Gaining Control

Scanning news-feeds I see chaos over national and international issues. Government issues, really. Who’s in charge, what’s being said, who’s doing what and how are they all reacting. And then, about the reactions; what reactions to the reactions are registered? As I said, chaos.

We have a new president. He is a business person but not a corporate head. Corporate heads answer to a board of directors and the power hierarchy contained within. CEOs can be fired by boards. The Chairman of the board is powerful but not all powerful. He or she still needs board votes to cement decisions of the chair.

Our president is the owner of the corporation. He does what he wants and says what he wants. If someone doesn’t agree with him he or she is liable to get fired. Just like that. On personal whim. No fact checking, no parsing out reasons, just gut reaction.

This same president person has brought his non-corporate corporate life to the White House. The style and function of his ‘corporate’ life does not mesh well with governing circles. In the White House the US Constitution defines duties, government functions and relationships among and between the separate powers of the US tripartite governance structure. The president is not this sort; he is a leader and a persuader. There are checks and balances galore.

This president hasn’t taken note of the checks and balances. It appears he doesn’t think they apply to him. None have in the past, after all. So he is trying it his way.

Well, this is not a private corporation and the checks and balances make certain such is the case. Trouble is the president isn’t much of a listener or follower. He does what he wants and reacts if things don’t work out.

This is interesting. Reports suggest that the president acts much like a child not getting his own way. But I think those reports might be off track. Yes, he acts like a child. But no, he is not a child and is a mature man. I think the problem is much more basic than childish behavior.

I hesitate to suggest a serious emotional issue beclouds the president, mainly because I am not a professional in psychiatric medicine. However, I think the evidence is shaping up and professionals need to weigh in on what we are dealing with.  I fear we have a paranoid in the office of the president. I hope this is not true. However, I would feel better if trained minds in this area of expertise would help define the situation.

Our checks and balances are designed to guarantee our government functions openly, fairly and without undue influences. It was not designed to protect us from a sick personality. So now what do we do?

Certainly we can and should employ checks and balances more diligently to buy time in which to protect the machinery of government. After that, what do we do?

Which branch of the government should be engaged in this? The Legislative Branch? The Judicial Branch? It cannot be the Executive Branch inasmuch as this is the branch containing the problem. So how do we proceed as a nation?

Are we going to debate whether or not a problem exists? Rather than involve that and more chaos, let’s just ask professionals to help us define the problem more expertly and in detail. This is our future at stake. We have much to lose should this be handled poorly, or not handled at all.

How then do we as a nation regain control over our country and its future in the global community? I don’t think I am over reacting here. I fear for my country. Don’t you? Don’t our allies and long-time friends throughout the globe?  How do we protect ourselves from a madman in office?

When the election results were announced people on the winning side called the losers poor losers. The losers, however, told the winners that they had lost in more ways than one. Yes, the election results were disappointing to many but those ‘losers’ sensed something larger that the ‘winners’ have not so far understood.

I think we have lost something large. Balance and process moves complex systems forward carefully and with certainty. Lacking that finesse and confidence, damage to public confidence happens. How much damage before the nation owns up to a crisis and repairs it?

This must be a bipartisan effort for it to work. Please God may this process be engaged soon.

February 15, 2017