Seinfeld's George and Some Advice for Trump
If you’ve watched Seinfeld, the TV comedy series, you know George Costanza, Jerry Seinfeld’s fictional loser friend.
One day, “George” decides that since every instinct he has leads to negative results, making the opposite decision must be right. So, against his instincts he introduces himself to a young woman who he’s just met by saying, “Hello, my name is George. I’m unemployed and I live with my parents.” Sure enough, she’s attracted to his honesty and goes out with him.
His new lady friend has a relative who’s the traveling secretary for the New York Yankees. That gets him an interview for an open staff position where he meets the club owner.
“Pleased to meet you, George,” says the Yankees’ owner.
George replies, “Well I’m not pleased to meet you,” and berates him for “making a laughing stock of this once proud franchise.” Impressed by George’s candor, he gives George the job.
And so on. George is on a roll by doing the opposite of his every instinct.
When Trump Instincts Run Against Public Opinion
What made me think about George was Donald Trump’s decision to remove nearly 1,000 bison from grazing land in northern Montana to make way for commercial cattle raising. Maybe Trump doesn’t realize that “bison” are “buffalo,” and that buffalo, to most Americans, are a deep-rooted national symbol. So deep, that bison are honored on our currency.
Bison for cattle? Not a decision that will find much public favor.
Neither will Trump’s 2027 budget proposal, just released, to cut 25% from the National Park Service. Three thousand positions. That’s on top of the 4,000 positions cut last year. Polls show that most Americans consider our National Parks sacrosanct.
So is public support for vaccinating children. Whoever would have dreamed Trump’s instincts would lead him to allow weakening of that long-standing, demonstrably successful health program?
And who picks a fight with the pope, an American pope, no less, who polls show is supported by at least two-thirds of Catholics?
George Costanza Was Fiction. This Isn’t.
Trump’s instincts have led him to cut all money for public broadcasting (73% disagree), take over the Kennedy Center (62% disagree), put his own name on U.S. currency (68% disagree), demolish part of the White House (2-l oppose). That’s before we get to the even more impactful decisions leading to runaway inflation, a war of choice with Iran, tearing up treaties to impose illegal tariffs, and pulling up the roots of cooperation with our longstanding European military and economic allies.
Almost everything George Costanza did on the Seinfeld series turned out badly. But that was just fun and fiction. Costanza-like Trump’s instincts are resulting in real world deaths, destruction and incalculable harm to the U.S. economy, military security and world democratic leadership.
Costanza eventually realized—at least for one episode---that his instincts were wrong. Will Trump? He watches a lot of TV. Maybe someone in the White House will suggest that he watch a few Seinfeld reruns.
Comments? Criticism? Contact Joe Rothstein at jrothstein@rothstein.net
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