PRESIDENT TRUMP - MISTER BLUNT

PRESIDENT TRUMP - MISTER BLUNT 
by Andy Weddington
Thursday, 21 September 2017

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects. Lester B. Pearson

Action.

Marines understand.

Attack. Seize. Destroy. Kill. 

Those are actions. 

And Marines are damn good at all of them.

Marines too understand blunt. 

Marines (et al.) are now led by a President fluent in blunt (a foreign language to many) and a man of action. 

I watched President Trump's recent blunt address to the UN, to the world; replaying it a couple of times. 

And have been mulling it over in context to (my) education, training, and experiences in uniform.

Too against the current state of our country and the crazy world.

There's not much to add to all that's been said - in support and criticism.

But what keeps coming to mind is a blunt summary offered by a young Navy officer, a mister, nearly 30 years ago.

That frustrated but not defeated naval aviator's (Trump like) words to the commanding officer (a Navy Captain - too a naval aviator) during a staff meeting ...

"Sir, we suffer and are amidst correcting a problem created by poor counseling, mismanagement, and molly coddling." 

That blunt assessment summarized some (non-performing) students aspiring for a commission in the U. S. Navy.  

I remember laughing out loud. So did others. Even the CO cracked a smile before offering seasoned thoughts and giving orders. 

The lieutenant's assessment was accurate. Absolute truth. That needed no clarification. Nor explanation of the necessary corrective actions.

That is, hence forward (student) counseling was centered on objectives, achievements, and accountability; mismanagement over; and molly coddling ceased.

Three decades later, the year (20)17, largely due to poor American leadership, America and the world can be summed up in those same 17 words.

Fitting. 

Now we have a President, with objectives, who speaks blunt - attack; seize; destroy; kill.

With the poorly counseled, mismanaged, and molly coddled served blunt notice.

"Lieutenants," you have work to do. 

Post Script

Lester B. Pearson (1897-1972) - Canadian - warrior, diplomat, and Prime Minister was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for organizing the UN Emergency Force to resolve the Suez Canal Crisis.