COMMENT POSTED TO AN ARTICLE BY JOHN LICHFIELD IN THE
INDEPENDENT
I mostly liked this.
Lincoln's speeches were biblical in cadence and phrasing,
even though Lincoln was not in the least religious, as we know from his
intimate friend biographer, Herndon.
This likely reflected the largely self-taught nature of his
education. He went to school less than two years, but his native intelligence
pushed him I'm sure to read and re-read the few books available to him.
Actually, and I know some readers will object, Trump has
aspects of John Kennedy. No, he isn't literary. No, he isn't fascinated by
history. And, no, he doesn't have the kind of "class" Kennedy had.
But Trump shares with Kennedy a bold spirit and some disdain
for conventional wisdom of the establishment of his time.
Kennedy in private was extremely disdainful of the military,
the State Department, and the corporate chiefs of his day who were not willing
to compromise for the country as a whole.
I don't recall anyone's observing the fact, but that outlook
is very much shared by Trump.
Both men were raised in wealth so that they were comfortable
and self-assured, yet both men reflect a bit of a higher purpose as it were.
Trump's patriotism is genuine and deep, and, while I am not
an admirer of excessive patriotism, it seems to motivate him to do something
good for his country.
If he gets a chance, he could prove a great president.
Yes, he has policies I don't agree with and, yes, he could
disappoint, but I am pretty sure there's something there of considerable worth.
You simply do not get everything when you elect someone as a
leader. You get a bundle of qualities, some of which you like and some of which
you don't like.
America's recent policies have made the world a very
dangerous place, and they have put America in the position of being a mass
killer comparable to the old Argentine junta. If Trump can moderate these
poisonous tendencies, he will have done a good work for the world, not just
America.
