Avoiding the Worst May Be

Riding along the airport expressway one's feelings are conflicted, noticing the line of American flags set next to those of China.  Proud certainly of where I am from but cramped to know they announce the visit of our present commander and chief.  How dreadful. 

The SCMP had a trenchant article by my former mentor Michael David Lampton about the mismatch between Xi Jin Ping and Donald Trump.  The expectations, inches above embarrassment: “avoiding the worst may be the best we can hope for.”  http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2117569/when-trump-visits-china-avoiding-worst-may-be-best-we-can   Lampton reminds of Jiang Kai Shek’s approach to Wendle Wilkie’s visit, to keep him fed and flattered so that he went home dazzled and tired (and nearly bedded with the Generalissimo’s wife.)

Our system is mediocre at picking winners.  That’s not necessarily what it was designed to do.  Donald Trump is only the most glaring manifestation of this manufacturing of mediocrity.  The Chinese system is comparatively strong at training bureaucrats at the county level, before maturing to the city level, and on to the provincial level, before they earn a chance to run the country.  All we have to hold on to, in this trying period is the reminder that our system is excellent and getting rid of losers.   In three years, or God-help-us, seven years, this man and his “administration” will be relegated to history.  The American institutionalized revolution, forces opposition to refine and reshape itself for the next battle, in perpetuity.  China has threadbare means to dispose of its technocrats. 

So, I find myself hoping our President fails during this visit.   This is a position that is at odds with all that my life stands for.  But Donald Trump is also at odds with what most of my life stands for.  I presume that, as Professor Lampton suggests, our man will be flattered and feted and sent on his way thinking that the Chinese really love him.  Perhaps we need to suffer this indignity before we can have a collective awakening that we need to artfully accommodate another civilizational power. 

What a shame it is to have a buffoon as a leader.  It is the wisdom of our founding fathers to allow for the absorption of this level of degradation.   It was planned to be able endure this sort of menacing body blow.  It was designed this way to absorb and then pass away poor leadership.  

Monday, 11/06/17