To the Editor

The editor of the New York Times has done a remarkable thing. On the anniversary of the first year of the Trump ‘Presidency’, in ‘the spirit of open debate,’ he has given over his pages to Trump supporters to say what they think. Read them all here: ‘Vision, Chutzpah and Some Testosterone’.

My favourite is from Philip Maymin who writes:

“Volatility is our friend. The more chaos, the better! …You know who loves change? Capitalists. Mr. Trump has led us on that spiritual exodus.”

Here’s some extracts …

To The Editor

How’s he doing? He has turned a fragile nation “anti-fragile” (the scholar Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s term). Before Mr. Trump, we were scared of any volatility. Oh no, ISIS! Oh no, banks! The more chaos there was, the worse we were.

Now volatility is our friend. The more chaos, the better! Entrepreneurship up. Optimism up. Good old American problem solving is back! You know who loves change? Capitalists. Mr. Trump has led us on that spiritual exodus.

PHILIP MAYMIN
GREENWICH, CONN.

Granted we have the most unpresidential president of our time. Crude, rude, clueless dude — but I believe, with the help of his friends, he’s stumbling through one of the most effective presidencies in memory.

As the Sonny LoSpecchio character wisely concluded in the movie “A Bronx Tale,” it’s better to be feared than loved. My hope is for our enemies to fear Donald Trump and for his domestic opponents to realize he’s on their side.

STEVEN LANDIS
HAMPTON BAYS, N.Y.

Donald Trump has succeeded where Barack Obama failed. The economy is up, foreign tyrants are afraid, ISIS has lost most of its territory, our embassy will be moved to Jerusalem and tax reform is accomplished. More than that, Mr. Trump is learning, adapting and getting savvier every day. Entitlement reform is next! Lastly, the entrenched interests in Washington, which have done nothing but glad-hand one another, and both political parties are angry and afraid.

Who knew that all it would take to make progress was vision, chutzpah and some testosterone?

STEVEN SANABRIA
OAKDALE, CALIF.

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Comments (5)

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  1. Charles L. Gallagher says:

    Allow me add this from 1920. H.L. Menken a journalist predicted on the 26th July 1920 in the “Baltimore Sun” in a piece titled, “Bayard vs Lionheart” where in the last two paragraphs of his essay, reproduced below, Mencken elaborated on his misgivings about the American democratic process: –

    “The larger the mob, the harder the test. In small areas, before small electorates, a first-rate man occasionally fights his way through, carrying even the mob with him by the force of his personality. But second and third hand, and the force of personality cannot so readily make itself felt, then all the odds are on the man who is, intrinsically, the most devious and mediocre—the man who can most adeptly disperse the notion that his mind is a virtual vacuum.

    The Presidency tends, year by year, to go to such men. As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day, the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright MORON.”

    Need I say more???

    1. J Galt says:

      Well Menken’s prophecy actually came true in 1980 when Reagan was elected, took a break with GHW Bush (evil but not moronic) and resumed with Clinton and since then it’s been non-stop morons or charlatans (Obama) ever since!

      1. Charles L. Gallagher says:

        Aye they might have been bad, but the Chump takes the biscuit.

  2. Pogliaghi says:

    Broadly the two most common positions of diehard Trumpists (the second two letters sound like glosses of the same set of talking points by the same operative).

    – He’s an idiot but that’s fine because all government is bad. Anarcho-capitalism is Nature’s Way. (Commonly found amongst the pseudo intellectuals who read guys like Taleb, and might actually write in to the NYT. Pampered, white collar and living partly off investment income. Indulging in narcissistic self projection onto the protagonists of “Atlas Shrugged” or “Fight Club”, all to numb the boredom of their existence.)

    – He’s a buffoon and a boor but really he’s just one of the folks who struck it rich. He’s got a plan and it’ll all work out in the end. (Often found among what Thomas Frank identified as left behind blue collar Democrats).

    Note the complete indifference to liberal outrage in both. The second is amenable to correction, the first is pure ideology.

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