I don’t normally read newspaper ads. I tape television shows for later viewing so I can fast forward through ads. It is a rather cavalier attitude considering my income for more than three decades was contingent on earnings my publication could squeeze from advertising revenue.
I’m not sure what drew me into reading a full page ad in Wednesday’s New York Times. No picture or illustration captured my attention. Perhaps it was the red ink lettering at the top and bottom of an otherwise black and white page of 38 quotes from famous Americans. Juxtaposed among uplifting statements from past presidents, government officials and luminaries were counterpoint messages from Donald Trump.
Here are some samples:
From President Herbert Hoover—“It is a paradox that every dictator has climbed to power on the ladder of free speech. Immediately on attaining power each dictator has suppressed all free speech except his own.”
Followed by Trump’s “Fake news is the true enemy of the people.”
Albert Einstein was cited as saying, “Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.”
Under that quote is one from Trump: “More people attended my inauguration than any other President’s. Anyone who wants a test can get one.”
From Founding Father Benjamin Franklin came this aphorism: “He that is of the opinion money will do everything may well be suspected of doing everything for money.”
Trump’s rejoinder: “I look forward to showing my financials because they are huge.”
In smaller letters at the bottom of the page is a note that the ad was “Paid for by the Author of the New York Times Bestselling Book, What Would Ben Say?”.
Ben, as in Benjamin Franklin.
That author happens to be Tom Blair, a successful businessman and author of several books, a person with some passionate interests. Blair, according to his Amazon books page, owns “the world’s largest personal collection of WWII British aircraft, many of which he flies.” His interest in World War II might well stem from the fact that “his father, an American serviceman married to a young British girl, was killed at Normandy in 1944.” He was born a few weeks later.
Wednesday’s ad was not the first time Blair has purchased a full page in The Times. He did so back in 2016 in apparent disappointment at the choice of presidential candidates nominated by the Democratic and Republican parties.
Running a full page ad does not come cheap. It can cost upwards of $150,000. Small change for Blair who, one of his biographical blurbs noted back in 2016, sold one of his companies for $4.6 billion.
In case you’re not able to read the ad which I included with this post, here are more point/counterpoints followed by the quotes in red at the top and bottom of the page:
“People who boast about their I.Q. are losers.”—Stephen Hawking
“Sorry losers and haters, by my I.Q. is one of the highest. Please don’t feel stupid or insecure. It’s not your fault.”—President Donald J. Trump
“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.”—Mark Twain
“The people are the rightful masters of both congresses, and courts—not to overthrow the constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert it.”—Abraham Lincoln
