The president and commander-in-chief of its armed forces may provide the best (and most current) example why it does a body good to serve in the United States military. If there's a sure way to learn humility, it may be from a drill sergeant barking in your face about how ugly you are--and how ugly your mother must be. The president, it should be noted, never went to Basic Training.
Lots of Americans haven't. More's the pity. The papers note that only a small fraction of Americans even have a family member who've fought in this nation's wars. If there is any argument to be made for compulsory national service, and there is, that alone may be sufficient grounds.
Among the many lessons the U.S. Army drills into its young officers: Don't fight the problem. Solve it.
What exactly is "fighting the problem"? It's spending time--wasting time--arguing about why the problem exists in the first place.
For example, if you've told the platoon's sergeant to make certain that water is available at the shooting range, and you get there to find no water and parched troops, what do you do? Do you call the sergeant over, and chew him out for 15 minutes while the soldiers stand around in the heat with empty canteens? That would be fighting the problem.
Solving the problem would be to get on the horn and call back for the blankety-blank water. You can have a talk with the sergeant after the troops get their H2O.
President Trump fights problems constantly. It's one of the things that he's consistent about. This time the president had a Twitter war with a mayor in Puerto Rico.
The mayor of San Juan, Carmen Yulin Cruz, dared criticize the current administration as "killing us with inefficiency." She also didn't much care for one administration official calling the hurricane-ravaged island a good news story--because so much help was on its way. When your people are drinking from a creek, the mayor noted, it's not really a good news story.
That brought on the wrath of Trump.
"We have done a great job with the almost impossible situation in Puerto Rico," President Trump said in a series of tweets. "Outside of the Fake News or politically motivated ingrates ... people are now starting to recognize the amazing work that has been done by FEMA and our great Military." Then he talked to the press about how proud Puerto Ricans should be in comparison to what happened during "a real catastrophe like Katrina." As if this hurricane wasn't one. And then mumbled something about the island's troubles throwing the budget "a little out of whack."
Which left even members of his own party speechless. Almost.
Of all the comments that were printed in the paper, maybe Ohio's governor, John Kasich, put it best, as always: "When people are in the middle of the disaster, you don't start trying to criticize them. I just--I don't know what to say."
Which brings us to another lesson often learned in the military: Learn to apologize.
No ifs, ans or buts. Don't try excusing the behavior. Don't apologize "if anybody was offended." Just say, No Excuse, and move on. The best apology is a short but sincere one.
It would be a gracious move if this president offered one just about now. It would also be a most surprising one.
Editorial on 10/05/2017