learn from his coterie which, to date, does not give assurances of the necessary wisdom.
34
And yet the Democratic party manged to nominate the worst candidate the Democratic party has nominated since Michael Dukakis. You've only yourselves to blame. And which books would you have him read? The ones the espouse your particular world view? Would you give him a reading list that included liberal, conservative, climate change "deniers", climate change activists, trickle down economic theorists, Kensian economists, pro-life, pro choice, etc. etc. I have an acquainance who constantly was trying to put initiatives on our state's ballots to teach the state constitution in schools. I didn't have a problem with that per se but I asked him "who will be doing the teaching? those who hold your views, or those who hold divergent views?
On what do you base your judgement that Clinton was the worst candidate? On her preparation, on her experience, on a thoughtful liberal program? She made a big mistake on the e-mails, but other than that what makes her the "worst", Ah, probably the 30 year campaign against her. As for the reading, I would be happy if he read anything at all.
1
With Trump, talk is cheap. Look at his appointments so far. Steve Bannon, Senator Sessionsand Myron Edelman, climate denier running the environmental transition. Those are the folks who will be adopting and implementing policy. I am not hopeful
8
The optimistic take on Trump's sit-down is that he is easing his supporters into the view of him as a responsible politician, while presenting a more centrist view of himself to a larger audience.
But even that raises cynicism, because Trump was elected after a divisive, regressive campaign devoid of facts but filled with animus. The crux of what Trump said at the lunch was palatable, but where was this speaker before now?
But even that raises cynicism, because Trump was elected after a divisive, regressive campaign devoid of facts but filled with animus. The crux of what Trump said at the lunch was palatable, but where was this speaker before now?
1
It is so ironic that the man who projected the role of the strong, decisive leader during the campaign is now showing himself to be so flimsy. I cannot help but revisit in my mind the scene where the big, booming, all-powerful and all-intimidating Wizard of Oz was revealed to be such a small, fragile man when the curtain was pulled back.
9
Please, this guy is like a roller-coaster---but much more than that, at times unhinged and depending on his mood, barley palatable. (on a good day)
He has, is now and will continue to wreak havoc on the Republic and no amount of "nicey, nicey" with the editorial board from the NYT is going to change that reality.
His vocabulary is that of a Junior Varsity high school football player and his grasp on the long list of urgent issues facing us is farcial.
A majority of the electors need to come to their senses in December and choose Hillary Clinton who is the real choice of the American People.
Otherwise we are in for the "perfect storm".
We are the laughing stock of the civilized world--except it is a laugh born of anxiety and fear.
He has, is now and will continue to wreak havoc on the Republic and no amount of "nicey, nicey" with the editorial board from the NYT is going to change that reality.
His vocabulary is that of a Junior Varsity high school football player and his grasp on the long list of urgent issues facing us is farcial.
A majority of the electors need to come to their senses in December and choose Hillary Clinton who is the real choice of the American People.
Otherwise we are in for the "perfect storm".
We are the laughing stock of the civilized world--except it is a laugh born of anxiety and fear.
11
"You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes well you just might find
You get what you need "
There's a reason Trump picked that as his rally theme song. Some found it an odd choice for someone who talks in such absolute terms, but I believe that has been his self-view of his approach and what he really has to offer all along. My guess is that mantra will increasingly define his governing philosophy as time goes on. That will be the baseline goal with occasional swerves into the temperamental Trump persona on the bad days. What the ratio of bad days to good will be will depend on circumstance to some extent, but overall I think the weight of office and supportive family will help Trump work around Trump and guide him back down to earth when he gets too close to the edge - as they did during the campaign.
In general, it is a mistake to view leaders as possessing great strengths despite their weaknesses. Many great leaders are not even-keeled. The weaknesses are the flip side of the strengths; they are inextricably bound one to the other and come from the same root personality. The measure of the ultimate effectiveness of leadership in these personality types is not the gauge of strength - no matter how great, or depth of weakness - no matter how deep, but the exact difference between the two on a mean average and the ability to avoid total crash on the lowest dips.
But if you try sometimes well you just might find
You get what you need "
There's a reason Trump picked that as his rally theme song. Some found it an odd choice for someone who talks in such absolute terms, but I believe that has been his self-view of his approach and what he really has to offer all along. My guess is that mantra will increasingly define his governing philosophy as time goes on. That will be the baseline goal with occasional swerves into the temperamental Trump persona on the bad days. What the ratio of bad days to good will be will depend on circumstance to some extent, but overall I think the weight of office and supportive family will help Trump work around Trump and guide him back down to earth when he gets too close to the edge - as they did during the campaign.
In general, it is a mistake to view leaders as possessing great strengths despite their weaknesses. Many great leaders are not even-keeled. The weaknesses are the flip side of the strengths; they are inextricably bound one to the other and come from the same root personality. The measure of the ultimate effectiveness of leadership in these personality types is not the gauge of strength - no matter how great, or depth of weakness - no matter how deep, but the exact difference between the two on a mean average and the ability to avoid total crash on the lowest dips.
1
Friedman, really?
Trumps not a tabula rasa. He has a record. He demands fealty. Bend and kiss his ring.
Based on his record, he pays himself well while people he has contracted with get 30 cents on the dollar, (100 of millions in unpaid contractors)while people who invested in him get devalued stock.
Important to remember, he would have the same or more money if he had just put it all in an index fund.
Nope, he invites, chaos, he likes winning, and these traits are pathology.
Trumps not a tabula rasa. He has a record. He demands fealty. Bend and kiss his ring.
Based on his record, he pays himself well while people he has contracted with get 30 cents on the dollar, (100 of millions in unpaid contractors)while people who invested in him get devalued stock.
Important to remember, he would have the same or more money if he had just put it all in an index fund.
Nope, he invites, chaos, he likes winning, and these traits are pathology.
15
When we normalize the abnormal, abhorrent, and dangerous, we do so at our own peril. The bought and paid for Repubs want to slash and burn government. Read Dark Money if you need verification. Examine the data. The president-elect is an empty vessel waiting to be filled. Not only does he list as the newest wind blows, he has surrounded himself with the most vile among us.
Everyone is entitled to hope. I will continue to be vigilant observing this person's actions and the actions of the Congress and those around him. After witnessing what was done to President Obama, hope eludes me.
Everyone is entitled to hope. I will continue to be vigilant observing this person's actions and the actions of the Congress and those around him. After witnessing what was done to President Obama, hope eludes me.
9
I am -again-struck by the usefulness of denial as a protective defense. It appears that the "New York Times" opinion writers today forgot that they warned us-correctly-about a fascist Trump. Now that the little dictator is about to rule, these same writers run from their spot on analysis of the recent past, no doubt afraid of their prior conclusions.
Sadly, we are in for what I would call a fascist lite regime with the real possibility of far worse. No wonder good people in the 1930s entered into similar states of denial all over Europe. At age 69, I have few illusions about such. Certainly, many family members experiences with nazi,fascist and communist regimes of the 20th century have given me good education about such. Of course, having a professor such as George L. Mosse at UW-Madison and reading Hannah Arendt gave me a great foundation in seeing the terror that is about to hit our liberal democracy. Denial is of no real use here!
Sadly, we are in for what I would call a fascist lite regime with the real possibility of far worse. No wonder good people in the 1930s entered into similar states of denial all over Europe. At age 69, I have few illusions about such. Certainly, many family members experiences with nazi,fascist and communist regimes of the 20th century have given me good education about such. Of course, having a professor such as George L. Mosse at UW-Madison and reading Hannah Arendt gave me a great foundation in seeing the terror that is about to hit our liberal democracy. Denial is of no real use here!
13
Please don't be taken in by this untrustworthy Con Man! He'll be trying forever to talk out of both sides of his mouth, at any minute saying whatever he thinks his audience wants to hear. His lack of values and inability to come to grips with complex issues, to really think through difficult questions, will eventually create disaster (s) for our country. His 'advisors' will battle daily to be the last to talk to him, knowing too well his inability of focus, logic and subtlety. Scared? Yes, from afar, I am frightened for my country, and embarrassed as well.
15
Trump sounds like a guy who is impressed by the last person he speaks to. And that is what makes his inner circle with the likes of Bannon, Sessions and Giuliani alarming. If they indulge his impulses and don't serve as a rational check to his uninformed instincts, we are going to have a leader who makes poor decisions. So now he finds Jesus on torture after one conversation with General Mattis? It did not occur to him to investigate this before telling the world he wants a return to this illegal act? We don't have a well thought out President elect. So depending on who is whispering in his ear, that is the direction of where our country goes
12
ConMan Don needs the goodwill he creates via these "peacemaking" meetings to be able to distract from his intention to financially benefit from his Office. Were there questions asked about that at this meeting? If not, why not? More than any specific policy or program, that would bring such dishonor to a position which is supposed to be above the fray, driving competing factions toward the best solution for the country. Throw in the element of personal gain, and that is no longer possible. Time to ask for him to choose - his country or himself.
9
Trump can personally waterboard me all he wants if it makes him feel better, as long as he protects the climate. That's the most important issue that he must become convinced about as the other damage he and the Republicans can do is mostly reversible. Republicans seriously need to an epiphany on climate change or they will be destroying the lives of their children on the planet. Yes, it's that serious.
12
I wonder how long it’s going to be before we read of Times editorial and opinion writers abandoning their efforts to counter Mr. Trump, perhaps even throwing in the towel and quitting their jobs altogether.
I predict that it will happen soon.
The great H.L. Mencken stopped writing for the Baltimore Sun during the two World Wars because of his opposition to the war efforts and turned to writing books and articles on the American language, his early days as a journalist and other things.
My dog and I quit watching Trump on TV with the sound on a long time ago, and we are currently practicing up for the January inauguration by watching a lot of old movies and the weather channel.
I really cannot abide this man. I just don’t understand how the American people could have done this to themselves and to me.
I predict that it will happen soon.
The great H.L. Mencken stopped writing for the Baltimore Sun during the two World Wars because of his opposition to the war efforts and turned to writing books and articles on the American language, his early days as a journalist and other things.
My dog and I quit watching Trump on TV with the sound on a long time ago, and we are currently practicing up for the January inauguration by watching a lot of old movies and the weather channel.
I really cannot abide this man. I just don’t understand how the American people could have done this to themselves and to me.
91
"I really cannot abide this man."
>>>Jeff Bridges agrees.
>>>Jeff Bridges agrees.
So "the office" of the presidency is going to change the narcissistic presidential pretender who now occupies it? I don't think so. A 70 year old malignant narcissist does not change, any more than the proverbial leopard can be expected to lose its spots. This is going to be the most expensive but futile attempt at treatment of a largely untreatable condition. I hope this is not going to be the new American dream. As for the Jewish-Palestinian conflict settling down, that will happen on the same day that American mining jobs become available again. And climate change? I am pretty sure that "our companies," as Trump puts it, will find it too expensive.
I can picture both Brooks and Friedman rolling over on the floor in the NYT office room with Trump, and pretending to be dead. Brooks seem to be a goner for sure. I am holding out on Friedman, who is less moralistic and whom I trust more for that reason.
I can picture both Brooks and Friedman rolling over on the floor in the NYT office room with Trump, and pretending to be dead. Brooks seem to be a goner for sure. I am holding out on Friedman, who is less moralistic and whom I trust more for that reason.
16
I think you are right, we should learn from Obama that narcissistic pretenders don't change.
He ran a lowlife campaign. Many of his supporters reacted positively to his lowlife rhetoric. Many of his campaign advisers are lowlifes. He has picked some lowlife characters for his administration. His words mean nothing until we see the actions that he takes on the issues.
My greatest fear is that his twitter reactions will throw us into a foreign conflict because his ego was somehow bruised.
You give him more credibility than he is due, even by dint of the position to which he has been elected.
My greatest fear is that his twitter reactions will throw us into a foreign conflict because his ego was somehow bruised.
You give him more credibility than he is due, even by dint of the position to which he has been elected.
37
With regard to your first paragraph, i am reminded of old truism, "those who live in glass houses should not throw stones."
With regard to your second paragraph, no one is going to get into a foreign conflict because of his twitter reaction. I can see it now... America, we declare war on you becasue your President tweeted that he tweeted that he was insulted becasue our citizens made fun of his hair."
With regard to your second paragraph, no one is going to get into a foreign conflict because of his twitter reaction. I can see it now... America, we declare war on you becasue your President tweeted that he tweeted that he was insulted becasue our citizens made fun of his hair."
What we know is that Trump is not an ideologue, that he is an actor who will play any position to win,and that he is not an intellectual but he is intelligent. One does not get to 70 years without learning. And, he has grandchildren for whom he must feel love. Having achieved everything, how could he not want a better world for them. In the face of climate change I hold out hope. Tom, please make certain he gets an education in the danger facing us.
3
Two things...
One, history has shown that bad things happen to leaders who promise things and are associated with things, but change their mind and position later. Anwar Sadat comes to mind. Also, Malcolm X.
Two, the idea of people getting Trump's ear reminds me of President Grant. He was found to be easily influenced. All you needed was people standing within earshot of him and discussing things, and he would often assume the same positions. People who wanted to steer him a certain way knew this.
So, let's our seat belts, because this is going to be one bumpy presidency.
One, history has shown that bad things happen to leaders who promise things and are associated with things, but change their mind and position later. Anwar Sadat comes to mind. Also, Malcolm X.
Two, the idea of people getting Trump's ear reminds me of President Grant. He was found to be easily influenced. All you needed was people standing within earshot of him and discussing things, and he would often assume the same positions. People who wanted to steer him a certain way knew this.
So, let's our seat belts, because this is going to be one bumpy presidency.
11
Mr. Radowitz compares our President-Elect to Sadat and Malcolm X. We know what fate befell those men and it's an unfortunate conjecture. I would compare him to no one and wait and see. One thing is clear now and has been clear to some of us for a long time: He stated his first job was to get nominated and second to get elected. As President Obama observed he is not ideological but pragmatic. That is exactly what is needed given the enormous domestic and international challenges. His presidency begins now and all the pre-conceptions about Trump are just that.
Oh Tom, have you learned nothing over the past 18 months!!!! This is going nowhere and the fact that the media gave him even the slightest bit of credence at the outset is most of the reason we are here today, trying to extract some decency from a man's character, where the last bit of it was expended during his last "deal,"when he might have given up in trying to evict some old lady from piece of land he wanted to buy to build a failing casino. Maybe. if we could put a shunt in his arm and constantly feed him videos of President Obama doing it the right way, we could influence him, but I doubt even that would work. Watch him enrich himself and watch as his yea sayers sit silently by and hope to get some of the spilled gravy. Impeachment is a distinct possibility and we should ready for that instead of wondering if the Donald has yet again turned the corner toward enlightenment.
45
No surprises here. Sociopaths are charming. Truth is not even a concept for them. Once their promises have induced the desired behavior -- voting for him -- they move on to the next sucker.
If Trump figures out he can win more often and get further with progressives, he'll drop the groups that backed him before. If he's charged with abandoning his backers, he'll exhibit amused incredulity. "They're bad negotiators. I got them to give me what I wanted, and I don't have to give them what they expected. See how smart I am?"
If criticized harshly, he'll turn and denounce his former supporters. Sociopaths have short time horizons. Sometimes just minutes. "Who can I use next?"
If Trump figures out he can win more often and get further with progressives, he'll drop the groups that backed him before. If he's charged with abandoning his backers, he'll exhibit amused incredulity. "They're bad negotiators. I got them to give me what I wanted, and I don't have to give them what they expected. See how smart I am?"
If criticized harshly, he'll turn and denounce his former supporters. Sociopaths have short time horizons. Sometimes just minutes. "Who can I use next?"
74
Smart people know, that truth doesn't exists. How do you get to your goal - that is something that matters.
Well, based on his campaign, it's clear that Trump doesn't maintain any strongly held political views; and that he is influenced by the people around him... he's always been a social person. So who knows what will happen. I do not have confidence that he will make decisions based on the best interests of our country. Rather, they will be based on who is pitching the position to him, and perhaps a personal whim at the time. I guess that means influential Democrats should get in there, stat.
24
If we assume that Donald Trump was sincere in his meeting with New York Times editors and writers, we first have to assume Trump is capable of being sincere among a group he considers hostile to him. That seems to be out of character with the Trump modus operandi during his entire public life.
If we make the great leap of faith about Donald Trump on the sincerity issue, or at least assume that his competitive need to be seen as doing a good job in the presidency outweighs his need to be devious, where does that leave Trump with diehard supporters to whom he promised extreme positions?
It seems unlikely that Donald Trump will pivot to become a pro-science, moderate. It is a stretch to think he will now be fair to Muslims and people of color. Abandonment of past positions favoring trade protectionism and opposing immigration seem remote.
It used to be traditional for Americans to give a new President a honeymoon. Donald Trump is an unlikely person with whom to revive the tradition. Skepticism is the safer course for us to take.
If we make the great leap of faith about Donald Trump on the sincerity issue, or at least assume that his competitive need to be seen as doing a good job in the presidency outweighs his need to be devious, where does that leave Trump with diehard supporters to whom he promised extreme positions?
It seems unlikely that Donald Trump will pivot to become a pro-science, moderate. It is a stretch to think he will now be fair to Muslims and people of color. Abandonment of past positions favoring trade protectionism and opposing immigration seem remote.
It used to be traditional for Americans to give a new President a honeymoon. Donald Trump is an unlikely person with whom to revive the tradition. Skepticism is the safer course for us to take.
2
Many of us thought that once Trump got his party's nomination, he would move towards the middle to broaden his support. That didn't happen and he seemed to move even further to the right. That appears to have been a good strategy. Now that he's won, we're seeing that move towards the middle that many predicted would occur earlier in the race. Much of this moderation has occurred out of necessity. He really can't afford to build "the wall," it makes no sense to indict Clinton (even if it were possible for him to do it), and it is getting increasingly difficult to deny that climate change is taking place and that human activity is a causal factor. It is said that "necessity the mother of invention," In this case, it may well be the "father of moderation."
2
Can a man be trusted who changed his views so often, except that he himself is the center of the universe and all matter is circulating around him? He didn't wrote "My Struggle", he inspired "The Art of the Deal", but I can't help to wait for the final revelation that he truly is, what the campaign was showing: the Republic's Nemesis which the Founders feared and brought them to install all the checks and balances of the Constitution. America has been there before, but has overcome all the Burrs, Longs, Coughlins and Wallaces (I forgot Nixons.), who tried to cut out the core of American democracy: to be a Republic of Laws, not Men. And if there is one thing most important on this side of Jerusalem it is to protect and preserve this very core. Mr Trump will become one of the great Presidents or he will become guilty of perjury after his oath in January.
Trump in the White House may not be such a disaster. After all, Ronald Regan was elected to two terms when he clearly had symptoms of mental decline early on. And we didn't collapse.
I see it as more of a missed opportunity. Democrats have consistently nominated candidates that have a "Best and Brightest" profile. Say what you will about Obama and the Clintons, but they are not blowhards, they are well-educated, and they don't have a history of disordered personal lives and business dealings.
We will be fine, the founding fathers saw to that. And a Trump presidency will present endless opportunities for humorists to expound on his many foibles.
I see it as more of a missed opportunity. Democrats have consistently nominated candidates that have a "Best and Brightest" profile. Say what you will about Obama and the Clintons, but they are not blowhards, they are well-educated, and they don't have a history of disordered personal lives and business dealings.
We will be fine, the founding fathers saw to that. And a Trump presidency will present endless opportunities for humorists to expound on his many foibles.
Ridiculous comparison.
Reagan did not cage the press into a little box and lead a crowd of thousands to insult them.
Reagan would be first in line to slap Trump in the face if he witnessed his campaign.
Reagan did not cage the press into a little box and lead a crowd of thousands to insult them.
Reagan would be first in line to slap Trump in the face if he witnessed his campaign.
Donald Trump is a creature of the 20th century and all that implies. He is 70 and knows full well he will not be here in 20 years except as a very old man. He is not evil and he will never be a Alt-right kind of guy. My suspicion is that he has been attracted to men who dare to defy PC and the liberal mindset because they caused him too much doubt about himself. Now, he has a chance at genuine greatness and he knows it and presently he is rather stunned, but he will get past that. His biggest challenge will be Congressional Republicans who have an agenda that is not his. Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan are front men for a group of businessmen who loathe Washington and will never accept anything that interferes with their plans and beliefs. How Mr. Trump will finally deal with and get past these men will decide his presidency.
Ronald Reagan had hardcore ideas and soon realized that unless he moderated them he would be alone talking to himself. Donald Trump will figure out how to be an effective president, if given a honest chance. My concern is that too many in Washington and out in the country will do everything possible to defeat him and thus we get four years of obstruction and dysfunction.
Ronald Reagan had hardcore ideas and soon realized that unless he moderated them he would be alone talking to himself. Donald Trump will figure out how to be an effective president, if given a honest chance. My concern is that too many in Washington and out in the country will do everything possible to defeat him and thus we get four years of obstruction and dysfunction.
"Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan are front men for a group of businessmen who loathe Washington and will never accept anything that interferes with their plans and beliefs. How Mr. Trump will finally deal with and get past these men will decide his presidency."
Regarding the last sentence above, YES.
Regarding the last sentence above, YES.
Intrinsically, I would imagine, Friedman finds the musings of Donald Trump about as interesting as the conversation of a not very precocious five-year-old child. Since a minority of the American voters have just anointed this man President of the United States, however, the Times columnists parses his every word, seeking encouragement that Trump might not pursue all the brainless policies he championed during the campaign.
That hope might resemble the optimism of Charley Brown that, this time, Lucy will not pull the football away when he attempts to kick it. But, unlike Lucy, the mercurial Trump probably lacks the determination to frustrate liberals and moderates on issues that do not relate to his personal interests. On the climate, therefore, he might favor laws marginally more reasonable than those demanded by global-warming skeptics. He could also deign to preserve NATO and tolerate the nuclear agreement with Iran.
When we consider the views and characters of the men he has so far chosen to advise him, however, Trump does seem to identify with Lucy. Democrats may spend the next four years attempting to connect with a football of reasonable policies in which our five-year-old president has no interest.
What a contrast with the last eight years, when an adult occupied the Oval Office.
That hope might resemble the optimism of Charley Brown that, this time, Lucy will not pull the football away when he attempts to kick it. But, unlike Lucy, the mercurial Trump probably lacks the determination to frustrate liberals and moderates on issues that do not relate to his personal interests. On the climate, therefore, he might favor laws marginally more reasonable than those demanded by global-warming skeptics. He could also deign to preserve NATO and tolerate the nuclear agreement with Iran.
When we consider the views and characters of the men he has so far chosen to advise him, however, Trump does seem to identify with Lucy. Democrats may spend the next four years attempting to connect with a football of reasonable policies in which our five-year-old president has no interest.
What a contrast with the last eight years, when an adult occupied the Oval Office.
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Much as I like Tom Friedman I can already sense the deflecting effect of power, like a magnet on iron filings. Suddenly that man-child who created a political riot is a font of almost or near reason, just another voice and he'll be reasonable. No, remember he rode to office on a self-created tide of anger and incipient violence and those lie just beneath the surface. Power bends perception, as we know, and to the detriment of truth. Trump is a liar and manipulator interested only in the comfort of his own ego.
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There exists a complete disconnect with the global warming issue and the debt us baby boomer generation has accumulated to past on to the next generations. We socialized risk, and created an unstable platform for economic advancement for all people.
It's not that the conservatives don't care about global temperatures, it just that it has become low priority. Efforts to abate the problem is like tying down the beach umbrella, while dismissing the tsunami that will wipe out your entire property. And that tsunami is debt.
It's not that the conservatives don't care about global temperatures, it just that it has become low priority. Efforts to abate the problem is like tying down the beach umbrella, while dismissing the tsunami that will wipe out your entire property. And that tsunami is debt.
Warren Bennis' quote actually goes back to how aeronautical engineers designed aircraft for a crew of two, the pilot & the dog to bite him if he touches anything.
Regardless, who's going to buy the products from automated manufacturing? From where will they get their purchasing power, as in what jobs? The service economy may not generate enough purchasing capabilities for a client base to afford high tech production.
A few technically qualified people that build machines that build a product may find themselves without end customers who will buy and use the product.
I certainly don't have an answer or a prediction as to how the above-described vicious cycle continues to feed income inequality...., a thesis to support, for sure, but instinctually valid.
Regardless, who's going to buy the products from automated manufacturing? From where will they get their purchasing power, as in what jobs? The service economy may not generate enough purchasing capabilities for a client base to afford high tech production.
A few technically qualified people that build machines that build a product may find themselves without end customers who will buy and use the product.
I certainly don't have an answer or a prediction as to how the above-described vicious cycle continues to feed income inequality...., a thesis to support, for sure, but instinctually valid.
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The smarts comment I've read in a long time was on another thread today:
"He is lulling the people (and the media) into complacency.
In reality, I think he is waiting for an opportunistic moment of national crisis. It's during those times, when people are fearful, that they quietly fall in line. That's when he can seize real power and implement the more sinister changes he has proposed. "
What was the Bush administration response to 9/11. Before the day was over they were talking about what a great excuse it was to invade Iraq. (Look it up.)
Too see how this tactic has worked around the world for decades, read Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein.
If a crisis doesn't come around fast enough, they will probably create one. Don't be surprised to see them pop our enormous stockt market bubble. The last time they did that, they got to steal millions of homes and give trillions of dollars to global banks.
When the next disaster hits, get ready to fight for your freedom.
"He is lulling the people (and the media) into complacency.
In reality, I think he is waiting for an opportunistic moment of national crisis. It's during those times, when people are fearful, that they quietly fall in line. That's when he can seize real power and implement the more sinister changes he has proposed. "
What was the Bush administration response to 9/11. Before the day was over they were talking about what a great excuse it was to invade Iraq. (Look it up.)
Too see how this tactic has worked around the world for decades, read Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein.
If a crisis doesn't come around fast enough, they will probably create one. Don't be surprised to see them pop our enormous stockt market bubble. The last time they did that, they got to steal millions of homes and give trillions of dollars to global banks.
When the next disaster hits, get ready to fight for your freedom.
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First, saying there is "some connectivity" between humans and warming is still the comment of an ignoramus. Just a less aggressive one. Humans are causing the warming we've seen in the last few decades. Period. All of it. After a year of vowing to back out of the Paris climate agreement and scuttle EPA's Clean Power Plan, Trump now says he "has an open mind" on the Paris pact. Actions speak louder than words. His transition team has science deniers. His reported choice for EPA is an industry-funded science denier, and The Guardian reports that he will zero out funding for irreplaceable climate science work at NASA. He wants to be liked. We get that. Is he responsible enough to continue meaningful action on climate? To choose judges who won't block action, to take on deniers in Congress? One comment does not a serious man make.
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What you appear to be saying (and I totally agree) is that Trump is on the border line of undecided about many of these various blind proposals he made before winning the election. As you say, the decisions about the continuation of coal manufacturing are presenting him with a huge problem, especially if he suddenly veers in a supportive direction of climate change. There will be a lot of angry coal miners.
Perhaps instead of calling it waffling we can call it “reconsidering.” In any case, he has a lot of "reconsidering" to do. If climate change is a problem for him, what in the world will he do with immigration and his bold wall declarations just for starters?
There is a lot ahead and I hope America is ready for it. We don't know and I am not sure that he does either.
Perhaps instead of calling it waffling we can call it “reconsidering.” In any case, he has a lot of "reconsidering" to do. If climate change is a problem for him, what in the world will he do with immigration and his bold wall declarations just for starters?
There is a lot ahead and I hope America is ready for it. We don't know and I am not sure that he does either.
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One of the subtlest signs of human progress is acceptance of reality. The reality is that Trump will be President. In as much as he has said awful things and is predicted by democrats to be the worst President because of his past doings as well as present leanings and hirings, one has to maintain "equanimity" like the Dalai Lama. As citizens of the world, it is our duty to do no harm, to protect our fellow human beings, especially those who are being targeted as discardables (illegals, undocumented, Muslims etc). We are each powerful, even if we dismiss ourselves as helpless, hopeless, unable to make a difference in this world because our party lost, attitude.
2
Please, leave the Dalai Lama out of it.
For starters, I did not vote for Trump. And, he is the President-elect of our country. Given that he will be President for the next 4 years, I behooves all of us to engage by providing him with the best advice we can offer. To stay on the sidelines and rail and fight against the fact of his election is both immature and foolhardy. If we engage with Trump, we may find out that President Trump has much more a traditional Republican viewpoint than he let on during the election - which would not be such a bad thing.
I'd always wondered whether Trump would come around on climate change. In politics, there is only one reason to deny science and oppose acting on climate change: you're taking bribes from the fossil fuel industry. Trump isn't. He may have the attention span of a gnat but he's not a moron. Let's hope someone with integrity and a knowledge of this issue somehow gets captured in orbit around his ego.
Of course, if he puts Myron Ebell in charge of the EPA as was reported, all hope is truly lost. Trump won't sweat the details enough to micromanage someone like that.
Of course, if he puts Myron Ebell in charge of the EPA as was reported, all hope is truly lost. Trump won't sweat the details enough to micromanage someone like that.
Mother nature doesn't care what trump, or anybody else for that matter, thinks about climate change. The population explosion drives climate change. Population doubles every 5 to 7 decades. We have already passed this tipping point. Rising sea levels, acidification, and temperatures are already baked into the next several decades. Resource depletion, potable water, arable land, etc are already baked into the next several decades. Thousands of professional and practicing scientists, folks who actually know something, are all sounding the alarm, and have been for decades. Trump says he is going to study the issue "very hard", oy vey. So the world has to sit by and wait as the looming catastrophe inches closer while some proudly math and science illiterate ignoramus comes up to speed on the science. Trump is a quick study, it won't take long before he knows more than all those nerdy IPCC scientists. To add icing to the cake, I guess if it "cost our companies" too much, then we will just do what, nothing? Who needs Florida? I guess clean air and water is not really "vitally important" after all?
2
Probably the easiest way to convince Trump on climate change is to show how few years Mar-A-Lago and Trump Towers have before the sea overtakes them.
A good essay by Friedman.
I wonder however if NY Times pundits will ever admit that they too are partially wrong.
Yes, climate change is real. Yes the arctic sea ice is gradually melting and sea levels may rise.
But the internal combustion engine is not the real culprit.
World population has doubled since 1970. Population growth is an even more important cause of global warming than oil.
Liberals have been in denial just like the conservatives. A Malthusian disaster is taking shape in Africa and the Middle East.
America should have led 48 years ago. We should have been pushing birth control instead of democracy in third world countries. (Democracy would be more likely to follow once zero population growth had been achieved.)
Have we waited too long?
Perhaps. But we need to try to limit population growth, not just carbon emissions.
I wonder however if NY Times pundits will ever admit that they too are partially wrong.
Yes, climate change is real. Yes the arctic sea ice is gradually melting and sea levels may rise.
But the internal combustion engine is not the real culprit.
World population has doubled since 1970. Population growth is an even more important cause of global warming than oil.
Liberals have been in denial just like the conservatives. A Malthusian disaster is taking shape in Africa and the Middle East.
America should have led 48 years ago. We should have been pushing birth control instead of democracy in third world countries. (Democracy would be more likely to follow once zero population growth had been achieved.)
Have we waited too long?
Perhaps. But we need to try to limit population growth, not just carbon emissions.
1
The only "extreme position" on climate is Friedman's! If he and other elitists like him truly believed that man made climate change was catastrophic, then why are they working in giant skyscrapers that produce huge carbon footprints, why do they fly on private jets, why do celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio drive around in huge gas guzzling Range Rovers and live in gigantic mansions which also produce huge carbon footprints!? They don't practice what they preach. They keep telling everyone to "live with less", and there "should be less people", everyone but themselves of course.
Friedman and the pseudo-scientists are all pitching this huge lie, to try to reduce the world's population, it's not based on real science! They don't want growth and development, notice how they not only want to get rid of the power plants, but are also against much cleaner non-C02 producing nuclear energy as well. Friedman is also anti-science and technology, as his "green" technology such as solar panels and windmills can't power an advanced spacecraft to Mars and beyond. His whole "green" ideology is backwards and anti-human, yet many people buy into it because they buy into the lies that the Earth can only hold so many people, and that resources are limited. Resources are only limited by the artificial limits which mankind imposes on itself!
Friedman and the pseudo-scientists are all pitching this huge lie, to try to reduce the world's population, it's not based on real science! They don't want growth and development, notice how they not only want to get rid of the power plants, but are also against much cleaner non-C02 producing nuclear energy as well. Friedman is also anti-science and technology, as his "green" technology such as solar panels and windmills can't power an advanced spacecraft to Mars and beyond. His whole "green" ideology is backwards and anti-human, yet many people buy into it because they buy into the lies that the Earth can only hold so many people, and that resources are limited. Resources are only limited by the artificial limits which mankind imposes on itself!
1
One big problem with coal--where's the profit? North America is swimming in natural gas--it's significantly cheaper, more efficient and cleaner than coal. Short of having massive government subsidies (especially in Appalachia) there is no way the coal industry will be revived.
Worry more about the rules on fuel efficiency for cars and trucks that were implemented in the last 8 years.
Worry more about the rules on fuel efficiency for cars and trucks that were implemented in the last 8 years.
3
So now Times staff feels they've been given "hope." Where is the hope for suppressed voters, women, LGBT citizens, and so many others?
It's sad to say, Barack Obama has done more to extinguish hope of progress on any of these issues, because he has failed when the nation needs him most.
President Obama, a man I once admired greatly, forfeited any right to a place in history by backing down on appointing Justice Garland at the first sign of obstruction by Senate Republicans. The Constitution gives the president the separate right to appoint a justice if the Senate waives their own right to advise and consent, as in this case.
But Obama is too timid to press the point. All his "legacy" -- and beyond that, many of the hard-won rights the American people have fought and died for over the past half century, may well be turned back by a Trump dominated Supreme Court, simply because Obama didn't want to stir Republicans' wrath and a possible court challenge (which the courts would very likely decide in his favor) by swearing in Justice Garland in spite of Senate's unprecedented inaction.
Frankly, Obama's "legacy" deserves to be lost, if he lets the nation and the rule of law down so horribly at this most crucial moment. The sad thing is only that we the people don't deserve this betrayal by the president we elected twice by large majorities, who so famously ran for Hope and Change.
It's sad to say, Barack Obama has done more to extinguish hope of progress on any of these issues, because he has failed when the nation needs him most.
President Obama, a man I once admired greatly, forfeited any right to a place in history by backing down on appointing Justice Garland at the first sign of obstruction by Senate Republicans. The Constitution gives the president the separate right to appoint a justice if the Senate waives their own right to advise and consent, as in this case.
But Obama is too timid to press the point. All his "legacy" -- and beyond that, many of the hard-won rights the American people have fought and died for over the past half century, may well be turned back by a Trump dominated Supreme Court, simply because Obama didn't want to stir Republicans' wrath and a possible court challenge (which the courts would very likely decide in his favor) by swearing in Justice Garland in spite of Senate's unprecedented inaction.
Frankly, Obama's "legacy" deserves to be lost, if he lets the nation and the rule of law down so horribly at this most crucial moment. The sad thing is only that we the people don't deserve this betrayal by the president we elected twice by large majorities, who so famously ran for Hope and Change.
3
Finally, a column that is not entirely negative on Donald Trump.
He is our President-elect, and I wish more of the good people of The New York Times would give him the benefit of the doubt.
We desperately need to heal. We need less partisanship, less bickering, and more cooperation and civility, more humility.
There is a time for war, and a time for peace. This is the time for healing. I would like the political parties to move away from ideologies and toward greater competence. I want Congress to be more productive, and less partisan. I want the news media to be less biased and more objective.
I want Mr. Trump to focus on the big issues: the economy and foreign policy. There will be plenty of time in the future for responsible critiques of his stewardship. But for now, we all need to give him the benefit of the doubt.
He is our President-elect, and I wish more of the good people of The New York Times would give him the benefit of the doubt.
We desperately need to heal. We need less partisanship, less bickering, and more cooperation and civility, more humility.
There is a time for war, and a time for peace. This is the time for healing. I would like the political parties to move away from ideologies and toward greater competence. I want Congress to be more productive, and less partisan. I want the news media to be less biased and more objective.
I want Mr. Trump to focus on the big issues: the economy and foreign policy. There will be plenty of time in the future for responsible critiques of his stewardship. But for now, we all need to give him the benefit of the doubt.
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Mr. Bal:
I am giving Mr. Trump the benefit of a doubt. I doubt that he is much more than an empty suit, an emperor without clothes, a chameleon, a four year old in a 70 year old body. This man, who sought the most powerful job in the world and came to it with the least amount of background and education.
Yes, we do need more civility and humility. Did we get that from Mr. Trump during this past year? I sincerely believe he does not know the difference between conflict of interest and just doing business.
Trust him if you must but please, I beg you, verify.
I am giving Mr. Trump the benefit of a doubt. I doubt that he is much more than an empty suit, an emperor without clothes, a chameleon, a four year old in a 70 year old body. This man, who sought the most powerful job in the world and came to it with the least amount of background and education.
Yes, we do need more civility and humility. Did we get that from Mr. Trump during this past year? I sincerely believe he does not know the difference between conflict of interest and just doing business.
Trust him if you must but please, I beg you, verify.
1
I totally agree that "this is the time for healing," however, it should not be the primary responsibility of those of us who did not vote for Trump to do the work of healing the nation, as you seem to suggest. We cannot simply go on as usual, like we did after the Bush wins. No. We are still grieving over the loss of missing an opportunity to elect, not only the most qualified person to ever run for president, but also a woman.
What is desperately needed is for Trump and his minions to reach out the olive branch over and over and over again to us; to quell our real fears, to console our real grief, and to show real compassion. Only when that happens, will our country begin to heal.
What is desperately needed is for Trump and his minions to reach out the olive branch over and over and over again to us; to quell our real fears, to console our real grief, and to show real compassion. Only when that happens, will our country begin to heal.
Those who did not support Trump need to just "get over it" and let the healing begin? If there's any healing to be done Trump can start by apologizing for all of the insane remarks, tweets, lies and speeches spewing from his mouth during the campaign. If any wounds were opened he held the scalpel and now it's time he sewed up the wounds. He gets respect when and if he earns it by showing that's he's really not the incompetent liar we all know he is and starts acting like someone who's not a pathological narcissist.
1
Two weeks since this disastrous election and our President-elect has turned 180 degrees on the "core beliefs" he put forward to con his way through the campaign. There is nothing in this man's personal history to indicate that he can ever be trusted. I trust that widespread civil and civic-minded opposition can help mitigate the extent of damage that Mr Trump and his advisors can inflict upon us. That is my only source of hope at this point.
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And yet, he is far less frightening than the other major party candidate would be. I feel some sliver of hope that the missiles will not be flying on Jan. 22.
The current negativism id counter productive, it's time for a "honeymoon"!
Although I feel like I'm in a waking nightmare with the election of Donald Trump as our next president, at this point I also feel like a voyeur when I read articles like this (about Trump's meeting with journalists). The impression I'm getting from these articles is that Trump is more-or-less an 11-year old kid, of (possibly) above-average intelligence, who has major ADHD. The people closest to him have said he's a fundamentally good person, and I can sort of see a faint glimmer of that, in the sense that it appears if he had a choice between doing something bad to make himself look good, versus doing something good to make himself look good, he would choose the latter.
What scares me (among many other things) is how profoundly naive and impressionable he is. He seems to believe whatever the last person he talked to had to say (e.g., on torture, climate change).
For those of us on the Left, we may perhaps console ourselves with the fact that Trump was a liberal New Yorker before he opportunistically became a Republican. I think I'd be even more worried if Trump had grown up in the Bible Belt. As it is, he seems to be blessed (somewhere deep inside) with liberal instincts.
What scares me (among many other things) is how profoundly naive and impressionable he is. He seems to believe whatever the last person he talked to had to say (e.g., on torture, climate change).
For those of us on the Left, we may perhaps console ourselves with the fact that Trump was a liberal New Yorker before he opportunistically became a Republican. I think I'd be even more worried if Trump had grown up in the Bible Belt. As it is, he seems to be blessed (somewhere deep inside) with liberal instincts.
166
" I think I'd be even more worried if Trump had grown up in the Bible Belt."
You can say that again !
You can say that again !
Let's hope he has those liberal instincts deep inside, but what are we to make of the people he's chosen to be his closest advisors? We shall see when he picks the rest of his cabinet.
I am curious about your "if he grew up in the bible belt" comment.
What are you implying by that? Are people born in the geographic region known as the "bible belt" more dogmatic? Are they uneducated? Are the fundamentalist christians determined to drive all other faiths from their shores?
My point is - the very political correctness the left pushes looking for bits of language that denote bigotry are in fact alive and well in the left. Your conviction that everybody in some ill defined geographic regions acts as you believe them to is the very essence of bigotry.
But I suspect you define bigotry only in terms of race. Your bigotry about income, class, education and geographic location are, in your mind, not bigotry because it isn't about race.
We just elected a hideous human to be president. Maybe you can reflect on that lose and try to recognize your condescension and bigotry are clearly a part of the reasons for the results I suspect we will come to regret.
Physician - heal thyself.
What are you implying by that? Are people born in the geographic region known as the "bible belt" more dogmatic? Are they uneducated? Are the fundamentalist christians determined to drive all other faiths from their shores?
My point is - the very political correctness the left pushes looking for bits of language that denote bigotry are in fact alive and well in the left. Your conviction that everybody in some ill defined geographic regions acts as you believe them to is the very essence of bigotry.
But I suspect you define bigotry only in terms of race. Your bigotry about income, class, education and geographic location are, in your mind, not bigotry because it isn't about race.
We just elected a hideous human to be president. Maybe you can reflect on that lose and try to recognize your condescension and bigotry are clearly a part of the reasons for the results I suspect we will come to regret.
Physician - heal thyself.
Trump is not the ideologue that many on the right want. He also has enough self-confidence to make his own decisions based on his instincts. He is smarter and tougher than George W. I did not vote for him, but I have a glimmer of hope that he can be a successful president. Being successful is very important to him due to his oversize ego-I am thankful for that. I think he recognizes that American is much more diverse than the hard core right wing ideologues who now control the Republican Party. Governing successfully is more than enforcing your ideology on people who disagree with it.
69
I agree with you that he's not the ideologue his supporters think he is. But the only arena in which he has self confidence and, frankly, any passion, is enriching himself and his family. Obviously, as all of these editorials attest, he is a man who parrots the ideas of anyone he is talking to that he deems worthy. Look to him to make "tough" decision on his business interests; anything else, look to someone else and that's frightening.
The problem is our rigged system has given the reactionary Republican Party full control of the U.S. Presidency, the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House, and the U.S. SCOTUS! The corporate media isn't going to save anyone from their echo chambers. I'm glad I'm a white looking Hispanic, Straight acting gay, who is middle class! The intellectual and moral rot of the GOP breaks the human heart!
No you're right . Trump isn't the ideologue the Alt Right - White is Right Right wants . Pursuing Trump's past .... he's worse . Just look at the man's public record . Not only is he the racist they hoped for , but a lunatic , bully , a con man and a ripoff artist to boot ! So rather than hope I'd say keep your Eyes Wide Open , your guard on full red alert and be prepared for the worst assuming the Electoral College , Supreme Court etc doesn't exercise their authority to stop the man in his tracks before ever stepping into the Whitehouse
It is quite clear that Donald Trump is not an ideologue. The plus side is that the new president might prove more pragmatic and flexible than originally supposed.
On the dual questions of American job creation and climate change: I recommend that the new administration embrace building energy efficiency and renewable energy. The construction and retrofit of energy smart buildings generates good-paying domestic jobs, as do the production and installation of building-integrated renewable energy systems, including solar and geothermal equipment. Such a program would reduce energy costs for businesses and families, create U.S. jobs and enhance American competitiveness. It would be a great adjunct to the administration's infrastructure construction and repair program.
On the dual questions of American job creation and climate change: I recommend that the new administration embrace building energy efficiency and renewable energy. The construction and retrofit of energy smart buildings generates good-paying domestic jobs, as do the production and installation of building-integrated renewable energy systems, including solar and geothermal equipment. Such a program would reduce energy costs for businesses and families, create U.S. jobs and enhance American competitiveness. It would be a great adjunct to the administration's infrastructure construction and repair program.
1
Mr. Friedman, I wouldn't get your hopes too high. As Ross noted in his column, Trump is a master at dissembling. He has to deal with a Republican congress and worst of all, he appears to change his mind daily. I can only surmise that Trump relies on whichever adviser has his ear most recently and whatever is most politically advantageous to him. He still sounds in the transcript like he is campaigning for office, not running the office.
8
"The one area where I think Trump is going to have the hardest time delivering on his campaign promises is to create “millions” of good-paying jobs by incentivizing and pressuring American companies to manufacture more in the U.S. He still talks about America as a manufacturing wasteland when, in fact, manufacturing remains the largest sector of the U.S. economy but employs far fewer workers."
Well. Every Times columnist has had his or her chance to weigh in, (except Gail and Maureen!). I don't know what's more interesting, Trump's modulation of his views or the fact NY Times employees were, well, impressed because Trump acted like a normal guy.
But I'm amused at how quickly he's abandoning his the core but contentious policies shouted out at rallies.
"Lock her up!" --No, let's show compassion. "Torture our enemies"---No, that's not effective. "Restore jobs in coal mining and steel." I have to study that. "Accept the reality of climate change"--well, I like clean air.
The more I read, the more Trump just sounds like your "normal" average politician: promise the world before the election, grab it back after.
Wall Street is bullish on Trump. Till the next recession. In two years, we could be booming and overflowing with jobs. Or we could be in the midst of the worst stagflation and stagnation ever.
What will it be today, Mr. Trump? America the beautiful or America the hell-hole?
Well. Every Times columnist has had his or her chance to weigh in, (except Gail and Maureen!). I don't know what's more interesting, Trump's modulation of his views or the fact NY Times employees were, well, impressed because Trump acted like a normal guy.
But I'm amused at how quickly he's abandoning his the core but contentious policies shouted out at rallies.
"Lock her up!" --No, let's show compassion. "Torture our enemies"---No, that's not effective. "Restore jobs in coal mining and steel." I have to study that. "Accept the reality of climate change"--well, I like clean air.
The more I read, the more Trump just sounds like your "normal" average politician: promise the world before the election, grab it back after.
Wall Street is bullish on Trump. Till the next recession. In two years, we could be booming and overflowing with jobs. Or we could be in the midst of the worst stagflation and stagnation ever.
What will it be today, Mr. Trump? America the beautiful or America the hell-hole?
17
"he was rethinking them"
RE thinking? He never thought about these issues as anything more than slogans.
All the information, on issues from torture to climate, have been available for decades for anyone who cared enough to read informed sources.
RE thinking? He never thought about these issues as anything more than slogans.
All the information, on issues from torture to climate, have been available for decades for anyone who cared enough to read informed sources.
24
'Mr. Trump seemed to go out of his way to praise the institution, which he called “a great, great American jewel, world jewel.”'
"I think good cons are all based on the victim's need, and the successful con artist is the one...who can exploit that. I remember reading ...that one of the great traits of confidence tricksters is the level that they flatter their victim."
- Alfred Molina
The talented Mr. Trump, the ultimate, consummate, hardest-working con artist in the business is plying his craft.
It's the Donald Trump Con Arts and Crafts Presidential Hour.
Stay tuned for four conned years.
"I think good cons are all based on the victim's need, and the successful con artist is the one...who can exploit that. I remember reading ...that one of the great traits of confidence tricksters is the level that they flatter their victim."
- Alfred Molina
The talented Mr. Trump, the ultimate, consummate, hardest-working con artist in the business is plying his craft.
It's the Donald Trump Con Arts and Crafts Presidential Hour.
Stay tuned for four conned years.
255
Sometimes I read the NYT just to read Socrates' comments. I think you expressed it quire well today. Diplomacy can't be a con and leadership ( the lasting type that send thoughtful ripples into the future) can't be a con. I fear that we now a con artist for a leader.
2
Instead of starting with the premise that we will be conned, consider someone like the Dalai Lama https://www.yahoo.com/news/dalai-lama-no-worries-trumps-election-0545019...
No worries.
No worries.
1
@ Socrates
• The talented Mr. Trump, the ultimate, consummate, hardest-working con artist in the business is plying his craft.
Which reminds me:
“There are people so addicted to exaggeration they can't tell the truth without lying.” ~ HENRY WHEELER SHAW a.k.a. JOSH BILLINGS (1818 - 1885) American humorist.
• The talented Mr. Trump, the ultimate, consummate, hardest-working con artist in the business is plying his craft.
Which reminds me:
“There are people so addicted to exaggeration they can't tell the truth without lying.” ~ HENRY WHEELER SHAW a.k.a. JOSH BILLINGS (1818 - 1885) American humorist.
4
As a practitioner of armchair psychology (or, in this case psychiatry), it struck me during the campaign and since the election that Trumps positions are, even for a political candidate, extremely fluid, depending almost entirely on how the current audience responds, and what the audience signals that it wants. Different audience, different position. The one constant is Trump's obviously extreme need for adulation. And that is the key to influencing him. That may be somewhat manageable in, say, a small company CEO, but when the fate of the planet hangs in the balance it's more than a little frightening. Especially when one considers the makeup of his inner circle, and its agenda.
59
He is like water. he will whatever space he is given.
Wow
A flower in the garden of crazy.
Don't be fooled.
When a man uses poisoned words......believe him.
A flower in the garden of crazy.
Don't be fooled.
When a man uses poisoned words......believe him.
42
Wow, hard to believe we have to hope for this man to be our leader. To those that voted for Trump, I seriously hope you have a great explanation for it to your children. We might live through the next four years, when it comes to climate change they'll be the ones living with his choices for decades to come. I shudder to think where this is all headed. May God Bless America, because right now prayers seem to be all we have.
23
Hang in there Back in the Day!
I hear you about climate change and our kids. It's undeniably scary. I am hoping we the people and some environmental lawsuits, pressure from large companies who are aware of the danger, and the media, can block most of the real damage. Paris Accord, at the very least!
I hear you about climate change and our kids. It's undeniably scary. I am hoping we the people and some environmental lawsuits, pressure from large companies who are aware of the danger, and the media, can block most of the real damage. Paris Accord, at the very least!
How many times will the media fall for his duplicity. A meeting with no answers to critical questions, his lack of transparency about the white nationalists got him what he wanted - people saying it might be ok even as he continues along the same path. With Trump you can count on him distracting and playing the media. If he actually died something great. If not don't keep looking for ways to feed his ego. If the Time published a headline every day with what he actually does that might make a difference. This won't.
10
Do you remember how he behaved during and after his visit to Mexico? He treated the Mexican President with respect and was very polite - until he returned home; then his aggression and hard stance came out again. Do you think his meeting with the NY Times is any different?
130
I have been thinking the same thing. Donald Trump may regard pandering to whatever crowd he's performing for as presidential. I believe that may be the essence of wishful thinking.
psst, Mr Friedman, wanna buy a bridge?
Soul? You said soul? what soul? Trump's? Surely, you must be kidding.
18
Many of the pre ELECTION PROMISES of President elect MR.Trump were just to appease the voters who liked the vociferous rants. But many of the promises
CANNOT BE put into action after he has become President. This sort of thing prevails in many democracies. THERE ARE very few politicians who put into action what they say and say only those things that they will act upon. It is all in the game.
CANNOT BE put into action after he has become President. This sort of thing prevails in many democracies. THERE ARE very few politicians who put into action what they say and say only those things that they will act upon. It is all in the game.
1
It appears Trump plans to reduce significantly taxes paid by the wealthy and at the same time increase significantly public spending on the country's infrastructure. Is he trying to combine trickle down economics with Keynesian economics? Will the joining of the two bankrupt the country?
10
"....may be — may be — persuadable on some key issues." Anyone who thinks they perhaps can persuade Trump ought to work their hearts out to persuade him to reconsider all the men he is considering appointing to run the government and advise him. If successful, that would be far more impactful than all the resistance being formulated.
1
Mario Cuomo once famously noted that he campaigned in poetry but governed in prose. Going with that metaphor, Mr. Trump campaigned like he was engaged in some kind of warped poetry slam. What kind of governance follows that? So far, the stream of consciousness transition seems akin to the prose of Joyce's Ulysses. Though Trump might imagine he's more like Don Quixote tilting at the windmills of the country's political and media institutions.
1
Listen carefully: Trump is demonstrating very clearly what we in the mental health field call "splitting". This arises from an inability to see the world (and self) as a complex place, and so everything is divided into good and bad. As of this afternoon, the Times is on the good side of the split (and most media is on the bad side)...but do not get taken in. The tide will turn, and as soon as the Times does something to prove itself "unworthy", it will again be on the bad side of the split. Trump has demonstrated this behavior over and over (see Chris Christie, et al), it is a part of his personality structure, and woe to anyone who thinks otherwise.
336
As a nonprofessional who's dealt with individuals with characteristics similar to Trump, I have to agree. The tactics you would use with a rational individual will not work with him. In his world, you are either an admirer or an enemy. There is no gray area, but your position will shift depending on the mood of the moment.
I'm just retiring from 25 years in the mental health field. Everyone needs to research NPD for a better understanding of just what we will be dealing with in the foreseeable future. Yes, an expert at "splitting". We need to name it in order to cope with it.
Thank you.
Perhaps, never have the men surrounding a president mattered as much as the men surrounding this one will.
If General Mattis and Governor Romney are selected for SecDef and SecState, and if they can integrate themselves into the inner policy circle of the Trump White House, they could shape the course of our nation for the better. On the other hand, if they cannot gain President Trump's ear, even if they do hold administrative posts heading important departments, our nation may face rule by the radicals and malcontents who do gain the President's confidence.
Let's hope that President Trump selects good men for the Senate-confirmation-necessary posts, and let's hope those good men have the sharp elbows to jockey into the inner circle at the WH.
If General Mattis and Governor Romney are selected for SecDef and SecState, and if they can integrate themselves into the inner policy circle of the Trump White House, they could shape the course of our nation for the better. On the other hand, if they cannot gain President Trump's ear, even if they do hold administrative posts heading important departments, our nation may face rule by the radicals and malcontents who do gain the President's confidence.
Let's hope that President Trump selects good men for the Senate-confirmation-necessary posts, and let's hope those good men have the sharp elbows to jockey into the inner circle at the WH.
3
Just "good men?" There are plenty of good women out there. My question is whether President Trump will see the wisdom of tapping their wisdom and their grasp that sharp elbows are not the only way to achieve success. Just to be clear, I don't mean the non-stop sycophantic mendacity of Kellyanne Conway.
I see, now that he is elected he is getting educated about stuff, while running he loved the uneducated, he was uneducated. I hope those who voted for him get informed too.
21
I find it sad that people bought that line about Trump being dumb & uneducated. He graduated with a degree in economics from an Ivy League univesity. It seemed clear to me from the start that he was more math-fluent than either his Yale opponent or his Harvard predecessor. This is a guy who saw through Bernie Madoff's scam a long time ago. The real problem with Trump is that while the media saw an opportunity for itself in selling his "lucha libre" evil persona & both ends of the political spectrum lapped it up, we really don't know what his positions are or what he really means when he states that he wants to do "a good job".
I'm very well-educated, thank you, and I voted for him. It's that condescending tone from the "elite" and the "educated" that caused Hillary to lose. In fact, it's ultimately why I voted for Trump. I'm a conservative and have never disagreed more on policy with a Republican than I did Trump. I held my nose, though, and voted for him as a protest vote against people like you, that seem to think you're smarter than everyone else.
Tom, this is good start! The campaign is over and Trump is the President elect. I never really accepted his election rhetoric at face value no more than I accepted HRC's platitudes. Trump is not a politician. And he does not and may never behave like one. But, I cannot for an instance believe that he is as dumb as the media has tried to portray him. So, he might listen to other point of views and may surprise a lot of us in doing some very needed things. Like streamlining the tax code, getting some form of "reasonable" immigration reform, and a large, long term infrastructure program that might produce some needed jobs and a stimulus to a tepid economy. I still worry about his position on climate more than anything else. But, as with Nixon's opening to China, we might be surprised about what the Republicans might do with their total control of the government. But, I am an optimist...
10
"As the management consultant Warren Bennis famously observed: “The factory of the future will have only two employees, a man and a dog. The man will be there to feed the dog. The dog will be there to keep the man from touching the equipment.”
Those wacky Management Consultants sure are a witty bunch, aren't they? Nice to see they had some laughs over the past twenty-five years as they decimated the middle class with their repeated and rather expensive advice to their clients to just fire as many people as possible--I mean "optimize the workforce".
And they have the future covered, too. They're the gift that just keeps giving. And eventually they'll realize that the dog food is cutting into profits, so Fido better watch his back.
So President-elect Trump is misguided on his promise to bring back manufacturing jobs. What's your solution? What sage advice do you have for him about how to create the millions of non-Uber, and non-"monetize your closet" jobs that we need in order to prevent violent unrest in this country? You always seem to leave that part out.
One would think that the wonders of globalization and those awesomely disruptive innovators and magical entrepreneurs out in Silicon Valley would have solved this problem by now.
Many of us who don't write books figured out the problem long before you did. What this country desperately needs now are solutions.
So what will the jobs of the future be, then? And you better hurry up, because the fuse is lit.
Those wacky Management Consultants sure are a witty bunch, aren't they? Nice to see they had some laughs over the past twenty-five years as they decimated the middle class with their repeated and rather expensive advice to their clients to just fire as many people as possible--I mean "optimize the workforce".
And they have the future covered, too. They're the gift that just keeps giving. And eventually they'll realize that the dog food is cutting into profits, so Fido better watch his back.
So President-elect Trump is misguided on his promise to bring back manufacturing jobs. What's your solution? What sage advice do you have for him about how to create the millions of non-Uber, and non-"monetize your closet" jobs that we need in order to prevent violent unrest in this country? You always seem to leave that part out.
One would think that the wonders of globalization and those awesomely disruptive innovators and magical entrepreneurs out in Silicon Valley would have solved this problem by now.
Many of us who don't write books figured out the problem long before you did. What this country desperately needs now are solutions.
So what will the jobs of the future be, then? And you better hurry up, because the fuse is lit.
26
No one has addressed the fact that in 20 years 1/3 of the population will have no work. Jobs are going away Machines and Robots will take their place because they are more efficient, they don't complain or get sick and cost less to maintain. The future is coming like it or not. It will take visionaries to lead us into this future. Without the collapse of the existing political parties, a grim future run by the military lies before us.
1
Unfortunately they are right. Automation and artificial intelligence will be pushing productivity toward infinity, while renewable energy will be pushing the price of energy to zero.
Under our current economic paradigm, that will put almost everyone out of work, while still creating mountains of junk.
We need a new paradigm. The right wants to go backwards. The center wants to wait and see. Only the left is trying to stop disaster.
Under our current economic paradigm, that will put almost everyone out of work, while still creating mountains of junk.
We need a new paradigm. The right wants to go backwards. The center wants to wait and see. Only the left is trying to stop disaster.
How many times over the past year have we been given the false hope that there may be some wiggle room in Trump's character? That a rational, mature, and compassionate man is trying to break through the "wall" of the Trump we have come to know? Wise up, dreamers. If it hasn't happened by now, it ain't gonna happen.
134
A ray of hope emerges. it appears we must call on POTUS to guide the President-Elect toward people like Bill Gates and other reasonable and caring folks. We are engaged in a battle for the man's soul with Bannon on one shoulder and Obama on the other. This is not simply a learning curve. This is a moment of recognition.... or not.
3
You centrists are a bunch of suckers (or corporate hacks). Yes, the billionaires will save us from the billionaire. In sure they don't want their taxes cut to zero, and to be able to make hedge fund fees off of your retirement. [Dripping with sarcasm.]
Stop trusting the titans of industry. They do not care about workers. Workers are cogs in their machine. The only thing they think about you is that you cost too much and need to be replaced with something cheaper. Yes, even the mythical Bill Gates. All his philanthropy is really about reordering the world economy to make himself richer. He has been pushing charter schools for over a decade. Charters are just another privatization of government that uses big contracts to move tax dollars into their bank accounts and keys then control government functions.
Wake up. At least the racist republican base was smart enough to try to blow their system up. The establishment boot licking center is still drinking the cool aid.
Stop trusting the titans of industry. They do not care about workers. Workers are cogs in their machine. The only thing they think about you is that you cost too much and need to be replaced with something cheaper. Yes, even the mythical Bill Gates. All his philanthropy is really about reordering the world economy to make himself richer. He has been pushing charter schools for over a decade. Charters are just another privatization of government that uses big contracts to move tax dollars into their bank accounts and keys then control government functions.
Wake up. At least the racist republican base was smart enough to try to blow their system up. The establishment boot licking center is still drinking the cool aid.
2
And when he says he's rethinking this or that conspiracy theory, or lie, or threat, why do we believe him? Because he seems as if he is only dishonest, and not unstable? Because we have no choice?
31
Keep dreaming. Trump changes his mind practically hourly, and mostly for the opportunity to keep people hanging on his every word. There is nothing of substance here and never will be. The sooner he is impeached, the faster we can get back to the business of governing vs. watching the ringmaster at his own circus. Pence wouldn't be my choice by a long shot, but he's at least rational and somewhat competent. Character and good temperament have never mattered more, and never have we had a President so poorly endowed with either.
148
Yes Pence is a rational and competent hack for global billionaires. That is why he is now Trumps right hands man. (Not sarcasm)
1
Impeachment requires Congress. But they are Republican-majority. Guess What?
Cheryl, you are so right. Can the guy be impeached immediately upon taking the oath of office or will we have to wait to be abused for a year before the gutless Congress understands what a catastrophe this man is?
Jeez you guys roll over so quick, he pandered to his audience and it worked. I am now legitimately depressed because i thought the prince media was immune to the oh-so-everlasting allure of trump steaks and trump wines.
185
So true! I read the transcript - which only proves that Trump has trouble piecing together a fully coherent thought - and am struck by the pandering of the reporters. The man spends countless days disparaging The NY Times as a failed enterprise that treats him unfairly - and yet you all walk in a room and it's all sunshine and rainbows.
Can someone -- anyone -- please explain to me why such well respected NY Times journalists as Mr. Friedman write these columns as if we are dealing with a sane man as President-elect?
426
Thanks.
Here's one explanation: remember that Tom Friedman is the columnist who had a unit of time named after him. A 'friedman' was 3 months or so, after he repeatedly said Cheney's invasion of Iraq needed 3 more months to succeed. Until the quagmire became apparent. Apparently Mr Friedman is falling into his old habits. How many 'friedmans' will he give Trump before he realizes what a disaster this will be for the US?
I am a Democrat. I voted for Sec. Clinton and was widely critical of President-Elect Trump during the campaign. That is now past. What is in front of us is the peaceful transition of power. Having read this article, I am encouraged, albeit modestly.
Whether we like it or not, Donald J. Trump is the 45th President of these United States. We owe him the opportunity to show that President Trump is radically different than the candidate.
And hey, the season of miracles is about to kick off, so be of good cheer.
Whether we like it or not, Donald J. Trump is the 45th President of these United States. We owe him the opportunity to show that President Trump is radically different than the candidate.
And hey, the season of miracles is about to kick off, so be of good cheer.
26
Jeno,
More balanced than most NYT's editorials. I especially enjoyed your closing, hopeful wish.
Thanks.
More balanced than most NYT's editorials. I especially enjoyed your closing, hopeful wish.
Thanks.
Talk about the season of cheer: there is losts of news today that there have to be recounts in several states due highly unusual voting patterns:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/nov/23/hillary-clinton-election...
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/wisconsin-michigan-penn...
Giving Hope? Perhaps the writing is on the wall and he wants to leave on a good note, not to sour potential apartment buyers....
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/nov/23/hillary-clinton-election...
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/wisconsin-michigan-penn...
Giving Hope? Perhaps the writing is on the wall and he wants to leave on a good note, not to sour potential apartment buyers....
1
Memo
I thought that way for a couple days, too. Until he started picking his people.
That said it all. He's a con man.
I thought that way for a couple days, too. Until he started picking his people.
That said it all. He's a con man.
It is said that Trump is most influenced by the last person he talks to, an he is surrounded by people of unknown or dubious intellect. What will tell the tale is whether he appoints some of the kooks whose names have been floated to key cabinet posts. If he really wants to do the job well, he'll appoint highly qualified people and stay out of their way. So far, his choices seem more quixotic than wise, but it is still early in the game.
11
I think, Mr. Friedman, that you and the others got played by Trump. Please remember that he's an actor and negotiator. (Indeed, the two roles are virtually inseparable.) You make several good points, but the "open mind" stance works only in appropriate contexts. In fact, that phrase sounds precisely like something President Obama may have said to him during their recent meeting at the White House. If so, it's good that he listened. It'll be better if he actually knows how to seek, absorb and weigh the massive amounts of information available to him. On the plus side, I'm hopeful that he can recognize a con job when it surfaces. If he can't, who can?
112
Agree. How much do we taxpayers have to pay for the 58 story building housing the bank of China, Mar a logo and his golf course in new Jersey not to mentioned the demanding diplomats stay in DC hotel and Marriott can do nothing about it. The usa has become trump Inc. And the American taxpayer is footing the bill!!!
I think the man is sincere--he really wants to do a good job. In the world in which he was raised, success meant making a lot of money in business, being socially acceptable, playing golf, dating and marrying beautiful women. Now he finds himself in a whole other world. I do hope that Bill Gates and his ilk get to him now and teach him how to succeed in making the world a truly better place. I agree that it must happen NOW before he falls completely in the hands of lesser minds.
44
He has unleashed hate in my community I haven't seen before get legitimized by the president. People in my community are scared by hate crimes. My neighbors are afraid their families will be torn apart. Others are scared that they will lose their health insurance. Children are being bullied in school everyday. Women are afraid that to have a baby may require them to die if they have complications or go to jail. These times are not normal.
4
Bill Gates has been trying to privatize education for over a decade. Stop trusting billionaires. They get that money by siphoning of other people's productivity. Yes yes he invented a nifty product once upon a time. (though Windows stole their graphical interface from Apple, who stole it from Xerox.) That doesn't mean he knows how to govern, any more than being a real estate mogul means you know how to govern.
1
You think the man who said he had no Super PAC and no pollsters is sincere ?
The guy who insists he never said he was for the Iraq War is sincere ?
The guy who said Hillary Clinton founded ISIS and Ted Cruz' dad conspired to kill JFK is sincere ?
The guy who said Chris Christie knew about Bridgegate and kept him on his staff anyway is sincere ?
Huh ?
The guy who insists he never said he was for the Iraq War is sincere ?
The guy who said Hillary Clinton founded ISIS and Ted Cruz' dad conspired to kill JFK is sincere ?
The guy who said Chris Christie knew about Bridgegate and kept him on his staff anyway is sincere ?
Huh ?
Re climate change: “I’m looking at it very closely. … I have an open mind to it. We’re going to look very carefully. … You can make lots of cases for different views. ... I will tell you this: Clean air is vitally important. Clean water, crystal-clean water is vitally important.”
I understand the impulse to give the PEOTUS some room to "evolve," but his statements illustrate an uninformed, inarticulate, incoherent understanding of an empirical truth from someone elected to the most powerful position on the planet, i.e., that our fossil fuel based economy has unacceptable consequences for the planet. That must be challenged, over and over.
Khizr Khan powerfully challenged Trump whether he had read the constitution. I'm not sure that question was ever answered. In any event, has the President Elect read the Paris Treaty he wants to repeal? Has the NYT asked? What scientific papers has the President Elect read on climate change? Has the NYT asked?
I understand the impulse to give the PEOTUS some room to "evolve," but his statements illustrate an uninformed, inarticulate, incoherent understanding of an empirical truth from someone elected to the most powerful position on the planet, i.e., that our fossil fuel based economy has unacceptable consequences for the planet. That must be challenged, over and over.
Khizr Khan powerfully challenged Trump whether he had read the constitution. I'm not sure that question was ever answered. In any event, has the President Elect read the Paris Treaty he wants to repeal? Has the NYT asked? What scientific papers has the President Elect read on climate change? Has the NYT asked?
142
Thank you for this comment. Good grief, that answer is word salad, I guess it's an improvement over declaring he won't honor the Climate agreement, if you are trying hard to find rationality in Mr. Trump. However, he's been running for president for close to two years and the only consistent trait he has exhibited is extreme neediness for approval. So he wanted the New York Times officials to perceive him as thoughtful, thus that non answer about looking at it closely. He'll be screaming crooked NYT within days. It is obvious why he wants his son-in-law at his side in the White House, is it not?
2
I don't doubt that you had a lovely and agreeable time at lunch. I also suspect that he would have just as agreeable time at lunch tomorrow with, say, the august editorial team at Breitbart news or the KKK press. The trouble is he has no fixed views, he wants to be admired by whoever he happens to dine with that day. Let's try to keep Putin and other dangerous but savvy manipulators out of the White House Mess.
53
'Asked if he read The New York Times, Trump said: “I do read it. Unfortunately. I would live about 20 years longer if I didn’t.”'
I don't suppose there's a way you guys could maybe publish like, about 9 issues daily?
I don't suppose there's a way you guys could maybe publish like, about 9 issues daily?
24
LOL!! Well-played, guy. ;)
2
No good! Then we would get Pence the ideologue who will push us back to Nixon times.
Let's roll the dice with Trump. If he fails he's out in four years. If he doesn't fail, well then it's good for America.
Let's roll the dice with Trump. If he fails he's out in four years. If he doesn't fail, well then it's good for America.
Roll the dice on a sociopath with nuclear weapons - sounds like a plan.
I agree that Pence is appalling, but it may be that for this job basic competence and mental stability are ultimately more important than ideology.
I agree that Pence is appalling, but it may be that for this job basic competence and mental stability are ultimately more important than ideology.
To put the slightest amount of trust in a 70 year old man whose opinions and convictions change on a whim, on an urge, on a remark from a fawning friend or acquaintance seems reckless -- and to believe almost anything Donald J. Trump says at any given moment would seem foolhardy were the individual anyone but the President-elect. If it would be wise to wonder about a child so eager for approval and praise -- to the point where the child would say or do just about anything to impress an audience -- surely the more unsettling fact that an elderly man in the planetary spotlight would behave as the child should give us all a great big pause before passing out applause. Are there others who feel as I do, some sadness for this man whose needs are so juvenile, so self-absorbed and so monumental that they may never be satisfied?
Does Donald J. Trump bring onto the world's stage a new definition for "hubris"?
Doug Giebel
Big Sandy, Montana
Does Donald J. Trump bring onto the world's stage a new definition for "hubris"?
Doug Giebel
Big Sandy, Montana
10
Tom, I fear you fell for some of Trump's malarkey if you think that his statements to you represent his openness to learning and reconsidering his stances. It is more plausible that he modifies his statements and stance depending on who he's talking to and who last had his ear. If he altered his views on the climate and on water boarding on the basis of brief conversations I'm worried just as much. As Michael Bloomberg said, "I'm from New York. I know a con when I see one".
17
With all due respect to Mr. Friedman, there is no such thing as "moderate Republicans", only "less conservative Republicans.
9
How truly uninspiring. A president in modern times who knows little about any material issue which presents itself as a challenge. Good luck to him and all of us.
22
Don't be fooled into hope. This is classic abuser behavior. Strike, make nice, strike again even harder.
277
Exactly. That aspect of his personality was in full view any of the times I watched "The Apprentice" -- he was creepy. I didn't like him then, I don't like him now, nor will I like him in the future. It's a done deal for me - he's not to be trusted.
4
Tom, you and others were taken for a ride today. Nothing definitive was said and most of what you're reporting and analyzing is "seems to" conjecture. When will you realize that facilitating Trump's message is not hard news?
25
They were all snowed. That's what I said this morning in response to Bruni's column. They were played by the master.
I think that Trump does have liberal tendencies but can go conservative when he has to.
He's probably also very good friends with Bill and Hillary and certainly wasn't going to take them into court. However, he would do it if people would pay attention to him.
I think that Trump does have liberal tendencies but can go conservative when he has to.
He's probably also very good friends with Bill and Hillary and certainly wasn't going to take them into court. However, he would do it if people would pay attention to him.
I hope Trump keeps reading and re-reading The NY Times religiously every day and especially Sunday.
6
Truly tragic.
This is a man who has lived all of his life in fact-free vacuum, despite having gone to Wharton to learn how to "push dirt". His "mentor" was none other than closeted Roy Cohn. He has surrounded himself by toadies and bottom feeders.
Having fed the trolls fact-free Tweet meat to get elected, he is suddenly confronted by making decisions that matter.
There is no telling what will happen when Trump figures out the his party line simply does not work in reality, and his trolls turn against him.
This is a man who has lived all of his life in fact-free vacuum, despite having gone to Wharton to learn how to "push dirt". His "mentor" was none other than closeted Roy Cohn. He has surrounded himself by toadies and bottom feeders.
Having fed the trolls fact-free Tweet meat to get elected, he is suddenly confronted by making decisions that matter.
There is no telling what will happen when Trump figures out the his party line simply does not work in reality, and his trolls turn against him.
8
And the right-wing called Obama unqualified?!?!? Unbelievably galling.
3
"Unfortunately. I would live about 20 years longer if I didn’t.”
Why, dt? Are the words too hard to understand? Is it complexity or nuance you have difficulty with? Is it uncomfortable to comprehend others' analyses and critique?
Why, dt? Are the words too hard to understand? Is it complexity or nuance you have difficulty with? Is it uncomfortable to comprehend others' analyses and critique?
6
Let's hope that Ttump keeps reaching out, bringing in outside views and learning. He does not, after all, have an ideological background - he was not raised on Ayn Rand - he has a moderate background.
For all his vaunted sensitivity he was able to walk into the New York Times newsroom and meet amicably with a paper that has shredded him again and again. That says something.
Is it too much to hope that an outsider like Trump might actually be able to bridge some of the partisan divide in this country?
For all his vaunted sensitivity he was able to walk into the New York Times newsroom and meet amicably with a paper that has shredded him again and again. That says something.
Is it too much to hope that an outsider like Trump might actually be able to bridge some of the partisan divide in this country?
3
How is beer going to help interrogate a devout Muslim?
14
The FBI has interrogated suspects who appeared to be devout Muslims, and they got results. Nothing from the mouth of a man who is screaming can be believed.
2
Oh, come on. Proper interrogation means establishing a rapport. Discussing faith would be a good start.
2
Et tu, mr Friedman? Haven't you learned by now that Trump is a con man and a grifter who changes his message with incredible alacrity to suit his audience. He means what he says only for the moment the words cross his lips. He knows nothing. He does not care to know anything. Money is his God. He is surrounded by an extreme fringe that do have a very clear agenda and they (unlike trump) are determined to achieve their long defined goals. This is what has me terrified.
176
in the next to last paragraph you say it is not time to let your guard down. i find that in my life it has never been time to let your guard down when dealing with presidents. they all have to be watched constantly. it is a requirement of the populace. keep all the leaders aware they work for us. not just the money boys. we are larger in numbers than that lot. they know it too. they are worried about it all the time. yes do not ever let down your guard.
6
Please, Mr. Friedman. Don't fall for it. He's not "rethinking" anything. To do so would imply that he's actually some "thinking" in the first place. The man is incapable of deep thought. All he does is say what he thinks sounds good, given the situation he's in. That means, when he's talking to the Times, he's going to say that he's looking "very closely" at things, and will study issues "very hard". What nonsense. He says nothing of substance. "Clean air is vitally important." Really? How profound! Unfortunately, the people who surround him, and will get the last word with him, are the likes of Paul Ryan and Reince Priebus and Steve Bannon. He cares only about himself, and they will twist him for their purposes. So don't expect moderation or great achievements from him.
102
I bought your new book today, after reading John Micklethwait's review, and have read only a few pages. Your optimism, decidedly intellectual, and broad contextual analysis remove my jitters about Trump. This is certainly the most hopeful summary of what transpired today, and that closing line portrays a human being, not just a demagogic President Elect.
2
Ah, interesting that Trump has shown the art of pivoting in ways he never did the past 15 months. He must be given his due that as a president-elect he represents all the people.on climate change: I am sure his kids are getting his ear on the very strong evidence that it is man made.
2
I have no reason to think his children are convincing him of anything. Do you know something that the rest of us don't?
What I take from this op-ed is that Trump appeared less opposed to issues key to you that you first thought. But he's going to be president, not you. How did you adjust your issues to what Trump had to say, or did that thought never occur to you?
2
As Michael Bloomberg said so eloquently at the democratic convention, "I'm a New Yorker, and I know a con when I see one." Clearly Thomas Friedman does not.
427
Of course Thomas Friedman doesn't know a con when he sees one. Unlike Bloomberg, he's not from New York. He's from Minnesota and still infected with Minnesota Nice.
1
What soul?
Trump lies to his family, his friends, his associates, his investors, his workers, his admirers and his 'base.'
Above all he lies to the press.
Seems very likely he lies to himself.
What's left?
Nothing.
Nothing.
51
Is it possible that Donald Trump has been deceived by the world of fake news? Does he believe what everyone else calls lies?
Sometimes, it sounds as if a lot of the stuff he said during the campaign came from questionable sources. The news media never figured out how to counteract the misinformation and will continue to be challenged by the media management of Trump, Bannon and Conley. Forewarned ought to be forearmed.
Sometimes, it sounds as if a lot of the stuff he said during the campaign came from questionable sources. The news media never figured out how to counteract the misinformation and will continue to be challenged by the media management of Trump, Bannon and Conley. Forewarned ought to be forearmed.
re: Asked if he read The New York Times, Trump said: “I do read it. Unfortunately. I would live about 20 years longer if I didn’t.”
As much and as often as you can, keep reading, Donald!
As much and as often as you can, keep reading, Donald!
4
Psst Tom Friedman....
wanna buy a watch?
wanna buy a watch?
141
I will not take anything PE Trump says till he ACTS. Till he gets rid of Bannon and co. Till he gets on TV, Youtube or whatever and actively disavow the White Nationalists who helped him win the election and who he helped get an ever larger audience. talk is cheap. Till he gets on TV, Youtube and apologizes directly to President Obama and his family. let's see your actions Mr. President Elect.
And again for the umpteenth time NYT, can your organization enact a policy to call Bannon and co. what they are: White nationalist/Supremacists. Enough of this "Alt right" nonsense. The term, apparently coined by Mr White nationalism.Supremacy himself, Richard Spencer, was created, without a doubt, to try and legitimize and normalize these repulsive odious people and their equally repulsive, odious views/opinions. Enough.
And again for the umpteenth time NYT, can your organization enact a policy to call Bannon and co. what they are: White nationalist/Supremacists. Enough of this "Alt right" nonsense. The term, apparently coined by Mr White nationalism.Supremacy himself, Richard Spencer, was created, without a doubt, to try and legitimize and normalize these repulsive odious people and their equally repulsive, odious views/opinions. Enough.
97
Here's hoping, particularly on climate. Sadly, that he will be unable to deliver on jobs may teach people who voted against their interests (Hillary had actual, you know, plans to help) not to rely on a guy who lies a lot and whose special skill is how to put himself over on TV, bully, con, and get his way. But it would be wise not to assume he will change.
On climate, here's a good take. This is UK conservative and has been underreported, please read the whole short article: https://www.chathamhouse.org/expert/comment/climate-vs-donald-trump
"Statement after statement emphasized a clear and consistent message: countries remain committed to the Paris Agreement and to delivering their emissions reductions."
"This display of unity is arguably Marrakech’s defining success.... when the time came to uphold the nascent regime in the face of a threat, powerful international norms on climate action meant there were no divisions."
"For the international community, the question is one of leadership. In the run-up to Paris, the US and China together set expectations"
"To fly in the face of strong international norms on climate action would certainly erode American soft power and concede global status to China ... Nor will American prosperity be served by the US economy remaining shackled to fossil fuels while the rest of the world’s economy transitions away from them. All countries stand to lose if the US backslides on climate change, most of all the US."
On climate, here's a good take. This is UK conservative and has been underreported, please read the whole short article: https://www.chathamhouse.org/expert/comment/climate-vs-donald-trump
"Statement after statement emphasized a clear and consistent message: countries remain committed to the Paris Agreement and to delivering their emissions reductions."
"This display of unity is arguably Marrakech’s defining success.... when the time came to uphold the nascent regime in the face of a threat, powerful international norms on climate action meant there were no divisions."
"For the international community, the question is one of leadership. In the run-up to Paris, the US and China together set expectations"
"To fly in the face of strong international norms on climate action would certainly erode American soft power and concede global status to China ... Nor will American prosperity be served by the US economy remaining shackled to fossil fuels while the rest of the world’s economy transitions away from them. All countries stand to lose if the US backslides on climate change, most of all the US."
30
Thank you for this link Susan. I always appreciate your comments.
I urge other readers to follow Susan's link, and speak up..
I urge other readers to follow Susan's link, and speak up..
Reading the tweets as they were offered here, one gets the impression that Tom was one of the few who challenged Trump at the lunch. Ross, for example, never asked him about the nature of God and the rumors that Trump had risen (four times) from the dead to be our next president.
Well, despite Tom’s concerns, Trump’s video update on YouTube made clear that he was protecting “clean” coal and rolling back regulations intended to kill off whole sectors of the carbon-based energy industry. From the tweets, I didn’t see that he reduced that commitment at all; and any sense that he has become “open” about this probably is a pipe(no pun intended)-dream. As to clean air and water, unlike China, India and Russia we already have them – another Republican president, Richard Nixon, put us on the road to assuring THOSE gifts. However, the image of Trump quaffing his thirst reverently at a suburban garden hose is a bit much.
Tom evangelizes the Obama mystique and method: counsel with MANY people, integrate their ideas into a more sophisticated and realistic worldview … and fail to actually DO anything because you listened to too many lawyers who are paid to tell you what you CAN’T do; and get hung-up because in D.C. there is a whole class of wonks paid to argue EACH SIDE of an issue very competently.
No, if Trump is to actually accomplish anything, he needs to set objectives, by all means listen to opposing opinions but focus on those who can help him do what he sets out to do.
Well, despite Tom’s concerns, Trump’s video update on YouTube made clear that he was protecting “clean” coal and rolling back regulations intended to kill off whole sectors of the carbon-based energy industry. From the tweets, I didn’t see that he reduced that commitment at all; and any sense that he has become “open” about this probably is a pipe(no pun intended)-dream. As to clean air and water, unlike China, India and Russia we already have them – another Republican president, Richard Nixon, put us on the road to assuring THOSE gifts. However, the image of Trump quaffing his thirst reverently at a suburban garden hose is a bit much.
Tom evangelizes the Obama mystique and method: counsel with MANY people, integrate their ideas into a more sophisticated and realistic worldview … and fail to actually DO anything because you listened to too many lawyers who are paid to tell you what you CAN’T do; and get hung-up because in D.C. there is a whole class of wonks paid to argue EACH SIDE of an issue very competently.
No, if Trump is to actually accomplish anything, he needs to set objectives, by all means listen to opposing opinions but focus on those who can help him do what he sets out to do.
4
Richard has been playing Charlie Brown so long he has forgotten he's playing. (Trump, in case you don't get the analogy, is Lucy): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=055wFyO6gag
3
True. Meanwhile, give Mr. Friedman credit for realizing that the "campaign is over," finally. That's something.
Trump is all over the place. Obviously, he is a highly conflicted individual. He most definitely has some deep seated psychological problems. The guy needs to be in therapy, a lot. He could also use 10 hours of yoga a week. However damaged he is, Donald Trump is our President elect. We bought the whole package, with all of his conditions and failings.
It is becoming apparent that he is in way over his head. President Obama said that the job has a way of changing you. No kidding!
Much of the ridiculous and hateful things that Trump kept spewing out were largely based on ignorance. Trump didn't and doesn't have a clue. As President Obama said, markets move and armies march on what the President says. Trump is getting the security briefings. The gravity of the office is beginning to settle in. Even a bombastic egomaniac can grasp the magnitude of the most powerful office in the world.
So the rest of us are in panic mode trying to figure out what Trump is going to do. We are over analyzing every phrase, every word. I have news for you. Trump himself doesn't know what he is going to do. He is a pile of tinker toys spilled out on the floor. Who knows what will be built with them.
It also appears that Trump responds to external stimuli. If good leaders can get close to him, this administration could be salvaged. Please President Obama, become Trump's newest best friend. The entire world needs you now more than ever. That's not a joke. Deadly serious.
It is becoming apparent that he is in way over his head. President Obama said that the job has a way of changing you. No kidding!
Much of the ridiculous and hateful things that Trump kept spewing out were largely based on ignorance. Trump didn't and doesn't have a clue. As President Obama said, markets move and armies march on what the President says. Trump is getting the security briefings. The gravity of the office is beginning to settle in. Even a bombastic egomaniac can grasp the magnitude of the most powerful office in the world.
So the rest of us are in panic mode trying to figure out what Trump is going to do. We are over analyzing every phrase, every word. I have news for you. Trump himself doesn't know what he is going to do. He is a pile of tinker toys spilled out on the floor. Who knows what will be built with them.
It also appears that Trump responds to external stimuli. If good leaders can get close to him, this administration could be salvaged. Please President Obama, become Trump's newest best friend. The entire world needs you now more than ever. That's not a joke. Deadly serious.
533
I agree. President Obama has spent long exhausting years working for us but if he could help keep our democracy from going under by becoming a trusted adviser to Donald Trump, he may be the man who saves the union.
2
I have yet to read a commentary from you that is less than brilliantly incisive.
I do not believe Trump is "conflicted". He doesn't seem to have ever given sufficient thought (or action) outside of self- to be conflicted about anything else.
For the sake of our world, I do hope you are correct.
59
"Trump clearly learns by talking to people, not reading. Because so few thought he would win, many of those who gathered around him and had his ear were extreme characters."
Back in the day, pundits speculated whether the Old Nixon or the New Nixon would show up in the White House. Turned out there was only one Nixon all along.
Now here comes Tom Friedman hoping for a New trump. As several who know him have pointed out, he has a very short attention span, and there's no way after 70 years that will change. People like Bill Gates may have his ear for maybe an hour or two a year. What are the chances they would prevail over his inner circle of Pence, Priebus and Dannon and, of course, the rest of the trump clan?
Back in the day, pundits speculated whether the Old Nixon or the New Nixon would show up in the White House. Turned out there was only one Nixon all along.
Now here comes Tom Friedman hoping for a New trump. As several who know him have pointed out, he has a very short attention span, and there's no way after 70 years that will change. People like Bill Gates may have his ear for maybe an hour or two a year. What are the chances they would prevail over his inner circle of Pence, Priebus and Dannon and, of course, the rest of the trump clan?
354
Sorry - Bannon. I must be eating too much yogurt.
56
That's OK mancuroc, I hope it is Chobani yogurt. Fight any way you can.
Your analogy to Nixon is so apt, and many are too young to remember that.
What was it that W said? Oh, here it is:
“There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again.”
Sorry Mr. Friedman, there is no hope here.
Your analogy to Nixon is so apt, and many are too young to remember that.
What was it that W said? Oh, here it is:
“There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again.”
Sorry Mr. Friedman, there is no hope here.
4
Yes, I'm surprised at this continued wistful hoping for something different.
3