Many people around the President have sizeable egos before entering government, some with good reason. Their new positions will do little to moderate their egos.

If in doubt, move decisions up to the President.

I would not say that the future is necessarily less predictable than the past. I think the past was not predictable when it started.

Arguments of convenience lack integrity and inevitably trip you up.

Prune - prune businesses, products, activities, people. Do it annually.

When I served as US Ambassador to NATO in the 1970s, the center of gravity in Europe was France and Germany.

They may have had time to destroy them, and I don't know the answer.