Traditionally, bartending was considered a profession of low reputation. However, in more recent years, bartenders go through a process of training that makes it a key profession in the hospitality industry. As a result, bartending today is considered a profession of choice, rather than of necessity.
In many countries, bartending includes specialized education. For example, the European Bartender School operates in 23 countries. In the United States, Kathy Sullivan, owner of Sidecar Bartending, a bartending service from Detroit, expressed the difficulties in bartending saying that, “In drinks you want balance. And you have to be balanced physically, emotionally and mentally,” to be a good bartender. If President Donald Trump were to be judged on these qualities he would fare very poorly.
In addition, to be a good bartender, other qualities are required. A good bartender has to have good customer service skills, as a good politician has to be aware of the needs of its constituents. President Trump grievous attacks on journalists and opposition politicians show the difficulties of this task. If President Trump were to be judged on this quality he probably would fare very poorly.
A good bartender has to be knowledgeable about his drinks, as a good politician has to be judged on his knowledge of political issues. President Trump has shown to have the least knowledge of history and political issues compared to almost any president in U.S. history. If President Trump were to be judged on this quality he would fare very poorly.
A good bartender should be prepared to handle unusual situations. During the recent fires in California or the hurricane Maria that ravaged Puerto Rico, President Trump was unable to respond effectively to these emergencies, preferring instead to seek solace playing golf in Mar-a-Lago. If President Trump were to be judged on this quality he would fare very poorly.
A good bartender has a keen memory, which allows him to retain all his clients’ preferences, and be able to respond quickly to them. In recent days, President Trump has been shown to be unable to remember even everyday words, which raises concerns in a person who holds the country’s nuclear codes. If President Trump were to be judged on this quality he would fare very poorly.
A good bartender should be able to respond to his clients’ emotional needs. If his clients’ distress is caused by economic problems, a bartender certainly cannot solve them, but at least he can offer a sympathetic ear to his clients. Most people in the United States, particularly those most vulnerable, are dismayed by the proposed Trump administration cuts in Medicare, Social Security and provision of health services. If President Trump were to be judged on this quality he would fare very poorly.
A good bartender should act responsibly, keeping things in the work area under his control. President Trump’s refusal to punish the criminal regime in Saudi Arabia for the gruesome assassination of Saudi Arabian journalist Adnan Khashoggi, as well as his reported plans to invade Venezuela, thus risking the U.S. entering into a new quagmire, shows a pathetic lack of responsible behavior. If he were to be judged on this quality he would fare very poorly indeed.
President Trump has recently mocked Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez calling her dismissively a “young bartender.” However, Ocasio-Cortez has shown that she has been able to use the earnings of her bar tendering activities to sustain herself, graduate “cum laude” from Boston University, double majoring in international relations and economics, and become the youngest person ever elected to Congress. In the process, she has become a remarkable political figure in her own right.
President Trump made his alleged fortune (still under discussion) cheating his workers, probably cheating on his taxes (otherwise he would release them) and starting his fortune with a generous loan from his rich father. In addition, while thousands of people sacrificed their lives going to war, he didn’t serve in the army while instead kept busy organizing beauty contests.
Ocasio-Cortez, responding to Donald Trump’s mockery of her calling her a ‘young bartender’ said, “The last guy who underestimated me lost.” Representative Ocasio-Cortez has shown to be not only a good bartender but an honest and intelligent politician as well. President Trump has proven to be neither.
