"You Know, I'm, Like, a Smart Person."
Really?

Having taught at the college level for a couple of decades, I'm very suspicious of anyone going around telling everyone that he or she is smart.  At best, it is bragging, and, at worst, the person is wrong; he or she isn't smart.  Those that are truly smart don't toot their own horn.  Albert Einstein, who was arguably an extremely intelligent person, said of his knowledge base, "The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know."

The Donald, on the other hand, bragged, "I went to the Wharton School of Finance, I got very good marks."  He Tweeted, "Sorry losers and haters, but my IQ is one of the highest—and you all know it?  Please don't feel so stupid or insecure, it's not your fault."   Another Tweet was, "I know some of you may think I'm tough and harsh but actually I'm a very compassionate person (with a very high IQ) with strong common sense."  And the Donald is our next president?

In preparation for the Donald becoming the next president, he was offered daily intelligence briefings.  Listen to what he said.   

I know some of you may think l'm tough and harsh but actually I'm a very compassionate person (with a very high IQ) with strong common sense

The next president of the United States actually said, "You know, I'm, like, a smart person.  I don't have to be told the same thing in the same words every single day for the next eight years. Could be eight years — but eight years. I don't need that.  But I do say, 'If something should change, let us know.'"  I have never been given intelligence briefings, but my guess is that the briefings aren't "the same words every single day."  Fortunately for us, the Donald is "a smart person?"  Arrogant perhaps, but he is not smart.

Former president, George H. W. Bush, nominated David Souter to the Supreme Court in 1990. 

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Justice Souter

While the Donald thinks that he is smart, Souter attempted to teach him a basic history lesson.

I don't worry about our losing republican government in the United States because I'm afraid of a foreign invasion. I don't worry about it because I think there is going to be a coup by the military as has happened in some other places. What I worry about is that when problems are not addressed, people will not know who is responsible. And when the problems get bad enough, as they might do, for example, with another serious terrorist attack, as they might do with another financial meltdown, some one person will come forward and say, 'Give me total power and I will solve this problem.'

That is how the Roman republic fell. Augustus became emperor, not because he arrested the Roman Senate. He became emperor because he promised that he would solve problems that were not being solved.

The Donald said at his acceptance speech at the Republican convention, "Nobody knows the system better than me, which is why I alone can fix it."  Interestingly, the Donald who brags about his knowledge and intelligence missed the history lesson of Justice Souter.  Augustus promised to fix the Roman Empire. 

01/30/17