There is a word for it. However, at the moment it escapes me.
Ironic is a possibility...inane might be an accurate description...and it relates to the man with the elaborate comb-over. Yes, Donald Trump has once again displayed what can only be described as nonsense...or having no sense.
Joseph Pisani of the Associated Press wrote about a fairly new tirade coming from the mouth of the U.S. president. It seems that the fellow is quite upset with Amazon.com. He believes the on-line marketing/shipping company should be charged more by U.S. Postal Service for the packages it sends around the world.
Trump's thinking is that because the postal service is losing billions of dollars a year while Amazon is making money they should be charged “Much More.” There may be an ulterior motive to Trump's focus on Amazon. Amazon was founded by Jeff Bezos, who also happens to own the Washington Post. This newspaper, as well as other major media, has been referred to as “fake news” by Trump on numerous occasions. It seems Donald did not like the unfavourable coverage by the Post during his campaign and into his presidency.
It is quite possible that Trump didn't look into the financial situation at the postal service before sending the tweet condemning Amazon. It is true that the postal service has lost money for 11 consecutive years. However, the majority of that loss is as a result of pension and health care costs. The one place where a good amount of money was made was in shipping and packages. In fact, Amazon and other companies on line orders resulted in a revenue of $19.5 billion. It seems that e-commerce business is a very good thing for that country's post office.
Another thing Trump may have overlooked is that Amazon.com is an American company with offices in Seattle, Washington. President Trump talks about how he wants to bring back companies that are currently operating in other countries...yet, he seems determined to hassle those who are within U.S. Boundries and paying their fair share of taxes. He has also attacked aeronautical corporations, Boeing and Lockheed-Martin.
Trump and his corporations and properties have declared bankruptcy four times. The fact that he views walking away from the massive debts as smart business moves leaves one to question his ethics. Banks, investors, and tradespeople are left to pay the price for Trump's business mindset. It might be best if the U.S. Postal Department chose not to pay much attention to Trump's tweets since it is unlikely a government service can declare bankruptcy.
On New Year's Day as I was mulling over this topic as a possible column I watched Lisa LaFlamme interviewing Justin Trudeau. Our prime minister was focused, articulate...and when he was asked about his encounters with Trump he expressed the need to keep an open dialogue. Recent news reports indicate that Trudeau has found himself in a bit of hot water with the Federal ethics commissioner because he had not informed Mary Dawson of two invitations to vacation the Aga Khan's private Bahamian island.
The only penalty the Prime Minister had to pay was a bit of shame and embarrassment. After listening to the New Year's Day interview three words came to mind...capable, intelligent - and ethical. Things are good here.
Shirley Hallee’s column appears weekly in the Amherst News.