Behold The Problem With Nepotism
By
Leonard Zwelling
Ivanka Trump annoys me.
I mean she seems like a nice enough person, but really. Should she be representing the United States at major conferences around the world with the likes of Angela Merkel or Christine Lagarde? I think not. What are her qualifications for any role in the White House? No one voted for her.
Ms. Trump was born on third base and is now convinced she hit a triple. She didn’t.
There is also nothing she can do or say to convince any thinking person that her father, the President of the United States, is an advocate for women given the way he talks about them or treats them.
This is just the latest example of the dangers of nepotism. We have seen a recent one at Anderson with the power ceded to Lynda Chin by her husband the then-president and Executive Vice Chancellor Shine. I know. I should be over this now that he’s gone. But is he?
There have been more than a few DePinho sightings and he is still a faculty member at Anderson. What needs to be done so that he and his wife can take the hint that they need to get out of Dodge?
As I have advocated repeatedly since the DePinho resignation, unless all vestiges of the corruption that so characterized his tenure as president are expunged, I fear slippage on the part of the leaders in Austin who are under tremendous pressure now that the Chancellor has decided that he knows politics better than the Governor when it comes to land deals in Houston. Are you confident in the search process for DePinho’s successor? If so, who’s running it and why are you confident? How can we be sure the same mistake will not occur again?
One of the characteristics of the Trump White House, is the very insular nature of those around a president with no experience in politics. He doesn’t know how to deal with Congress and Congress is not too sure of what to do with him either. This has led to the unlikely combination of one party running the entire federal government and absolutely nothing getting done. This is not good for anyone.
So here’s a suggestion.
All you liberals out there who think that Jared and Ivanka are great modifying influences on the president, keep in mind that they are both very young, very inexperienced and wealthy by dint of their birth, not their work or accomplishments. Jared and Ivanka are not the people we want representing us in Israel, Berlin or anywhere else except perhaps Barney’s.
Nepotism is always a bad idea.
My poor wife has been dealing with it her entire married life as my, at times, bad behavior might color people’s view of her. That’s ridiculous, but she has gotten used to it. Even this blog can cause her problems, I guess. That’s silly, but true. She’s her own person and should never be tarred with the brush used to tar me.
I have been more fortunate as her work always reflects well on me.
I was always worried that this blog had somehow contributed to DePinho’s firing of Genie. Pediatrics at Anderson has been much worse for her absence and I suspect that The Ronald had a plan that blew up on him as to who was going to replace her. Ha-ha! Too bad.
Nepotism is rampant in academia and now in the federal government. It need not be. Remember Nancy Reagan: Just Say No!
Jackie Mason said that Yassir Arafat couldn’t deal with Israel when it came to the West Bank, because it was in his wife’s name. See! Nepotism.
Family and business is a risky mix—in government and in academia. It is best avoided.
