I love old movies and Broadway shows, especially those that provide history lessons. The show Hamilton continues to excite people of all ages, as it makes political intrigue understandable. The show 1776 tells the story about what happened behind the scenes when the Declaration of Independence was being drafted and the efforts of John Adams to convince the participants that it was time to break away from England.
One of my longtime movie favorites is The Madness of King George. This 1994 comedy-drama film tells the true story of George III of Great Britain’s deteriorating mental health and his battles with his closest family and advisors. I can’t help but compare George’s strange behavior to President Donald J. Trump. I make no allegations or inferences about this president, but his latest actions do raise questions as to whether he is experiencing serious personal problems.
Let’s start with a country named Greenland. I have never met anyone who has vacationed on this mostly ice covered island that is loyal to Denmark. It has roughly 57,000 residents. It was valuable to the United States when the Cold War began and is the site of a strategic radar station that keeps us informed about possible terrorist activities. But if I were planning a pleasure trip it would not be on my bucket list.
Considering these simple facts, it is hard to understand why President Trump would even think about the need for America to buy that land mass. I don’t think a condominium unit or a golf course would be a profitable real estate venture, so why start a fight with Queen Margrethe II over her refusal to sell this piece of mostly barren land? To add insult to injury, the president canceled a planned trip to Denmark, because he felt insulted about his failed real estate proposal. Not only was the president miffed but he decided that it was an affront to “America.”
I have never been to Denmark, but I admire that country for the fact that it resisted the Nazis during World War II and it celebrates our July 4 Independence Day as if it were their own. I rarely eat Danish pastry, but I do admire their many varieties of cheeses. Overall, they are a great country with many spectacular people and they deserve the respect of every American citizen.
I know the president announced that he was taking a short vacation at his New Jersey golf course, but maybe he should extend it by a week or so. There is a lot going on in our country, plus Iran, Syria, Afghanistan and North Korea. He should give up tweeting about Greenland and Denmark and find a new White House physician to speak to.
Former State Assemblyman Jerry Kremer is a columnist for Long Island Weekly and partner at Ruskin Moscou Faltischek in Uniondale. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher or Anton Media Group.
