Netherlandish Proverbs--(iv)

On this point, Trump lovers and haters agree: no one in the history of the American Presidency does a better job of shooting himself in the foot. 

Just about every last wound created by the Ukrainian story, a story which every day seems more capable of dethroning him, appears largely self-inflicted. He was the one who determined that Rudy--"America's Mayor"--should be given license to mess around in foreign policy (that butt-dial recording would have been flat-out hilarious if it wasn't so sleazy). Our President was the one who, despite warnings, pressed onward to make clear to the Ukranian President that anything he might want from America needed to be purchased at a price--quid pro quo--and did so in the presence of others.

And now, with the greatest single act in foreign affairs of his Presidency, he manages to muddy the praise his wonderful military accomplished by the silly, obscene braying of a child bully. "There is Nothing This Man Can't Wreck,"says NY Times columnists Gail Collins and Bret Stephens this morning. So immensely true.

In honor of the President's ability to shipwreck on his own island, I thought a little tour of applicable proverbs from Pieter Breugel might throw light on The Donald's almost instinctive ability to screw up his own fortunes.

Here's one. It's about ten o'clock or so, beneath a gaggle of gold coins spilling from above. A man is peeing on what appears to be a flag or sign with a crescent moon (we'll get to that, trust me); but behind him is a hole in the roof.

Een gat in het dak krijgen is what Brueghel is after, which suggests nasty things about the gentleman watering whatever's beneath him. I don't know whether there's an implication of the hole is his roof being a kind of hole in his head, but the substance of the wisdom here is having a hole in your roof is not particularly smart.

A long running dispute between Never Trumpers is whether the man's penchant for pulling on a dunce cap himself is indicative of his brilliance--sending the press on wild goose chases--or his stupidity. Whatever the cause, it seems to me that both critics and disciples can't help but admit that there are times when "he's got a hole in roof" feels like criticism with significant substance.

Here's another. You'll find this half-shod fella lower left.

Aan de eene voet een shoen, die andere blootvoet, which, I'm told, translates roughly to "one foot shod, the other bare." Intent is not so easy with this old Dutch proverb, but the upshot is that balance in all things is necessary. 

And then there's this one, which you'll find lower left center, at the bottom.

Men moet de schapen scheren ar naar ze wol hebben, a kind of warning to sheer the sheep, not skin them, the implication being that showing a little moderation in all things is a good thing. 

I don't remember whether or when our President might have been accused of moderation. 

Brueghel filled his canvases way back in the 16th century, but then some things about Trump are universal--hard as that is to believe.