this post was submitted on 20 Feb 2025
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Summary

A new book, A Very Stable Genius by Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig, reveals Donald Trump's ignorance on key historical and geopolitical issues.

During a 2017 visit to the USS Arizona Memorial, Trump reportedly asked, "What's this all about?" showing a lack of understanding of Pearl Harbor.

The book also details Trump's confusion over India's border with China, his eagerness to meet Vladimir Putin before taking office, and his frustration with anti-bribery laws.

The authors claim their findings are based on extensive interviews and documents.

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[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 192 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (4 children)

Trump does not understand ~~Pearl Harbor~~ anything.

Professor Kelley told me 100 times over three decades that “Donald Trump was the dumbest goddam student I ever had.” I remember his emphasis and inflection — it went like this — “Donald Trump was the dumbest goddam student I ever had.” Dr. Kelley told me this after Trump had become a celebrity but long before he was considered a political figure. Dr. Kelley often referred to Trump’s arrogance when he told of this — that Trump came to Wharton thinking he already knew everything.

The USA is the worst fucking society because it's allowed these pricks that know nothing but think they know it all to fail upward their whole fucking lives. Musk is another prick exactly like this. These coddled fucking baby bitches who are going to tear down all the things that allowed them to amass such wealth. They literally think they're above it all and think things like "stability" or "respect on the international stage" are jokes.

[–] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 30 points 2 days ago (1 children)

It's the wealthy managers, supporters and organizers in the background that have all the intelligence to run this circus. They get people like Turnip and Muskrat to lead the show. These are just dumb figureheads that will take the fall when the show is over.

The show is run for as long and as far as possible so that the wealthy owners can get what they want (which is everything)

And if it all works, these owners can all celebrate in the shadows with all their wealth.

And if it all fails, they'll be the first to leave, hide and say that they never had a hand in any of it.

[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 21 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

The thing is though, that so much of that wealth is tied up in valuation of the USD, the US stock market, and the USD position as a reserve currency.

Sure, its clear they want to strip mine the US and bring US living standards down to match places like Afghanistan... But that really shows how little they understand how our own economic dominance was built on trust and stability.

Once we have lost those things, all bets are off on their wealth actually staying stable, too.

[–] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 18 points 2 days ago (1 children)

They've constantly been playing a balancing game since the Reagan era of trying to figure out how to take advantage of that trust while trying to make people live with as little as possible.

The balance game of treating people like slaves without making them feel like slaves.

[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 18 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Those of us who are well fed, well garmented and well ordered, ought not to forget that necessity makes frequently the root of crime. It is well for us to recollect that even in our own law-abiding, not to say virtuous cases, the only barrier between us and anarchy is the last nine meals we’ve had. It may be taken as axiomatic that a starving man is never a good citizen.

  • Alfred Henry Louis
[–] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 6 points 1 day ago

From barbarism to civilization requires a century; from civilization to barbarism needs but a day.

Will Durant

[–] DarkFuture@lemmy.world 17 points 2 days ago (1 children)

It's not just born rich losers like Trump failing upward. It's across our entire society. I personally know typical Americans who have been allowed to fail upwards their whole lives. Not intelligent people who are in roles they shouldn't be in. It's across the board. Our society is built to allow stupid people to fail upwards. There simply aren't enough barriers to keep them from positions they shouldn't be in.

I couldn't agree more vigorously.

[–] samus12345@lemm.ee 16 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Trump understands all the worst impulses of humanity and appeals to them without hesitation or shame.

[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 24 points 2 days ago (2 children)

I'm not sure just living his authentic self means he "understands" the worst impulses as much as he just projects his own worst impulses onto the world.

[–] samus12345@lemm.ee 14 points 2 days ago

That's true, it's not really actual understanding. He knows how his narcissistic mind works and also has learned that if he simply follows his impulses he eventually gets what he wants.

[–] DarkFuture@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago

Yeah. It's an instinct thing. Donald Trump is not a planner.

He's just an asshole being an asshole and that appeals to a lot of assholes in this country.

[–] ddash@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 2 days ago (2 children)

So I guess this Professor Kelley failed him in whatever course they teach... Right?

[–] NielsBohron@lemmy.world 18 points 2 days ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

As a college instructor, it's difficult sometimes. The dumbest goddamn students I've ever had still manage to pass sometimes due to being friends with the right people or getting lucky when cheating in a way that I can't necessarily prove. I can be 100% certain that someone cheated, but if I can't objectively prove it, it's really, really dangerous (to my career) to fail that student, especially when they are as connected and narcissistic as Trump.

Plus, lots of people take advantage of more inclusive accommodations and more forgiving grading or attendance policies to the point that sometimes they do pass despite knowing a tiny fraction of the material. I could eliminate a lot of that by making the tests harder and removing a lot of academic support services I offer to make the class more "sink or swim," but then I'm mostly punishing the people that need my help the most. I just have to remind myself that it's better to pass a student that doesn't deserve it than it is to misjudge the situation and fail a student who legitimately just needed some additional understanding or academic support.

One would hope...