There are days that Canada looks good. Real good. Days that test my faith, a faith that holds that God, and God alone, is King of the Universe and in control.
After Trump was elected one of my parishioners said that he believed "Trump would be good for the country." My response was "That I hoped so, but feared that instead he is a loose cannon, and that nobody, even within the Republican Party, really knows what he will do and is capable of doing, or the harm that will be done."
I no longer fear that Trump is a loose cannon, it is blatantly obvious.
As a bipolar person I know something about being a loose cannon. One need only look back upon a manic episode to observe that "I didn't see that coming." When one is in a manic phase the mind races out of control and reasonable critiques simply don't resonate. Ask my wife. The end justifies the means. Grandiose visions dominate. No risk is to great to take. My father-in-law used to say "hit where you look, don't look where you hit." The problem for a bipolar person is that you tend to fire first, and then survey the consequences later.
Thankfully, my own tendencies to be a loose cannon were not played out on a global stage. There was a significant personal cost. The $50,000 CNC I bought to jumpstart my business is $50,000 that is no longer in my pension account. Maybe one day it will prove to have been a solid business decision. But more likely the most it will offer is an outside chance of 'making the best of it'. It is a massive luxury, and didn't result in the highly profitable business I envisioned. But you couldn't have stopped me then. And I'm hesitant to unload it now, still hoping that I can redeem the choice.
One of the things I learned in the process is that reason plays no part, even though the person who is in the manic phase may actually be able to make a convincing case for the course of action. I mean, hey, I convinced a lot of people over the years to follow my lead when I was in a manic episode. Having said that though, 'reason' was a means to an end, but not the primary factor in my motivation. I now understand that as a bipolar person I am, when in a manic phase, hardwired for certain types of activities. It's hard to accept that my fantastic plans and visions are the result of chemical interactions in my brain, and unpredictable.
Karla has always been the cautious one in our marriage. Even today, knowing everything I know about my condition, submitting to her caution is difficult, in fact, extremely difficult. She's not totally opposed to my endeavors. She just has the desire to secure the cannon before firing it.
Trump needs a Karla.
Like a bipolar person in a manic phase Trump has his grand vision of how to "Make America Great Again". Great presidents, though, all have the capacity to surround themselves with people smarter than they are, and follow their advisor's collective advice. Visions need to be grounded in reality.
In the maritime world, captains of ships surrender the control of their vessels to local pilots when they must negotiate hazardous waters and dock in harbors. One simply cannot be an expert navigating every passage way around the globe. Trust those with the specific knowledge needed.
The Ego gets in the way. One of the most difficult things for me to admit, as I seek to restructure my life in light of my diagnosis, is that I need a pilot. The Ego says that I've been a pastor for thirty years, I need no help. Yet I do. Caution is warranted, albeit, such caution is most difficult to implement when every fiber in one's being says "Go for it."
I have those who are looking out for me. Their job is to minimize the damage that I might do were I to make spontaneous decisions that look good in the moment but which may have disastrous long term consequences.
That is what Trump is lacking. Fire now, and review the damage later. Play the lute while Rome burns, and worry about rebuilding later, hoping that reconstruction can improve on what was but is no more.
I do see one positive outcome of Trump's propensity for being the ultimate 'loose cannon'. And that is that the world will no longer allow the United States to be the uncontested leader it has been for the last few decades. This is no different than the potential in my own marriage that we will now make decisions that are more mutual than before. Our partnership is taking on new dimensions.
The unpredictable nature of our national diplomacy on issues such as Iran and North Korea may end up opening the door for others to solve the problems, apart from us. Our failure to act definitively on global issues such as the environment may lead other nations to eclipse us. I'm actually hopeful in that regard. The collective wisdom of the nations of the world is probably much better than simply following the shifting winds of American political perspectives.
I can see this. But then, I'm the crazy one. Perhaps being 'crazy' merely means that we will not conform to the insanity of the world around us.
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