George Will’s column in the Washington Post last week was as jolting as it was insightful. I don’t often describe George Will’s writings with these adjectives since almost every word out of his mouth and keyboard is abhorrent to me. But we do share a common opinion, and that is of Donald Trump’s utter unfitness for the office of president. Will’s been vocal and frequent in his criticisms, but in this most recent piece and follow up television appearances, he offers a unique solution to minimizing the damage Trump can inflict on the country: quarantine. In his piece Will’s argument is this:
“Americans have placed vast military power at the discretion of this mind, a presidential discretion that is largely immune to restraint by the Madisonian system of institutional checks and balances. So, it is up to the public to quarantine this presidency by insistently communicating to its elected representatives a steady, rational fear of this man whose combination of impulsivity and credulity render him uniquely unfit to take the nation into a military conflict.” [emphasis mine]
Will suggests that not only is Trump subject to serious gaffes, historically inaccurate statements, and offensive speech, but, “Rather, the dangerous thing is that he does not know what it is to know something.” Will argues that not only is he slothful and lacks basic civics knowledge, but lacks the ability to even absorb knowledge.
So, Will puts it on us, the public, to pressure our representatives and senators to quarantine this menace until we can get him out of office. He wants a bipartisan effort to not cooperate with his agenda; refuse to support his crazy ideas; repudiate his fascination with despots. Correct him when he blatantly lies.
Perhaps quarantine will stop the epidemic of stupidity and hatefulness now running rampant from DC throughout the country.