Time for some advice for the commander-in-chief . . . from Ben Stein:
Herewith a simple suggestion about our charming president, Donald Trump.
I think everyone, including the most devout Republicans, has noticed that the big guy has done some wacky things, especially lately. Maybe the problem is his ideology; maybe it’s because he’s new to the civil service.
Or maybe it’s something much more basic: jet lag.
Jet lag hits travelers when they travel long distances across time zones rapidly. The brain gets squished up inside the skull, and no matter how luxuriously the flyer flies, he or she winds up with fatigue, confusion, and symptoms similar to when a patient awakens in a hospital after having just been put under with a general anesthetic.
Mr. Trump winds up negotiating crucial deals at a time when he would normally be sleeping (or what passes for sleep in his world).
One reason for the president’s recent behavior (Helsinki, anyone?) may be a basic one facing any traveler who crosses time zones and suffers jet lag: a lack of rest.
GRIGORY DUKOR/REUTERS
And he looks exhausted, and he must be exhausted.
I used to work at the State Department and they had a rule that if U.S. negotiators were traveling overseas, they had to arrive 48 hours before the event and adjust to the change of time zones. It made a lot of sense.
But since then we’ve had leaders who like to pretend that they’re Rambo and can just get off their plane after a long trip and start changing the world.
I think it started with my former boss, Richard M. Nixon, who liked to fly to China, walk down the stairs, and stick out his hand to Zhou Enlai without any adjustment to the time at all. Ever since, all the presidents do it, as if they were robots and machines and not humans.
In changing time zones, says Ben Stein, therein lies danger.
CBS News
Let’s put a stop to that. Let’s suggest to Mr. Trump that when his plane gets to wherever he’s going, he parks it at the end of the runway and sleeps for a day or two to get himself acclimated.
It makes total sense to those of us who travel frequently. Might it make sense to Mr. Trump?
Maybe he could just give it a try, and see if he starts acting more sensibly …?
Okay, never mind. Forget it.
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Story produced by Sara Kugel.
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