The outgoing music director of the New York Philharmonic is asked for his views on the President of the United States. His reply is translated on screen in German subtitles.
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Drumpf, Killary, Obola – what’s the difference?
Huge differences. If you don’t recognize them and are a US citizen, you are the problem.
Amen NYMike. Bravo Maestro Gilbert.
Really-“huge” differences!? Can you make a straight faced argument that Clinton, Schumer, and for God’s sake, Nancy Pelosi (see where their millions came from)-and the rest of both the Republicans and Democrats would make a “huge” difference?
Who is being naive here?
All I know is your hero allowed a genocidal civil war to go on for 6 years, and talked, and talked-all I know is that America has an infrastructure that is third world, that US schools are among the worst in the West, that 91 Americans a day die of opioid overdoses, that 4000 people got murdered in Chicago last year, and on and on
A real American would try anything other than what we’ve had
“A real American would try anything other than what we’ve had.”
Easier said than done. To me it seems as though Americans have been getting served/have been ordering a derivative of the same old sh*t sandwich for a while now. You can change the cheese and condiments but at the end of the day….
You clearly don’t know much about our system. Obama wasn’t perfect – and Syria was his great failure – but he was smart, thoughtful, and deliberative. None of which one can say about Trump. With Obama (or now Clinton) we wouldn’t see major rollbacks in environmental regulations, potentially successful efforts to kill our major advances in health care coverage, and a new Supreme Court justice taking us further toward a system that favors corporations over regular people and makes it increasingly difficult for people to get justice in our system. We wouldn’t have an environmental regulator who doesn’t believe in global warming, or an attorney general who seems intent on rolling back efforts to regulate police misbehavior or efforts to suppress voting rights of blacks and other minorities. Shall I go on?
I absolutely agree our infrastructure is terrible, but you don’t seem to understand that a President can’t fix that by himself – Congress needs to appropriate money for it, and Congress rebuffed every attempt by Obama for major spending increases on infrastructure. Opiods are a big problem that long predate Obama, and 786 people were murdered in Chicago last year, not 4,000. Still appallingly high. And Congress fought every attempt by Obama to regulate firearms, which could have made a difference. BTW, on a per-capita basis, Chicago had a much lower murder rate than the big cities that surround it – Milwaukee, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit.
Maybe you should know what you’re talking about before spouting off.
‘Smart, thoughtful and deliberative’ are fine for a clergyman, high school teacher, judge or managing director but definitely not suited to world leadership and getting results. The black Jesus.
Steve P has nailed it.
As for musicians, they’re amongst the least savvy (and more naive) political commentators in this world. Gilbert is, of course, entitled to his opinion.
” ‘Smart, thoughtful and deliberative’ are fine for a clergyman, high school teacher, judge or managing director but definitely not suited to world leadership and getting results.”
Oh, Holly. You are a marvel. Don’t ever change.
How hideous that the first respons to this thoughtful and moving speech from the wonderful Alan Gilbert should be one equating the #fakepresident with Hillary Clinton. Shame on you, sir.
Among Midwestern cities, St Louis, Detroit, and Cleveland have higher murder rates than Chicago, but not the other cities you cite:
https://www.thetrace.org/2017/01/chicago-not-most-dangerous-city-america/
@Macrov:
but he was smart, thoughtful, and deliberative. None of which one can say about Trump. With Obama (or now Clinton) we wouldn’t see major rollbacks in environmental regulations, potentially successful efforts to kill our major advances in health care coverage, and a new Supreme Court justice taking us further toward a system that favors corporations over regular people and makes it increasingly difficult for people to get justice in our system. We wouldn’t have an environmental regulator who doesn’t believe in global warming, or an attorney general who seems intent on rolling back efforts to regulate police misbehavior or efforts to suppress voting rights of blacks and other minorities. –
NO YOU SHOULD NOT GO ON: We already know that you are in desperate need of
medical/psychiatric help!
no…we would just live under a new world order aka socialist usa where we are brainwashed to depend on the government for everything in exchange for our liberties under the constitution. mind as well move to china. read some Orwell dude. God bless trump.
Clueless voters who couldn’t discern the difference and bought into preposterous notions like “Killary” are a bigger problem than Trump himself.
Trump will leave office some day, but the clueless voters will still have decades of of low-information voting to inflict on us.
The 18th Century aristocrats who said democracy could never work because the common people were too easily fooled by tricksters and charlatans are laughing their decapitated heads off now.
“The 18th Century aristocrats who said democracy could never work because the common people were too easily fooled by tricksters and charlatans are laughing their decapitated heads off now.” I can see that spectacle…. and it is very true. Schiller said: ‘The majority? Intelligence has always been the property of the few.’ Yet, he was a strong advocate of Enlightenment ideas. So, democracy is not so easy but the alternatives which have been tried-out, were far more disastrous.
It should not be forgotten that the heads of french aristocrats were rolling for the reason that their class had exploited and ruined the country for at least a hundred years. When the masses got their way, soon they began to decapitate each other’s head, as was already predicted by the English political philosopher Edmond Burke at the very beginning of the revolution.
Gilbert is a true Mensch and, I now realise thanks to the NYP’s Barbican visit, a seriously great musician. Couldn’t read much of the negative reaction above, but shame on those trolls for weighing in.
I’d like to add that as a fellow New Yorker living in a city where New Yorker Trump was rejected by 90% in the recent election and where all the other real estate moguls are negative referencing Trump, I stand with Alan Gilbert in his estimation of this vile man. Further, as a retired professional musician and AFM activist, I’m appalled at Trump’s attempted scuttling of the NEA, NEH and environmental programs, while leading us further into global conflicts.
As another lib voter in a lib city surrounded by like minded libs I’d expect 99% of new yawkers to vote as you did (along with similar percentage on left coast).
Fortunately, the rest of the country grew tired of paying the freight and rejected your ideology. I’ve no doubt trump is not going to be remembered as a fantastic president-but he will be a damned site better than obungle and much preferred to Billary “real Russian influence peddler” Climptun.
“damned site” instead of the correct “damned sight” is typical of the uneducated fools who voted this charlatan into office. I just hope he doesn’t blow up the world.
Not uneducated fools – merely non-native English speakers. It’s a subtle but telling distinction. These trolls share the same technique – list out the flaws and limitations of a liberal society – and by implication endorse authoritarianism. I view it as most transparent. Not sure whom they serve but I could take a guess if pressed. Sigh.
it’s the new yorkers and other tax payers in the blue states who are paying the freight for the red states. but of course you wouldn’t know that. do try to keep up!
https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/05/which-states-are-givers-and-which-are-takers/361668/
it’s called karma
but it’s still very sad for those who will suffer
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/12/04/democrats-can-look-forward-to-the-coming-republican-era-being-a-disaster-for-republican-voters/?utm_term=.b41f0643b7fc
Maybe you could find an article from politico, slate, or mother jones to complete the b.s. you are citing as legitimate reporting.
And I take full responsibility for using the wrong spelling of sight. But my contention remains the same: Trump is damned sight site shite better than billary or bernie
Maybe the USA should be cut into two halves, according to the pro- and contratrumpists.
Already is.
well, since the story didn’t make it onto Fox – clearly your information source of choice – here is confirmation from the IRS and the Census Bureau via the Economist. although people like you probably won’t credit this either.
http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2011/08/americas-fiscal-union
let’s see if I can explain this so you understand: the freight we carry in red states deals with a large population of undereducated imbeciles who vote for whoever pays them. If you would be so kind as to import these useless dregs into your state we would no longer have to deal with them and their idiotic libtard ideology. Unfortunately, you continue to institute programs to buy their votes; hence the chart is probably accurate.
Gilbert is a brilliant musician who lives in a perfect enclave of SJW friends that have plenty of talent in the arts but no practical experience living in the real world.
The freight you carry in red states consists of fools like you who rely on sustenance to exist derived from blue states’ revenue while your idiotic governors and legislatures cut your taxes to the point of bankruptcy. Further, your use of derogatory terms such as “libtard, killary, obungle, etc. unmasks your lack of cranial substance. Go back to elementary school and take Civics 101 – that is if you can still find it in your bailiwick.
so very true, Steve P…Gilbert is another entertainment person who echoes the lib crap
Name-calling, Steve? Let us know when you finish junior high school.
Well, as an uneducated fool according to a fellow name-caller, it can be assumed I never quite made it through junior high. But your contribution to the discussions are certainly enlightening, Patrick; perhaps your junior high degree has gotten you to a point where no substance is even needed to join a conversation – just your sparkling wit is enough.
Thanks for making my point. I appreciate it.
Look, there are so many “patricks” and “burtons” in the world, you can neither eliminate all of them nor reeducate them. They are inherently mentally challenged politically.
The best thing is to disregard their comments and the comments from the rest of the “49%” of the clintonites, clintonians or whichever way you would like to label them.
These, mostly imbeciles consider their college degrees as a pass to their “elite” castle of “knowledge”, forgetting that their degrees come from the same imbeciles only with professorial positions at all left-wing universities all over the world. (America is not an exception in this overwhelming leftist indoctrination at the institutions of higher education). So, in countries of the West, where the children’s education is basically non–existent, and higher education is hijacked by the leftist ideologues one cannot expect highly educated, free-thinking and independently minded individuals. The trolls who write here, the “patricks’ and “burtons” of this world are the product of these “elite” schools, where they taught them some spelling and basic math, but most importantly, how to promote the left agenda, how to make long pretentious speeches without any substance, speaking a lot and saying nothing, except promoting their political agendas i.e. bullshitting the majority of the population and hiding behind red socialist banners, pretending to defend the humanity from the “uneducated”, i.e. the few people who learned independent thinking with their mother’s milk, who have real knowledge of many matters and those who were lucky enough to be educated long time ago and in places where 100% indoctrination caused a rebellion of the young minds and taught them TO THINK!
Let’s not forget that the majority of the country also voted for Hillary Clinton, with a margin of almost 3million. It was the allocation of votes that elevated Trump to the presidency.
@Petros Linardos
Right, and I wonder how many of these “so called” 3 millions were illegal aliens, dead people, criminals and any other ineligibles to vote legally. All these “so called” votes came mainly form two states: California and New York – to sanctuary states, all of these votes from ineligible voters. Please, stop pushing the left agenda, thinking that we are all stupid here! We are not, although you think of yourselves as “elite”. You are NOT!
D.Trump won the presidential election democratically and by all constitutional rules and laws. If you still, 6 months later cannot accept his presidency it is YOUR PROBLEM. What the left establishment is trying to do now is called TREASON! Simply, do not forget who you are! Not heroes, not elitists, not free thinkers, not humanitarians. You are committing treason, i.e. an attempt to overthrow a democratically elected legitimate US government, in other words, you are CRIMINALS. And you know where criminals belong. So, her you go, all the leftists trolls here: “thank you Mr. Trump that we, the criminal element, still can live in the USA and be kept out of jail and still can disseminate our vile left propaganda and nobody does anything to us in the Trump America with free speech and free expression and exchange of ideas”! Thank you Mr. Trump.
A president like Putin or Kim Jong-un would have found a great place for you already.
I can’t see any connection between your rude rants and the facts I stated. Trump lost the popular vote and won the electoral college. I never questioned his legitimacy.
@Leonardos:
There is not one rude word in my writing. As I stated, so called “popular vote” is not only anit-Constitutional in the USA, but also an illegitimate entity since most of the “so called” votes were coming from ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, CRIMINALS and from SANCTUARY STATES, i.e. all those who have NO RIGHT TOVOTE TO BEGIN WITH!
By stating these against the present White House you ARE delegitimizing the democratically and constitutionally elected US government which constitutes committing TREASON. So, please stop this criminal activity before it is too late!
It is a friendly warning and it is not rude! Had you had a little more intelligence you would not be asking for real trouble, which is entirely possible for you and people like you.
A small percentage of counties crowded with liberals voted for billary – just shy of 500 counties. Over 2500 counties voted for Trump. So population-wise, billary certainly won…due to overwhelmingly liberal counties voting as a bloc. As a country, though, Trump won handily, taking the most counties since ’84 Reagan.
No doubt the US map looks more red than blue in any election, due to the concentration of democratic voters in urban areas and more densely populated states (those two usually go together). That may also be reflected in the number of counties won. After all, their sizes vary wildly, anywhere from 475 votes to 2.5 million.
I believe that better metrics to assess Trump’s electoral results are electoral votes, which is all that matters constitutionally, and popular vote.
– Electoral College: wikipedia ranks Trump’s electoral college victory 46 out of 56 ranked elections (another two are not ranked). Not exactly a landslide to compare with Reagan 1984 (rank: 5)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_presidential_elections_by_Electoral_College_margin
– Popular vote: Trump lost by 2,868,691 votes or 2.10%. This is not relevant constitutionally but undercuts any claims about a major victory by Donald Trump or any claims that his positions reflect those of a majority of the US population.
I am happy to exchange facts and opinions, not insults.
If you are interested in Gilbert’s thoughts, you can subscribe to his Twitter feed: @GilbertConducts. Despite its name, there is much non-musical content. Both his political commentary and his musical commentary are not very exciting (also true for his conducting).
jasper
There sure are plenty of Fox News Kool-Aid drinkers commenting on Slippedisc. Finally, you have a president that appeals to your room-temperature I.Q.’s.
Gilbert has taken a nice first step on behalf of the NY Phil to alienate 51 % of Americans. Good idea!
But these people would never attend a NY Phil concert anyway.
Under Gilbert NYPhil became indeed an entertainment band. The 51% Trump’s supporters would not listen to it and the other 49% anti-Trumpers would NOT either!! Gilbert would be better served if he would practice his art a little, although it would hardly help. So he better keeps his mouth shut about Trump and politics and attend his business of which he hardly has any idea. The NYPhil. has lost all its past glory under Glibert’s faceless directorship. He made the Mahler’s and Bernstein’s orchestra sound like a school band. A shame!!
Actually, if you’re referring to voters who voted for Donald Trump, it’s really more like 26%. That’s the percentage of eligible voters who voted for him.
What lies? Like Mrs. Clinton (enough with the “Hillary” already – she ain’t your school-yard chum), the Dems and the media DON’T lie?
Get over your [fortunate] loss already. Finally someone is in the WH with some balls to kick start this country out of an 8 year disaster.
Thank you Michael. One sober voice among an ocean of left alcoholics!!!
Didn’t Vidal say you had two wings of the same party? Nothing substantial will change. And after Trump? Still a mess to clean up in the Middle East.
The problem is not political parties, but the corporate sociopath kleptocrats that control both of them.
Just to be clear.
Too bad the large classical music organizations are forced to take money from the neo-american oligarchy.
Wise words by GIlbert…. I only object to the description of classical musicians as ‘entertainers’. Classical music (in the widest sense) is NOT a form of entertainment, but of art, and a high art as such. That is not an elitist opinion but a fact of life, confirmed by history. Calling it a form of entertainment betrays a lack of ambition.
http://www.futuresymphony.org/the-relevance-of-classical-music-part-i/
Most music lovers suffer from modernity PTSS.
What I find so childish in the “discussions” about Mr. Trump is that one thing is so patently obvious there ought to be zero discussion about it whatsoever. As the world has seen ever since he made his announcement about running for President, the man is an outright narcissistic liar and dissembler for whom truth means precious little if anything. He is always right and will never admit to being wrong – except for the one apology for his locker room truths. The Obama birther issue was a desperate fraud for which he has never apologised. The lies since coming to office have been spectacularly obvious. And yes, I know well that other politicians continually twist the truth and spin to their hearts content. But never in my lifetime has a man been elected to such high office on the basis of such glaring lies.
The world has seen plenty to cheer about the past 8 years; fortunately, Trump ignored the world and won the election. Biggest liar award has got to be shared between Billary and obungle. Glad all the fake news stories surrounding Trump are falling one by one, instead being replaced by a continuous stream of foulness that was the most recent administration.
Again, Gilbert and the rest of the libs can spout their personal attacks all they want – Trump is president and won’t be going anywhere for the next 4 (maybe 8?) years.
Side note: he never should have apologized for making comments about beauty pageant contestants. He was stating his personal opinion based on his own observations of the behavior exhibited by many of these women to hismstar status. Bill never apologized for any of his indescretions, including a certain cigar usage that is beyond disgusting. Bigger liar and creep? No contest – but obungle is closing fast.
The world has seen plenty to cheer about the past 8 years; fortunately, Trump ignored the world and won the election. Biggest liar award has got to be shared between Billary and obungle. Glad all the fake news stories surrounding Trump are falling one by one, instead being replaced by a continuous stream of foulness that was the most recent administration.
Again, Gilbert and the rest of the libs can spout their personal attacks all they want – Trump is president and won’t be going anywhere for the next 4 (maybe 8?) years.
Side note: he never should have apologized for making comments about beauty pageant contestants. He was stating his personal opinion based on his own observations of the behavior exhibited by many of these women to his star status. Bill never apologized for any of his indescretions, including a certain cigar usage that is beyond disgusting. Bigger liar and creep? No contest – but obungle is closing fast.
Childish-how about your view of politics, politicians and how the world really works? Of course no other narcissistic, liar, dissembler and the rest have ever run for US President before, or high office elsewhere? His opponent lied about her whole life, not to mention her husband, and lied their way to power-like most of the rest of them. Some of us voted for Trump as the only alternative to a system that clearly doesn’t work-yes, even cynically because at least he isn’t doing it for the money as the rest of Washington does. I still have never understood how the Clintons. broke leaving the White House, are worth $200 million now? Hotels, golf courses, buildings named after himself are innocent in comparison to the sources of that money.It is what it is-but the trouble with liberals is that they come out of a true belief ideology, that can’t cope with the idea that not everyone sees the world the same way-that is why they can never cope with the idea that sometimes other viewpoints are elected. I don’t think you guys really want free elections-looking at the hysteria over Brexit as another example.
Should I list the lies and moral failures of almost every US President? Should we start with the fact that 5 out of the first 6 owned slaves. And that great left hero Jefferson had a slave mistress, who had 6 children with him-yet he denied her existence.
It’s reassuring that the idiot who goes by the moniker Steve P is actually a dog, if the photo is to be trusted. While I’m slightly optimistic that some dogs like classical music, it’s distressing that dogs are allowed to vote in the USA. Although it’s not surprising since the Republican party went to the dogs a long time ago. Nonetheless, the fact that Steve P is content having a racist president who has not the faintest idea of environmental responsibility nor foreign relations is truly deplorable. Steve P, please introduce yourself to me should we ever sit next to each other at a concert so that I can slap you and dig my heel into your foot.
Hear, hear!!
Should I bark louder?
Best response this site has ever seen
I thought both of Patrick’s comments were much stronger contenders for best ever. But you are certainly entitled to your own opinion.
Be happy to meet you, but be warned: as a dog in a carry state, my bark is quite powerful if you were to follow thru on your threats of violence (which I’m sure you wouldn’t).
But I chose the pic of my dog, Saban, because I thought it was cute. No literalism intended – I am human and Saban has not voted in an election (although I’m certain he would vote democrat since he is a huge fan of handouts).
Seriously, though, calling Trump racist is just silly without any proof. And environmental responsibility? To which low rent nation do we owe carbon payments to prove our environmental responsibility this week? Or is it global cooling now? I just can’t keep up – being a dog, I try to predict climate, but I wind up with weather.
You are an IDIOT! Full blown and accomplished!
WHAT A DISGUSTING POLITICALLY CORRECT SPEECH!! Stupid, pointless,
aimless, weak, a true representative of who Gilbert is – a nobody. A real disaster for NYPhil. Years lost for the orchestra and its musicians, dwindled subscriptions, less than mediocre performances. Disservice to New York and international audiences. Who indeed cares what Gilbert thinks of Trump?! Or of any other political leader for that point?
The left still cannot accept the loss of the election. But at this point what the left does is obstruction of justice, obstruction of the democratically elected officials. It is called treason. And Gilbert is one of these 49% who subscribes to it.
hear hear!
Browsing through these comments, all of them finally emerging as a flood of nastiness from both sides, just makes me sad that our nation has sunk to this level of discord. If we can’t act like grown-ups and debate issues intelligently, without childish name-calling and finger-pointing, then we’ll never return to normalcy. Sure, we’ve been divided as a nation before — Vietnam, the rise of labor unions, the Civil War — and here we go again. But recall the words of Honest Abe (remember honesty?): A house divided against itself cannot stand. Can we find common ground? Soon? Or would that be a sign of weakness and loss of macho pride?
“Steve P.” and “Nick” are political shills not earnest commenters. I find them utterly unconvincing and not merely due to their occasional – and revealing – misuse of basic English language idioms and spelling. Responding to their incitement affords them far more attention than they deserve. Their agenda is entirely political and is utterly disconnected from any musical or other cultural engagement. In short they are earning their keep and are best ignored.
While I agree that I’m earning my keep in correcting the continued imbalance towards liberal ideaology on this blog, I disagree that I don’t contribute to the musical or cultural discussions. I love art music and regret that the politicization of high art has led to such a poor representation of viewpoints – it almost seems as if a trump or Brexit voter cannot possibly enjoy classical music without being assaulted by leftist views.
But I’ll continue to incite as long as Norman doesn’t block me. He seems to appreciate the idiots such as myself that post opposing viewpoints (and also don’t pay enough attention to grammar and spelling). And I disagree that Gilbert hasn’t done well at NYPO: I have enjoyed the improved ensemble and interpretive cohesion he has brought. Too bad he is such an elitist liberal snob. Guess we’ll never do lunch.
Hmm, I wonder why the Trump-Bannon “viewpoint” has not caught on much among readers of this blog. Given the power and sweep of such ideas you’d imagine they would spread like wildfire. And yet, no; seems it’s but a few embittered trolls railing at life’s unfairness. Life is so harsh when you’re a victim of assault from the nattering nabobs of liberalism (so to speak). There there, kids; everything will be just fine.
@Burton
You are really an ugly fuck!! Aren’t you! Do not respond! I already know what you will say. People like you belong in……
to put it mildly…..in an institution… so revolting and disgusting you are.
@Burton
Aren’t you just a little uneducated fucking socialist troll, you? Ha, hah ha !
OK, just shrink in your little cell!! It ain’t gonna help you much!
You are disgusting…. with all your pseudo-intelligence. and it amounts to NOTHING at all. Any person with even half a brain will not believe you. You are doomed with your socialist philosophy!
I hope NL cannot block you. That would be an interesting development. We need people like yourself. Norman does not like idiots like ourselves because he did not mature enough for his considerable age, but he can do whatever he wants with his blog. This, however does not change anything. Socialism will not survive because it has proven it CANNOT survive!! Let the left loonies idiots do their moves…….it ain’t gonna amount to anything, Normal Lebrecht included, as entertaining as his writings are. He is a socialist loonie. But his writings are entertaining nevertheless and I like reading his books.
Nick – It seems we don’t agree on much but I’ll admit you’re one class act. Well played sir!
You bet “burton”
I play alright. Nobody complained yet.
With your heartwarming presence and natural eloquence I have no doubt your “performances” result in dedicated fans across the globe. Hats off Nick – a true modern inspiration!
You’ve guessed it well, pal! I AM indeed a great inspiration for the best and most talented few of the younger generation, people who already, and will in the future bring real culture to the world for chaps like yourself!! They learn from me, as I learned from my mentors and they carry the torch to the people, even the darkest ones….
So, your irony actually hit the right string!! Good it is, when something YOU laugh at, turns out to be the REAL TRUTH!
While Nick’s English is pretty darn good for a non-native speaker it still shows lots of rough edges. Much more impressive is his vivid imagery from an age long forgotten: “People like you belong in …an institution” ” …shrink in your little cell.” “… carry the torch…” Seriously, folks, you couldn’t make this stuff up. A veritable time capsule!