Donald Trump

[Mr Kobayashi]

An otherwise good post was soiled by your binary correlation of education with intelligence.

I am up against people who have better educational qualifications than me every day. Only a small percentage do I consider to be smarter than me. Some are; absolutely. But not many.

It’s an indicator; and not an overwhelming one - that’s all.

That wasn't the dichotomy. "Educated" as in actual learning and understanding not qualifications.

Trump's understanding of the world is reduced to winners and losers and hardball business negotiations. Which is why he came out with absurd and deranged ideas. North Korea, Greenland etc. Maga was the same bullshit he was speaking about in the 1980s, "we're not winning anymore", circumstances conspired to install this ignorant moron into the gap the GOP had carved out.

He went to Business School and he got his degree, even if cheated (of course he did, he's functionally illiterate) he's only marginally less deserving of it than his rich peers who also benefited from a stacked system.

He has a certain cunning, and the gift of the gab, that grifters have but that's it.

Is it intelligence or just a lack of morals?

 

[TinFoilHat]

The Christian Taliban.

Y'all Quieda

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

He has a certain cunning, and the gift of the gab, that grifters have but that's it.

Is it intelligence or just a lack of morals?

It‘s absolutely intelligence.

What is intelligence at the end of the day? It’s an ability to make the most of what’s around you, based on instinct and experience.

I speak from a position of considerable experience on the topic. In my life, I am surrounded by intelligent people. Many of them not formally educated.

 

[Trevor Morley's Tache]

It‘s absolutely intelligence.

What is intelligence at the end of the day? It’s an ability to make the most of what’s around you, based on instinct and experience.

I speak from a position of considerable experience on the topic. In my life, I am surrounded by intelligent people. Many of them not formally educated.

Tango StayPuffed certainly isn't booksmart, but he's a master manipulator which is absolutely a form if intelligence.

 

[DrBlueBob]

It‘s absolutely intelligence.

What is intelligence at the end of the day? It’s an ability to make the most of what’s around you, based on instinct and experience.

I speak from a position of considerable experience on the topic. In my life, I am surrounded by intelligent people. Many of them not formally educated.

The ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills.

I Googled the definition of intelligence. I think this definition supports your claims.

By other metrics, he is thick as mince. I was told a long time ago "Bullshit baffles brains".

Fwiw, I agree that he is not (entirely) stupid.

 

[Gareth Barry Conlon]

It‘s absolutely intelligence.

What is intelligence at the end of the day? It’s an ability to make the most of what’s around you, based on instinct and experience.

I speak from a position of considerable experience on the topic. In my life, I am surrounded by intelligent people. Many of them not formally educated.

You have to question what he's achieved. He inherited about £400m in value tied up in NYC real estate in the 80's. His estimated networth now is maybe triple that (on a good day). But - given inflation and the performance of the NYC real estate market since the 80's its reasonable to suggest that if he had brought in professionals (and just played golf all his life) they would have made 10x that level of gain, at least.

Outside of that he has BS'd his way to everything. Including the presidency. All lies and BS. Is that intelligent? Not sure.

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

It‘s absolutely intelligence.

What is intelligence at the end of the day? It’s an ability to make the most of what’s around you, based on instinct and experience.

I speak from a position of considerable experience on the topic. In my life, I am surrounded by intelligent people. Many of them not formally educated.

But he’s made the least of his opportunities, which he had in spades, because he’s done nothing but be “concentred all in self” his entire life despite all he was given. He’s used his wealth to bully and intimidate many, to mesmerize some, and to help literally no one but himself. The fact that there’s a sucker born every minute has nothing to do with his intelligence. The only reason he adept at finding them is that they seek him out because of all he was given from the get-go. And those he hasn’t grifted are grifting (read: blackmailing) him for their own purposes.

The Usual Suspects teaches a lesson here. “They realized to be in power, you didn’t need guns, or money or even numbers. You just needed the will to do what the other guy wouldn’t.” That's Trump. Willing to fuck over anyone and everyone to get what he wants and/or protect himself. Willing to break any and all moral codes as well as many actual laws to do so.

Being fundamentally and pathologically amoral and narcissistic isn’t intelligence.

 

[JASR]

Trump will be around for years… as an example definition of many things

Misogynist: ‘grab them by the pussy’
Stooge: ‘Putin should invade NATO countries who don’t pay’
Liar: <see appendix A chapters 1-5>
Fascist: <see appendix B chapters 1-8>
Mentally deficient: ‘person man woman TV camera’
Coward: bone spurs
Unpatriotic: see Coward
Paedophile: ‘I never knew Jeffrey Epstein well’
Traitor: Top secrets stored in bathroom
Shyster: fraudulent valuations of wealth
Hypocrite: see all previous entries and additional appendix C-F

 

[MillionMilesAway]

But he’s made the least of his opportunities, which he had in spades, because he’s done nothing but be “concentred all in self” his entire life despite all he was given. He’s used his wealth to bully and intimidate many, to mesmerize some, and to help literally no one but himself. The fact that there’s a sucker born every minute has nothing to do with his intelligence. The only reason he adept at finding them is that they seek him out because of all he was given from the get-go. And those he hasn’t grifted are grifting (read: blackmailing) him for their own purposes.

I've said (maybe before) that if Trump had even a hint of perspective, he'd be in charge today.

Venality and, as you say, focus on himself and his image ahead of the job requirements or basic politics have come back to bite him. See also Boris Johnson.

 

[DrBlueBob]

Intelligent, not intelligent? Can we all agree that he is a total ****, the likes of whom, the world is better off without?

(I nearly forgot to put a question mark at the end of the last sentence; sorry for my near faux pas GDM)