I love Spock. Therefore, it is logical that I love President Obama.
Jeffrey Goldberg article on President Obama’s foreign policy notes that the President himself recognizes the challenge of leading coolly and rationally amidst a nation of emotional humans:
Obama-administration officials argue that he has a comprehensible approach to fighting terrorism: a drone air force, Special Forces raids, a clandestine CIA-aided army of 10,000 rebels battling in Syria. So why does Obama stumble when explaining to the American people that he, too, cares about terrorism? The Turkey press conference, I told him, “was a moment for you as a politician to say, ‘Yeah, I hate the bastards too, and by the way, I am taking out the bastards.’ ” The easy thing to do would have been to reassure Americans in visceral terms that he will kill the people who want to kill them. Does he fear a knee-jerk reaction in the direction of another Middle East invasion? Or is he just inalterably Spockian?
“Every president has strengths and weaknesses,” he answered. “And there is no doubt that there are times where I have not been attentive enough to feelings and emotions and politics in communicating what we’re doing and how we’re doing it” [Jeffrey Goldberg, “The Obama Doctrine,” The Atlantic, 2016.03.10].
That we are enjoying our first Vulcan Presidency is not a new idea (although Yoni Appelbaum observes that his colleague Jeffrey Goldberg’s use of the adjective Spockian appears to be the first appearance of that adjective in The Atlantic‘s 158 years of pages). That emotional humans may chafe under logical Vulcan leadership is a regular theme (see “The Galileo Seven” and “The Tholian Web“).
But Goldberg’s interview and Appelbaum’s commentary get me thinking about one possible aspect of the current popularity of Donald Trump. Perhaps the logic-defying rise of Trump’s fact-defying campaign is in part a reaction of xenophobic humans craving a Captain Kirk who will take a duranium pipe to the “disloyal computerized half-breed” who they think is wrecking the ship. Logic for the Trump crowd is too much to bear; they want a President who constantly grabs their guts. After seven years of rule by well-tended superego, the Trump people want governance by id.
To suggest Trump could be a Kirk to President Obama’s Spock is to insult both Kirk and the Star Trek ethos. Kirk’s emotion led him to be a decent man, dedicated to selfless duty, willing like his father to sacrifice himself to save his crew. Trump is Harry Mudd, Cyrano Jones, or either of the Star Trek SOBs played by Peter Weller, not the brave, reliable Captain… or at best the Romulan ale-swilling, yeoman-molesting pig half of Kirk split off by the transporter over Alfa 177. But that seven years of a Vulcan Presidency would provoke an emotional response from certain humans is logical. Regrettable, dangerous, but logical.
is there any bigger news than the exhaustive death throes (hopefully) of the intransigent GOP on every substantial issue?
is it all mitch McConnell?
I’m more of a Romulan kind of guy. And Joanna Linville in a miniskirt was one heckufa recruiter.
Great post Cory, it brought back many Star Trek memories. Obama certainly is more like Spock in that he reflects on the consequences of his decisions and is willing to change his mind if appropriate.
Apparently Lyndon Johnson made statements that he would not take steps to end the Vietnam debacle because he didn’t want to be known as the first president to lose a war. What a motive to continue to place the lives of thousands of young Americans in jeopardy!
Obama’s behavior after his “red line” warning to Syria shows a calm and collected individual who wouldn’t blindly start a war when the line was crossed. Instead, he evaluated our options and made a choice that was in America’s interest even though it left him open to criticism for not following through on his earlier statement. In other words, he held the interest of our Country above any fear of being criticized. I recently read that when he was asked if regretted this decision after being attacked by Republicans, he said no, and that changing his mind on this issue to benefit our Country was one of his proudest moments.
Bill, I would never betray the Federation for the Romulans. But you’re right: the Romulan Commander was far more tempting than anything Vader and the Emperor had to offer.
Bear, good point about ignoring the political implications and choosing the most rational option for the country’s interests. Look what LBJ’s emotional decision got us and him. We can never test alternative history (at least not until we get that Sliders machine working), but imagine how differently LBJ and Vietnam would be remembered if he not cared about defeat and cut our losses in 1966.
I don’t know about these vulcans and romulans but I remember this Kirk fellow from the Tv shows a while back. He seemed a swaggering sort. I have seen his picture on my friend Lar’s bloggings as well and think that Mr. kurtz knows much more about these people than any of us. I am thinking that Mr. H is more like that Mr. Cheekov fellow on that show. He drove the boat around and Mr. H is a steerer of minds.
Trump’s candidacy has revealed the decades-long transformation of Republicanism from a business-centered, small town, white Protestant set of beliefs into quite possibly America’s primary institutional force of bigotry, intellectual dishonesty, ignorance, warmongering, intractability and cruelty against the vulnerable and powerless.
http://www.salon.com/2016/03/11/its_so_much_worse_than_trump_the_gop_crack_up_predates_trump_even_if_the_media_wants_to_pretend_otherwise/
The needs of Donald Trump outweighs…everything?
Cory, I know just enough about Star Trek to be dangerous, but wasn’t there a race of greedy, calculating, conniving, capitalistic, lying people on Star Trek Voyager or Next Generation. I think Trump would align closest with one of these fellows.
Darin, you’re thinking of the Ferengi. Learn more here:
http://voteferengi.com/Donald_Trump_Righteous_Emperor
Exactly Cory!! That is it!
Cory, here is another take by Andrew O’Hehir on the Goldberg – Spock question:
http://www.salon.com/2016/03/12/mr_spock_at_the_sht_show_barack_obama_the_rise_of_trump_and_a_world_gone_crazy/?source=newsletter
Thanks, Bear! From the O’Hehir article:
Id! That’s what I said! :-)
Great minds think alike!