The NY Times has an article up about the current state of the white house, and it’s not good. Most worrying to me is the Tiny Tyrant’s demand when it comes to policy option papers, but there’s plenty to be anxious about.
But what is happening under the Trump White House is different, officials say, and not just because of Mr. Trump’s Twitter foreign policy. (Two officials said that at one recent meeting, there was talk of feeding suggested Twitter posts to the president so the council’s staff would have greater influence.)
A number of staff members who did not want to work for Mr. Trump have returned to their regular agencies, leaving a larger-than-usual hole in the experienced bureaucracy. Many of those who remain, who see themselves as apolitical civil servants, have been disturbed by displays of overt partisanship. At an all-hands meeting about two weeks into the new administration, Ms. McFarland told the group it needed to “make America great again,” numerous staff members who were there said.
New Trump appointees are carrying coffee mugs with that Trump campaign slogan into meetings with foreign counterparts, one staff member said.
Nervous staff members recently met late at night at a bar a few blocks from the White House and talked about purging their social media accounts of any suggestion of anti-Trump sentiments.
Golly, that doesn’t smell like that vaunted American freedom to me.
Ms. McFarland often draws on her television experience to make clear to officials that they need to make their points in council meetings quickly, and she signals when to wrap up, several participants said.
And while Mr. Obama liked policy option papers that were three to six single-spaced pages, council staff members are now being told to keep papers to a single page, with lots of graphics and maps.
“The president likes maps,” one official said.
Why not a daily comic book? That worked for Bush Jr. Oh, too many pages I guess. The Tiny Tyrant doesn’t like to read. I guess having someone read to him is out, that wouldn’t look presidential enough or something. Perhaps stick figures and word balloons?
For his part, Mr. Bannon sees the United States as headed toward an inevitable confrontation with two adversaries — China and Iran.
I don’t think we need a drawing for that one. These people are determined to embroil us all in a war none of us may survive.
The full article is at The Times.
chigau (ever-elliptical) says
Manga for the president … they should do it.
Maybe some anime!
Pierce R. Butler says
Perhaps stick figures and word balloons?
Presidential briefing documents prepared by Randall Munroe? Works for me!
Caine says
Pierce:
That might work for everyone, but I’m afraid they’d have to be dumbed down considerably.
Kengi says
Also from the NYT, the Krugman editorial Ignorance Is Strength. It clearly points out the incompetence and ignorance of the administration (and Republicans in general) while pointing out that is a double-edged sword. Sure, it blunts the malevolence of their evil actions, but those are also the same people who will handle our next national crisis. Oh fuck…
Cuttlefish says
Now that Jack Chick is, mercifully, croaked… how about “Trump Tracts”?
Leave them strewn about the places Trump might… oh, never mind, he never ventures off Trump-owned properties.
Still, though, Trump Tracts would be oversimplified propaganda in comic form--seems to fit the need!
[runs off to patent “Trump Tract”]