Both President Trump and Elon Musk should know better, and stop posturing

 

I'm sure that by now, most of my readers are aware of the dissension between President Trump and Elon Musk over the former's "Big Beautiful Bill".  The President is trying to pass an omnibus but temporary fix for some of the biggest problems confronting him, while Mr. Musk thinks that it panders too much to past priorities and doesn't sufficiently address past problems such as deficit spending, etc.

The problem is, both of them are right, and at the same time both of them are wrong.

President Trump is trying to do what he thinks is politically possible at the present time.  He can't ask for too much, because Republican Party majorities in both the House and Senate are paper-thin, and if only a few representatives and/or Senators break ranks to vote against him, his legislation will not pass.  Therefore, he is forced to pander to at least some extent to what the less robust Republicans (to coin a phrase) demand, or he'll lose their support.  He therefore rightly (from his perspective) sees Mr. Musk's demands as being too perfectionist, asking for more than his wishier-washier supporters are willing to concede.  That's a political perspective, and one all politicians are forced to adopt most of the time.

Mr. Musk, on the other hand, is an entrepreneur and a very savvy businessman indeed.  He owns his companies, and can exercise very tight control over them.  He doesn't have to persuade his staff to support him:  they do so, or they get fired or resign.  Those are the only two options available to them.  He doesn't have to pander to the expectations of others.  Being a highly intelligent man (as his track record amply confirms), he can understand the essentials, the core and heart of a matter, and focus laser-like on implementing them while cutting away everything and anything that gets in the way.  From that perspective, he is undoubtedly correct in his opposition to the "Big Beautiful Bill".  It concedes too much to the bloated political practices of the past, and doesn't do enough to cut away the excrescences that bedevil US politics at the present time.  That's a business perspective, and a perfectionist one, too - and from those perspectives, Mr. Musk is right, too.

Unfortunately, neither Mr. Trump nor Mr. Musk appear willing to concede that there's right and wrong on both sides.  President Trump's ego has gotten involved (one of his worst failings, IMHO), and he's digging in his heels.  Mr. Musk's ego is also involved, in that he knows he's right (and, from his perspective, he is), and he can't understand why the President can't accept and acknowledge that.

When we look at the "Big Beautiful Bill", it's as if we're looking at a house on the top of a hill.  From my position on the north side of the hill, I'm seeing a white house with a red roof.  It's as clear as day.  There can be no possible mistake about that.  On the other hand, from your position to the south of the hill, you're seeing a red house under a red roof.  Again, it's as clear as day, and you know you're right.  In reality, of course, we're both equally right from our perspective, but we can't see the whole picture from where we are.  Only if we circle the house together, and look at all sides of it, can we acknowledge that it takes both perspectives to describe the house adequately.

I don't like the "Big Beautiful Bill" because of all the pork it contains.  I find myself on the side of Mr. Musk in this;  I hate it, and want it to go away.  On the other hand, I'm forced to concede to President Trump that, to quote Otto von Bismarck, "politics is the art of the possible".  He can't get more of what he wants at this time, because he doesn't have the congressional support to be sure it would pass.  He can't afford to take a perfectionist, all-or-nothing perspective.  He has to govern a nation, with all the fractures and differing perspectives that involves - not a business that functions at his beck and call.

For the good of the country, both President Trump and Mr. Musk need to take a deep breath, apologize to each other (yes, publicly would be good), and make up their differences.  We need both of them, and we can't afford to do without either of them.  To both gentlemen, I say:  "A little more maturity, please!  Stop throwing your toys out of the pram!  All you're doing with your public squabbling is to play into the hands of the enemies of our nation!"

Unfortunately, I don't suppose either of them is listening to my voice in the wilderness...

Peter