Land of the Free, Home of the Dumb

Sign posted not at the White House.

Today, a Wall Street Journal/Washington Post poll revealed that President Trump has a worst-in-history-of-polling-for-early-administrations 40% approval rating. Considering all of the inanity and insanity over the last 90 days, this level of approbation is not surprising. However, what is amazing is that 96% of those who voted for him would do so again. 96%!!! This includes 85% of all Republicans.

While I can understand, sadly, how a large portion of partisan voters would remain loyal to their party, no matter what, it does boggle the mind that such an overwhelming group can remain steadfast. (When Nixon resigned, more than 50% of Republicans were still supporting him.)

When one cannot rationally explain why something is happening, the answer is usually something having to do with Money. That may be true to some degree here. People have been promised a Return to Greatness, with better paying jobs and, implicitly for some, a smackdown of those who are perceived to be grifting the system (hello, people of color!)

But why do so many people who ought to know better continue to coalesce around our Tweeter-in-Chief? Certainly he had no demonstrable track record of fighting for The Little Guy throughout his lifetime. In fact, he has a history of actively screwing them over! So why does he still have such strong support? Are his voters willfully ignorant? In determined denial? Are they simply trolling the country? Are they being Ginormously Ironic?

This Cult of Personality that seems to hold his supporters in sway developed over the years with "The Apprentice", the Reality TV show on Fox that served to save Trump's bacon and establish a generation of true believers. In a TV Nation such as ours, the influence of this consistently top-rated program should not be discounted. It really promoted Trump as a business leader supreme, whose incredible skills were never to be questioned. Interestingly, behind the scenes, Trump was teetering towards bankruptcy when he signed on for this gig. Its success jump-started his failing brand name and the rest is history.

So 96% of his supporters continue to drink his kool-aid and would vote for him again. Here is what he wrote this morning on a Tweet:

Eventually, but at a later date so we can get started early, Mexico will be paying, in some form, for the badly needed border wall.

Not exactly words that evoke the literary tradition of Reagan, Kennedy, Roosevelt or Lincoln. But it does serve to remind us of the famous adage, "He says what we are thinking". And this week presented numerous examples of this kind of stinkin' thinkin'. For example, on Thursday evening, the President invited Sarah Palin, Ted Nugent and Kid Rock to join him for dinner at the White House. They spent FOUR HOURS with him. Palin, the dim and defeated VP candidate and resigned governor (for whom Steve Bannon produced the hilariously titled vanity documentary The Undefeated). Ted Nugent, who called Barack Obama a "subhuman mongrel" who should "suck on my machine gun" and "be tried for treason and hung." Kid Rock, the obnoxious white people's rapper and southern rocker, who grew up a rich kid outside of Detroit. This, ladies and gentlemen, is American Carnage, Trump Style:

The painting frame has more class than these three clowns.

Oh, Ha Ha. They were going to pose flipping off ol' Hillary, but according to the NY Times, Nugent, of all people, demurred at the last moment. The nuclear throw-weight of Stupid at that dinner is hard to measure.

Well, at least the Trumps didn't mess up the Easter Egg Roll, a fun event for kids and a 138 year tradition. Vendors for the Roll were panicking last month because no one at the White House seemed to be in charge of it and things looked dicey. At the last minute they pulled it off! 18,000 participants and hardly any kids of color, unlike the previous decades. But who was in the bunny suit? Sean Spicer? (has experience) Jared Kushner (he does everything else), Steve Bannon (looking for other things to do within the WH)?

A White Rabbit at an Easter Egg Whites event, indeed. Maybe he was this mysterious guy:

Fake CENTCOM spokesperson

Yep, just another weird, dopey and deeply unsettling example of The Amateur Hour that runs 24/7 at the White House. But wait, you want some more? Well, here's some more:

When Aya Hijazi, the Egyptian-American charity worker was returned after 3 years in a Cairo jail, there was much justifiable celebration.  Then it was learned that she was released after Trump had publicly embraced Egyptian autocrat President Sissi, calling him "fantastic" and offered him "strong backing". Then, the White House put this out on their website, juiced it up with the go-to anthem, "Proud to be an American",  and Trump tweeted it:

Trump's Twitter of Aya at WH, 39 Star Flag

Check out the flag at the 1:50 mark. Is there a hidden message here? Did you know our country has only 39 states? I'm not even sure the hardest of hard-core Trumpenproleteriats know this.  Do the 39 starred states represent Trump's electoral college firewall?

Attorney General Jefferson Davis Sessions claimed incredulity that a judge "on a Pacific island" could stop Trump's travel ban. He later claimed to be joking, knowing full well that Hawaii, a chain of Pacific islands, is in fact a state. Then he got all testy about New York City, a "sanctuary city", saying that it is "soft on crime." NYC's crime rate is historically low, and compares favorably to cities in Sessions' home state of Alabama:

http://www.bestplaces.net/docs/studies/crime1.aspx

A couple of days ago, Trump fired the U.S. Surgeon General and replaced him with a Registered Nurse. OK, she is also a Rear Admiral, but it does demonstrate that the only surgeon in the Trump Administration is in charge of Housing, when he's not stuck in an elevator.

Ben Carson gets stuck in an elevator

Well, there is one person in the White House who is supposed to have a couple of IQ points in her noggin. Let's take a look at what she might write to the babysitter when she and Ruler of the Universe Jared go out:

Ivanka Trump's note to the babysitter

Also, in case anyone may have forgotten during all the excitement, April is National Sexual Assault and Prevention Month. It's true! Our President proclaimed it so himself. In a statement, he declared that his administration would raise awareness of the issue, supporting and serving victims here and worldwide. These are welcome words from the Grabber-in-Chief.

But then within a few days, all was apparently forgotten. Trump publicly supported his friend Bill O'Reilly, saying "I don't think he did anything wrong." Fox News disagreed, having paid out over $13 Million in settlements to in-house accusers of his sexual predatory behavior. Then, after paying Bill $25 Million in severance, they fired him. Add this to the debit column where Fox paid its founder, former Nixon Director of Communications Roger Ailes, $40 Million severance after paying his own in-house accusers over $20 Million.

But Trump says it's OK, whether or not it's Sexual Assault and Prevention Month. Is this what his 96% fan base thinks, too? If so, we've got a looong way to go.

Bill O'Reilly and Roger Ailes (right)

On the other hand, Bill and Roger are both gone, so there is that. Our old friends at The Onion take a poignant look at O'Reilly's last day at work:

http://www.theonion.com/article/bill-oreilly-tearfully-packs-framed-skirt-photos-d-55818

It may be a slower-than-desired process, but one by one these jerks find a way to step on their own hubris.  There is going to be an enormous amount of cleanup in Aisle Seven after this administration goes away. In the meantime, let's remember these paraphrased words from the great American author:

"We have found... Reptilicus!"

What gawdawful visage of Hell is this? Could it be the monstrously deplorable portion of the Trump base, born and raised up 50 million years out of time? Transmogrified and laying waste to Washington, DC and its elite allies while the world "riots with fear"? No, this beastly metaphor is simply the early 1960's Danish version of Godzilla, "Reptilicus".

Oh, what a terrible movie. It is so dreadful that the recently revived Mystery Science Theatre 3000 features it as its premiere object of ridicule.  That's very high low-brow praise! It truly approaches the apex of Cheapness, with an obvious puppet monster, a cast culled from the Copenhagen drunk tank, and such spectacular special effects as a paper cut-out of a person being consumed by the puppet:

"Hjaelp mig!!"

But back in 1964, it was a simpler time. We then-kids didn't ask for much in the way of entertainment. Heck, in my hometown of Glen Ellyn, there were only five TV channels, and one of them had objectionable educational coursework programs on it. This was counter-balanced by the local station, WGN, which provided more meaningful fare like Bozo's Circus, Garfield Goose and Combat!

In the summer,  matinees at The Glen Theatre were a way for parents to rid themselves of their brood for the afternoon for a 25 cents per admission price. For kids, it meant air-conditioned splendor - something not prevalent in sweltering homes then. And it provided a chance to bump into old schoolmates, and to be a part of a wild and essentially adult-free Lord of the Flies world. It really didn't matter much to us what the movie was, because not much attention would be paid to it.

However, "Reptilicus" was different. Lurid movie posters depicting this awful creature threatening Nordic women and destroying Copenhagen had been posted all week outside The Glen and the ancillary Main Street "coming attractions" display board. At the previous week's matinee of "The Littlest Hobo", we were all treated to this exceptional movie trailer:

Well. Restless youth had all week to anticipate this promised format of terror and mayhem. By the time Saturday finally rolled around, the wait had become unbearable. This was going to be terrific!

Except Mom told my brother and I to take our young sister along. Huh? What The?! This had never been a part of the Matinee experience! Reluctantly, we agreed (what else could we do?) and Mom gave us $1.00 for tickets and Junior Mints. I presume she spent her Alone Time guzzling gin, calling bookies or doing crossword puzzles... maybe all three!

Once we paid our quarters to the churlish ticket booth lady, we were granted access to the unworldly depths of The Glen. The lobby had a cheap art deco effect, with focus directed to the highly lit candy and popcorn counter. There was usually a line there, but Reptilicus had brought forth a sell-out crowd, so the usual mannered line had morphed into an ugly mob. Everyone was seeking treats and, more importantly, ammunition.

We got there early enough to secure decent seats near the aisle. Meanwhile the tensions of the week's wait were released as kids broke every behavioral norm during the lead-up to the film. Standing and shouting and screaming and stomping. Individual acts of performance art, and real bravura group efforts.

Bill Galligan, the owner of The Glen, appeared and grabbed a microphone, addressing the mob from the lip of the stage. He was the P.T. Barnum of Glen Ellyn. In fact, after this particular show, I think he sold the place and opened a bowling alley on Roosevelt Road. Anyway, as my brother can attest, "he announced the names of children with birthdays. Jeers and cat calls filled the room as timid youngsters ran up to claim their gifts. A steady rain of Raisenettes and M&Ms fell upon them. Galligan winced as a hard candy nailed him under the eye.

"Then without a prompt, a tall figure stood up in the front row. An older youth, perhaps 15 years old, he turned and basked in the adulation of the crowd. "The King! The King!" went the chant. He raised his arms regally above his head. The crowd went wild."

Then it was time for the serious business. Galligan paused, scowling through the dim light into the cruel maw of the unruly crowd. Kids sensed that this was the time to put down their Milk Duds projectiles, shut up, and listen.

"Now I know that you all are here to see Reptilicus and everything should be fine. But if Reptilicus happens to come out of the screen and bite you, please know that we have a nurse in the lobby who can give you First Aid."

With that admonition, a shivery swoon of fear and dread swept through the audience. Then a raucous cheer burst forth as Fred Venturoni heaved an open box of popcorn towards the screen. And it hit! "Whoooaahh!!" This was to be admired, as the screen presented as a natural target, but rare were the times when any object actually approached contact. In the meantime, Gallligan disappeared into the pandemonium and the lights went down.

Even back then, I recall the movie being tedious, taking its time laying out the exposition. Iron drillers unearth a chunk of frozen flesh. It's brought back to a Danish lab. It begins to grow, under secret and controlled conditions. This takes about half of the film! Lots of concerned Nordic people looking at the murky lab door window.

Naturally, things go terribly wrong, the chunk of growing flesh transforms into a huge creature that escapes during a thunderstorm that knocks the lab's power out. All Points Bulletin issued for Reptilicus! No one knows where this giant monster has gone! How can it have vanished?

Which leads to my favorite scene:

That is some great cinema! And at the moment when the monster reveals itself in all its fully cheesened glory, a primal roar of terror and amazement was raised, along with a cloud of Atomic Redhots, Jawbreakers, and half of all the remaining bags' worth of popcorn. And there was a scream set high above the rest of the audience - specifically from my little sister who had had enough of the whole affair and was running towards the lobby. I was so transfixed by the movie that I glanced over at my brother, shrugged and presumed she was visiting The Nurse.

After the show ended with the unsettling image of Reptilicus's blown-off claw clenching in the deep ocean floor, threatening to grow again (sadly, no sequel was ever made), I walked home alone. Where the heck had my siblings gone? "Well, everyone's a critic," I thought, or some similar musing in my young mind.

As it turned, my brother became concerned with my sister's absence. He had sacrificed watching The Greatest Monster Movie of All Time to check on her in the lobby. She was sucking on a lollipop there,  and whimpering, so he took her back home, no doubt to my Mom's surprise.

Years later, my sister and I were walking along a very crowded nighttime Spring Break boulevard sidewalk in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Cars and vans filled with blearily-eyed revelers inched their way along the road. Many of the vans had their sliding side doors open, serenading pedestrians with the blaring sounds of mid-70's Classic Rock. As one of these vans passed us slowly, a lout emerged halfway through the open door. He looked unsteadily at us and blurted, "Heeyyyyyy.... Reptilicus!!"

We laughed a lot about this moment as we walked back to our car, barely avoiding a kid huffing some  substance by the bushes. Did he really address us? Did he really say "Reptilicus"? Was he there that summer matinee and recognized us? Was he, in fact, The King? It simply added to the legend of Reptilicus.

The Scene of the Crime

"It's like you're in a bar, and you just start talking to him..."

People who voted for Trump have famously said that they like him because he says what they are thinking. And as we approach the third full month of his tenure, foreign leaders and diplomats are trying to think on what to say about what he may or may not be thinking.

One ambassador who has met with State Department officials says, "I'm not sure there is a (foreign) policy. They will listen to me and tell me, 'We will get back to you when there is a policy.'" Another ambassador who has met with Trump says, "He doesn't have a paper in front of him... It's up to the visitor to declare the agenda. He just sits there. It's like you are in a bar, and you just start talking to him."

Trump's fledgling moves on the international stage are being met with derision by those diplomats who are not currently "diplomat-ing", such as Australia's former Foreign Minister, Gareth Evans:

According to State Department spokesperson R.C. Hammond, Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson "are finding a new way of conducting international relations because the old one was not working. People are starting to learn the new language," he said of foreign diplomats and leaders.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-promised-an-unpredictable-foreign-policy-to-allies-it-looks-incoherent/2017/04/11/21acde5e-1a3d-11e7-9887-1a5314b56a08_story.html?utm_term=.6f7ba40b9989

It's not clear if this new language would benefit from visual aids, interpretative dance or even much hard liquor. All of this reminds us of what David Frum said about Trump: everything is random reactions to external stimuli. Also this: everything he says he believes to be true, or that it should be true.

It brings us back to the relationship our President has with his supporters. Gallons of ink and vast quantities of ether space have been devoted to the question of why his base sticks with him. Many are the theories...

“The rise of this blusterous man bewilders the educated among us, conjoins opposing politicians, agonizes our international allies, threatens minorities, spits on the disabled, and touches the hearts of those who just don’t know any better. Let us stop propounding how bad this all is, and instead, do something.”

(Liselotte Hubner, writing not about Trump but about the rise of Hitler in Germany, in 1929.)

And speaking of "he who should never be mentioned again by Sean Spicer," here is what a German reported as his prewar country drew closer to its insane destiny:

“Outside of Germany people often wonder at the palpable fraudulence of Nazi propaganda, the stupid incredible exaggerations, the ludicrous reticence concerning what is generally known. Who can be convinced by it? They ask. The answer is that it is not meant to convince but to impress. It addresses emotion and fantasy. Nazi propaganda seeks to create in our minds tenacious ideas and fantasies.”

-- Sebastian Haffner, “Germany: Jekyll and Hyde” (1940)

Yes, I hate to invoke Godwin's Law - I don't want to compare our current Leaders with You Know Who. But minds can be impressionable when there is only one source of information (hello, Fox). Fantasies can be developed when only one voice stirs the imagination (The Rush Limbaugh Story Hour). 

The Trump Base's sense of acrimonious resentment towards everyone who isn't suffering like them is powerful, yet often contradictory, much like many of the President's own counter-argumentative positions. Health Care repeals are encouraged despite people's health interests. Wall Street regulations are dumped, opening doors to stock fraud and abuse. Climate Change policies are axed, hastening economic disaster in the coming decades. Tax Reforms are popularly championed, with the proceeds flowing to the 1%.

There have even been Trump voters whose mixed American-Mexican families are being deported; they react saying, "I didn't think he'd do it to us." It's all a part of the Magical Thinking phenomena that defines so many people's perspectives. It's True, or it should be True, therefore it's all the same.  A belief system's form of logic defines a worldview and manages a mindset that adheres to that belief in the face of relentless reality:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magical_thinking

Perhaps even more to the point is Autistic Thinking (which is not Autism); it really gets into the type of thought process enjoyed by Trump and many in his base:

autistic thinking self-absorption; preoccupation with inner thoughts, daydreams, fantasies, delusions, drives, and personal logic. It is egocentric, subjective thinking lacking objectivity and preferring a narcissistic, inner, private reality to that with external validity.  (medical-free dictionary.com)

Combine a mindset of Magical or Autistic Thinking with an aggressive reticence to read and reflect, add a lack of exposure to social/economic spheres and ideas beyond one's own, and a template for Trumpism is formed. Yes, there is a whole bunch more to it... and I will attempt to get to more in future posts. But for now, let us remember the comforting words of the deranged Freddy Nietzsche, who stared too long into the Abyss, developing the idea of Man and Superman, which a group of ideologues took and ran with during the Weimar Republic days of Germany:

Jesus was a Loser!

It's Good Friday, time to reflect on why Easter is such a holy day. Or maybe not, if you're our President. It is possible that he considers Our Lord a Loser, in much the same way as he characterized Senator John McCain as one for having been shot down in Viet Nam. Messiahs who get caught and killed won't cut it. Jesus should have turned invisible in Gethsemane and tricked the Roman guard. Harry Potter would have done it! Maybe we should have a bigly religion about him!

And it is entirely possible that our Commander-in-Chief is conflicted over the whole Christianity thing. His earlier National Prayer Breakfast turned into a soapbox for his amazing and huge election victory. And last year's Easter activities highlighted this revealing piece:

Appearing on ABC’s “This Week,” on Easter Sunday, Trump was asked what Easter means to him and if he had an Easter tradition. The real estate mogul replied, “Well, it really means something very special. I’m going to church in an hour from now and it’s going to be — it’s a beautiful church. I’m in Florida.”

“And it’s just a very special time for me. And it really represents family and get-together and — and something, you know, if you’re a — a Christian, it’s just a very important day,” Trump said.

Hallelujah! He really dipped deep to relate why Easter resonates so much within him. This was a very personal and meaningful statement, indeed. Interestingly, Trump's lack of interest in Christianity matches his indifference toward Judaism. As an example, this year he broke the tradition of hosting a White House Passover Seder:

http://forward.com/food/368817/trumps-skip-white-house-seder-ivanka-posts-passover-message/

I guess he couldn't be bothered. Also, maybe he doesn't care for unleavened bread? Horseradish? Chopped Liver? Gefilte Fish? OK, he may be on to something with Gefilte Fish... Whatever it is, Trump appears to have declared War on the Judeo-Christian Tradition. His White House (read: First Lady, who lives in Manhattan) can't get it together to properly plan for an event that has transpired every year for the last 138 years! Watch and read the following:

http://uproxx.com/tv/jimmy-kimmel-trump-easter-egg-roll-video/

http://www.marieclaire.com/politics/news/a26520/white-house-easter-egg-roll-mishaps/

The best thing that The First Family could do is study the good works of esteemed theologians. Trump could get past Two Corinthians. The Reverend Monty Python would be honored to provide all necessary rich and colorful Biblical commentary:

Becoming immersed in the blessed waters, the newly found lamb will emerge and speak on the glory of God, in his own special way. From the newly discovered Book of Trump:

All right. Trump is a heathen, let's face it. The only god he worships is money and himself, not necessarily in that order. His family exists as an extension of himself, to pretend any resemblance of human-ness. And we're just a part of his world, the part where everyone bows down to his very, very terrific amazing self, him and him alone. There shall be no other gods set before him.

And because we all need a good laugh, here are a couple of hilarious Onion pieces! One suggests Jesus wanted to sleep in an extra hour on the original Easter Sunday:

http://www.theonion.com/article/new-evidence-reveals-christ-lounged-tomb-extra-hou-55581

The other describes how a terrible Christian Rock band came to empathize with their Savior:

http://www.theonion.com/article/heckled-christian-rock-band-knows-how-jesus-felt-17446


Finally, for this upcoming holiday, may I present the most beautiful and sad song ever written! By the poet/musician/banjoist Sufjan Stevens, "Casimir Pulaski Day" is a story of secular and spiritual love. It seeks a way to transcend the grip of our mortal coil. It challenges God in anguished defiance. It is a remarkable piece of work, worthy of considered explication, and it never fails to get me all teary-eyed. It just does, every time.

"All the glory that the Lord has made

And the complications when I see His face

In the morning in the window

All the glory when he took our place

But he took my shoulders and he shook my face

And he takes and he takes and he takes."

"And don't come back without the Secret Egg Salad Recipe!"

Before and After

That is some guy, that Jared Kushner. As you may know, he is the son-in-law of Donald Trump and CEO of Kushner Corporation, a commercial real estate firm. He is a favorite of our President. DT admires Jared for doing things the way he would do them. Jared's the son he never had (hello, Uday and Qusay). Kushner's the guy who gets to bonk the daughter he'd be bonking, if he weren't her father. In fact, Kushner is so well liked and respected that he's been given a number of jobs in Trump's Administration. They include:

-- Senior Advisor to the President, in charge of having Trump walk back statements like his Two-China comment. There have not been nearly enough walk-backs... He also gets the Presidential Daily Brief, the highest level of Intelligence analysis of key national security issues. These are usually reserved for the President, but he can't be bothered with them.

-- Head of the Office of American Innovation, a newly announced entity. He and a number of Big Wig Biz People will be applying business principles to reform, streamline and possibly privatize portions of the Federal Government. In addition to overhauling the Federal bureaucracy, he will be reforming the VA, leading the fight against Opioid Addiction, and preparing for DT's 1 Trillion Dollar Infrastructure Plan.  "The government should be run like a great American company. Our hope is that we can achieve successes and efficiencies for our customers, who are the citizens," he said.

-- Shadow Diplomat. JK is "the primary point of contact for presidents, ministers and ambassadors from over two dozen countries."  He is the lead advisor for all things Canada and Mexico. He is the primary player in preparing and managing Thursday's China Summit. Someone should not tell Rex Tillerson, our sleepy and compartmented Secretary of State, about any of this...

-- Mideast Peace Deal Broker. Maybe the 28% budget cut at the State Department will save Rex T. from doing all the things that Jared is doing. "I think he'd be very good at it," said Trump about JK's role as Peace Broker, "I mean, he knows the people, knows the players. He's such a good kid and he'll make a deal with Israel that no one else can."  What could go wrong?

-- Point Person for Iraq/ISIS plan. It turns out that Trump never had a plan to defeat ISIS, after all. So he told the Pentagon that Jared should fly to Baghdad with some military brass and figure out one. He gets back tonight in time for Thursday's China Summit.

He is also responsible for resolving the Unified Field Theory

Other less-publicized positions in the administration include working with Major League Baseball to expand the Infield Fly Rule and replace home plate umpires with strike-zone recognition software in on-field computers. 

And Kushner is also charged with finding the sacred and secret Egg Salad Recipe, as depicted in the 'switch original dialogue with funnier ones' 1964 comedy classic, "What's Up, Tiger Lily?" Why a recipe, you say? The land of Raspur depends on it! 

High Macha Of Rashpur: Good afternoon. I am the Grand Exalted High Macha of Raspur, a non-existent but real-sounding country.

Phil Moscowitz: Uh-huh.

High Macha Of Rashpur: Yes. We're on a waiting list. As soon as there's an opening on the map, we're next. It is written: he who makes the best egg salad shall rule over heaven and earth... don't ask me why egg salad. I have enough aggravation.

So Jared Kushner must be a very busy man. But he also must be a very capable one, too! After all, Jared got into Harvard after his father gave it 2.5 million reasons to accept him. And when he got out of school, he took over the reins from his father (who was in prison for Fraud) and expanded his real estate business from Jersey suburban garden apartments to Manhattan office towers. 

In 2007, he bought a big office building at 666 5th Ave. for $1.8 Billion, the most expensive ever in NYC! But things went south and it's now "underwater" in equity and not enough revenue from leases to cover things. He sold off a bunch of it, but still there are problems. He tried to cut a deal with a Chinese bank with close ties to the China government, but when word got out, that bank pulled out.

But he's a man with vision. He wants to demolish the current building and erect a new one. Here it is:

Much snickering has been made in Manhattan regarding this proposal. Is it a Plunger? A Toilet Brush? A Dildo? A Huge Trumpian Middle Finger? The total expense will be over $7 Billion before it's done. Good luck, Jared, in finding investors.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/03/nyregion/kushner-companies-666-fifth-avenue.html?smid=tw-share

In addition to this bit of rough patch, other Kushner investments haven't fared well. The New York Observer was bought and then went under after a series of cutbacks. Here is the former Editor-in-Chief's take on Kushner as a boss:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2017/03/30/i-worked-with-jared-kushner-hes-the-wrong-businessman-to-reinvent-government/?tid=hybrid_collaborative_2_na&utm_term=.91a3c676e80e

When word hit that JK would be taking on so much responsibilities, Washington's cognoscenti went a bit haywire:

"The U.S. government is a business. It is an NPO - a non-profit organization - the largest and most complicated one in the world. It can't even be compared to other NPOs, let alone to single for-profit companies.

It takes years of study and effort just to become a mediocre working (as opposed to just campaigning) politician at the national level. I would applaud a zero-experience outsider if they were genuinely compassionate and reality-based, but even then I wouldn't bet much on their chances to get anything done.

Like Trump, all Kushner is going to be able to reliably do is destroy stuff. That takes no particular expertise."

And this:

There's literally nothing worth admiring about these people -- they're simply fortunate, well-connected, loud and rich. They're not smart, hard-working, generous, or even successful. Their entire lives, rich jerks like Kushner have received far more than they deserve, by any measure as this article nicely illustrates. Why do so many people who DO work hard still look up to these lazy, coddled trust fund babies? Do they think they could be one some day? Do they not realize inheritances and capital gains are literally "unearned income?" I thought these rural conservatives actually believed in moving up in the world through self-determination and an honest day's work? Why do they seem to want to permit winners of the womb lottery to be exempt from all that?

But the best line comes from the American classic, "The Great Gatsby":

"I couldn't forgive him or like him, but I saw that what he had done was, to him, entirely justified. It was all very careless and confused. They were careless people, Tom and Daisy – they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together and let other people clean up the mess they had made...."

Tom and Daisy. Jared and Ivanka. Donald and Melania. F. Scott Fitzgerald described the Rich to Ernest Hemingway as "being very different from you and I." To which Hemingway responded, "Yes, they have more money." Man-Children playing with expensive toys are one thing when it's in the private sector. Now we will see what happens when those with no experience and dubious expertise decide on how we should be governed.