Presidential Folly

"Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise." -- Thomas Gray

   There is no law against stupidity, quoth resident cynic Pug Mahoney, but presidential decisions must not be made in blissful ignorance of potential consequences.
   Meanwhile, in just two weeks, the White House has become a theater of the absurd. It turns out that, according to a report in the New York Times, the executive order rearranging the National Security Council to demote the military chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Director of National Security and to name political advisor Stephen Bannon to full membership was written largely by Bannon himself, with little input from the president.
   Along with the many other executive orders flooding out of the Oval Office in the past few days, one wonders how much the man supposedly in charge actually had a hand in composing them. Or was he reading them for the first time as he put his alleged signature on them?
   And as one TV pundit phrased it, he doesn't know what he doesn't know.

   So simple ignorance -- the lack of knowledge -- is one thing. Stupidity is quite another. When ignorance rises to the level of appalling, and is wallowed in by one of the most powerful men in the world, it becomes a matter of national and international importance.
   Ignorance and stupidity are not impeachable offenses. Criminality is, however, in the category of  treason, bribery and other high crimes and misdemeanors.
   So the legal question becomes, which of the many examples of odd behavior indulged in by America's president qualify as illegal, unconstitutional, treasonous, related to giving or receiving a bribe, criminal or simply stupid.
   Stupid behavior, however, often leads to high crimes and misdemeanors, which are impeachable offenses. At worst, moreover, they can incite a shooting war.
   The current so-called president has already referred to his "war with the news media" over the barrage of reports documenting his talk and behavior. The latest attempt at manipulating truth is saying that "Any negative polls are fake news."
   Don't be surprised if the new guy sets up a Cabinet level Department of Truth and Alternative Facts.