Trump as Holden Caulfield

The John Young column today compares the tweets of DJT to J D Salinger’s famous character in Catcher in the Rye.

John has it right, mostly.  But I think he missed something about DJT’s approach to the world. In it the strength and weakness of all entrepreneurs: they act without a fully detailed plan. The have consummate confidence in their ability to figure out next steps on the fly.

Often when an entrepreneur is starting a venture, there is no precedent and there are many who say it can’t be done. The entrepreneur ignores the naysayers until harsh reality forces a revision to the vision. Many of the entrepreneurs I have known had no business plan — at least not until some banker or investor demanded one. They actually didn’t know the path until they made the first moves.

So it may be with the new administration. Trump starting each day looking for an opportunity to make a move.  Trouble is, this entrepreneurial method has poor odds of success.  There is a reason that three out of four new ventures fail.

Despite Trump’s story of his personal success, he has left a trail of “losers” in his wake. He takes care of himself and sometimes his closest cronies, but others must beware and keep their leverage.

Maybe John Young should consult Ayn Rand: ““I swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine.”
― Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged