Probation and the nation (originally written Feb. 1, 2017)

Ninety days used to be the standard probationary period for a new employee. Management was fairly comfortable that it could accurately assess a new hire's strengths and weaknesses during that time. Not anymore.

It seems like America (and the rest of the world) feels that two weeks is long enough to judge its new President, so the word has gone out that Donald J. Trump, 70-year old, successful multi-billionaire who has run several companies and employed upwards of 20,000 people should be held to a higher standard than the average worker and only be allowed a couple weeks on the job before he's fired. Back in 2008, a young, one-term Senator with no financial, managerial or international experience was elected to the nation's highest office on the emotional message of "I'm not George Bush" and "hope and change." For the next eight years, Barack Obama proved his lack of  experience in a number of bone-headed decisions that drove our fragile vehicle of commerce over the cliff (of course it was all George W. Bush's fault). He then proceeded to dally and dither,  whither and thither on the international scene, spending his time drawing lines in the sand and posturing for the cameras. His was the 'decision by default' Presidency that proved the adage that if you left a pile of papers on your desk long enough, they would eventually go away.

The current occupant of the White House has a different style. It's called "WYSIWYG" (what you see is what you get). Example...if you heard him make a campaign promise in 2016, you will probably see him fulfill it in 2017, 2018, 2019 or 2020. If there's one thing that Donald Trump knows, it is that he doesn't have much time before the forces of (political) nature catch up to him and restrict his forward movement. Until then, he will blind us with his speed and decisiveness. He told us that "we would get tired of winning," but what he didn't tell us was that he would break the Presidential sound barrier with a flurry of executive orders his first two weeks in office!

The reasons are clear to those that know Mr. Trump. He's a true workaholic that is driven to succeed. Detractors will say that it's because of his narcissistic personality. To that I say, "So what?" I'd rather have a CEO that knows who he is and what he wants than someone who is on a 'journey of personal discovery' while in the White House. Donald Trump eschews hope and change. Hope without a plan is for saps. It's actions that count. And if you aren't up for the challenge, "You're fired."

The President has surrounded himself with the same type of men and women. They're not theoreticians, not academics, but people with street smarts and, yes, money. None of them are apologizing for their wealth, nor should they. When our system works well it is like an ever-expanding apple pie. When you remove one slice you actually leave room for another larger slice to take its place. The Left doesn't understand that, and that is why they will always oppose people like Donald Trump. Mr. Trump knows this and that's why he's moving fast, leaving the media in doubt as to which 'outlandish' thing to cover. What his opponents haven't figured out is that this is a strategy not an ideology. His enemies will call this 'unfair.' "He should go slower and give us time to catch our breath (and formulate our own plan on how to bring him down)."

No, the President knows better. By not giving them time to regroup, he makes them play his game and forces them to oppose everything he does instead of being selective - a little like using a howitzer to kill a sparrow. Sooner or later, he believes, they will end up shooting themselves in their own feet and anger the American public. Time will tell if he's right. I just hope I can keep up with this tireless President apprentice.

Stephan Helgesen is a retired U.S. diplomat, now author and political strategist. He has written over 600 articles and six books on politics, economics and social trends. He can be reached at stephan@stephanhelgesen.com