Cogito Ergo Non Serviam
Trump Picks Have Little Expertise
Donald Trump is now undergoing the transition winners of Elections always make. Between now and the inauguration and even after, there will be appointments to fill up cabinet posts and other political appointments. This is where most administrations succeed or fail. Quite simply if one has gotten knowledgeable people who know what they’re doing running things, there is a very good chance the administration's policies will be implemented properly. That is not how Donald Trump is appointing. Subject matter experts are less important to him than loyalty his appointments thus far show.
Perhaps the most ridiculous degree disappointment he has announced thus far is Matt Gaetz a congressman from Florida surfing is the next Attorney General of the United States. While he is a lawyer by training, he is also quite possibly a criminal. Investigations into sex trafficking of a minor did not really go anywhere, but it had all the signs of a cover-up. There were friendly, judges, witnesses, who suddenly forgot what they knew And the prosecution was more than willing to drop the charges his job is to "end the weaponization of the justice department." That's precisely what he isn't going to do.
Then there is Tulsi Gabbard. A bit of intellectual lightweight, she failed in her run for the presidency on the Democratic side four years ago. She has had an undistinguished career, but she is a military veteran. That apparently is enough for her to be appointed Director of National Intelligence. She is something of an isolationist, so this is probably a disastrous decision. She may call into question such intelligencesharing arrangements as the Five yes through which the US shares intelligence with the UK Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Losing those resources and access to the intelligence they provide is going to undermine American national security
Then there is Mr. Trump's choice for secretary of defense. He has selected a former military man who has spent most of the last few years as a commentator on Fox News. It is safe to say that Pete Hegseth is not qualified to serve in the position. There is no sign that he has much in the way of foreign policy knowledge, and it's doubtful that his lower level military experience is going to help him run the entire Pentagon. This is a man who famously claimed germs don't exist because he can't see them. One hopes that he can see incoming ballistic missiles. Because whether he can see them or not, they exist.
The last, and possibly worst appointment so far is RFK, Jr. at Health and Human Services. An ardent anti-vaxxer shall be in charge of the FDA and CDC. This cannot result in anything better than needless death and suffering. The pandemic would have been beyond dreadful. More than a million died in the US, most of them unnecessary, but the vaccine arrived. The next one, if it happens as RFK, Jr. does his thing, can only be orders of magnitude worst. He also gets to decide about food purity; expect to see dozens to die just from raw milk products. Food inspection is also in trouble.
So with four appointments, Mr. Trump has undermined the rule of law, America's intelligence collecting service, national security and the health of the entire planet. If the nation survives that, it will be painfully obvious that these people aren't up to the job. If it fails to last, it is on them.
© Copyright 2024 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Ubuntu Linux.
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