"Lear is a 'foolish fond old man' who deserves everything he gets" discuss

The Fool is pretty smart in King Lear. The Foo "jokes"  that Lear should be beaten for being old before his time, that men should be wise before they get old. The subtext here is that Lear is a foolish old man. I'm inclined to think Lear does deserve what he gets. Sure, we all make mistakes but Lear really messes things up. He divides his kingdom up and then rejects Cordelia. This leaves his whole kingdom vulnerable and rebukes the only daughter who truly loves him. The result is a storm of evil and deceit that plagues King Lear in the end.