It seems President-elect Trump admires not only Scottish golf courses, but also Scottish philosophy, as shown by the coterie of advisers and Cabinet members he’s selected for his administration.
In the 19th century, Scottish philosopher and historian Thomas Carlyle developed a theory of historiography which he coined “The Great Man Theory.” This theory postulated that the process of historical examination is akin to a series of chronological biographies of these so-called “Great Men.”
These great generals, artists, philosophers, theologians and entrepreneurs were the ones who truly had decisive impacts on society, rather than the other way around. Caesar, Muhammad, Shakespeare, Luther, Napoleon and Ford were not products of their time but the producers themselves. While this theory has largely fallen out of fashion within academic circles, it is still a useful conduit to examine the current political machinations.
In the age of Trump, the mainstream media airwaves have been awash with cries of impropriety and “unprecedented” actions taken by him. Trump, by his very nature, having no previous experience in elected office, is an unprecedented character for the presidency.
This should hardly be construed as a bad thing, however. One could make a strong case, as Trump himself did, that what is wrong with this country has been the meandering status quo. Sidestepping the status quo in favor of a new direction is not only what is needed, but further, what was mandated to Trump by the American people.
The latest criticism against Trump from the established order has been directed at his administrative appointments. They have exclaimed that the majority of his picks have been individuals who lack both the political experience and standing to hold such high offices.
Instead of appointing primarily a series of well-connected lawyers and bureaucrats who have been born and bred within the rent-seeking echo chambers of Washington, he has opted instead to fill a growing number of positions with Middle America’s private sector entrepreneurs and military generals. Carlyle would have described them as “Great Men,” from the Marcus Aurelius-loving General James Mattis to self-made millionaire and CEO Andrew Puzder.
The fact that these masters of industry and war-hardened generals are forming the core of Trump’s cabinet has sent the established Washington political sycophants into a fiery rage. They have grown accustomed over the years to a revolving door system with each new administration. The rhetoric and party line may have changed, but the greases to their Byzantine bureaucratic machine did not.
With the help of the media these Washington elites are now trying to slander and discredit each and every Trump appointee in a desperate attempt to derail their nomination. They are following the standard, overused leftist diatribe manual, labeling the appointees as a mix of Kremlin stooges, sexists and racists.
Now with these appointments, Trump is sending a powerful message not only to Washington, but the country as a whole. In the age of Trump, it will be the Washington political hacks who have to start all over at age 50, not the struggling middle-aged blue-collar factory machinist or coal miner.
We can only hope that this “unprecedented” wave continues through Trump’s presidency and that the mainstream media will continue to respond with their characteristic hyperbolic tantrums.
Gavin Wax is editor-in-chief of The Liberty Conservative, a former New York State director for the Ted Cruz presidential campaign, and a small business entrepreneur. Thinking of submitting an op-ed to the Washington Examiner? Be sure to read our guidelines on submissions.
