The presidential campaign is being covered by political reporters, for the most part. That makes perfect sense because the subjects of the reporting are mostly politicians.
But Donald Trump is a business person. If you apply a political filter to a business person, you get nonsense. Likewise, if you have a goal-oriented view of the world, as politicians typically do, a business person with a “systems” approach would appear crazy.
That brings me to Trump’s newly-published immigration policy. For our purposes here, you don’t need to know the details. All you need to know is that it sounds totally impractical and draconian.
If you apply a political filter to his proposal, it is pure nonsense mixed with evil and flavored with crazy. That’s how the media is reporting it all over the Internet. Just like Trump planned.
If Trump were a goal-oriented thinker, or even a real politician, the reporters would be interpreting this situation correctly. They would report that Trump’s plan is ridiculously impractical and even inhumane. And they would be right.
But reset your filter for a minute. Remember that Trump is a business person who promises to bring a deal-maker to the job of President. Now look at his crazy plan again but use your business filter this time.…Scott Adams Blog
Political Reporters Cover a Business Candidate
Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert
1 comment:
Adams calls Trump a business person and a systems thinker. He also says that Trump's ridiculous proposals are "anchors" in negotiations, first positions in relation to which eventual positions may be assessed. I think that the last is a key insight. Mexico might say, "We won't pay for a wall, but. . . ." In which case Trump's ridiculous proposal has paid off.
But that does not mean that Trump is a systems thinker. He does not consider the complex interrelationships of systems. Trump is a bully. Being a bully can work in business, and in politics, too, if you have the power. Can you imagine the president of Mexico issuing an ultimatum to the US? And a lot of people like Trump in the role of bully. Like Romney, Trump likes to fire people. And people like to see Trump fire people. On TV. Being a bully, especially a successful bully, appeals to authoritarian followers, of which there are now many in the right wing. To them what Trump says matters less than how he says it, that he comes off as a powerful man who is not afraid to speak his mind. Obama is not a strong leader. Authoritarians want a strong leader who will make America strong again -- not aware that American has not stopped being strong. That Trump promises to be.
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