The Psycho Presidency
On January 26, the Washington Post ran a headline "Bush Defies Lawmakes to Solve Iraq." The same front page included an article by Jennifer Loven, "Bush: 'I'm the Decision-Maker on Iraq.'" There has been much speculation on the Coward in Chief's Oedipal conflicts and their relationship to the war in Iraq, but in those two headlines--in the posture that generated them--you have it: Proof that George W. Bush is one sick puppy. If there were no Dick Cheney, who is even more mental, it would be good to get Bush out of office because he's mentally incompetent.
Here's why: A good leader, seeing a serious problem, one that is costing American lives and treasure beyond what he ever expected, one that has seriously diminished confidence in the United States around the world (and, frankly, at home), one that most Americans believe cannot be ended successfully, would accept help from any source to get out of it. A good leader would realize that if his opposition's plan didn't work, he could always point out that it wasn't his plan that failed. These days, he'd get high marks for bipartisanship, win, lose, or draw. And if the plan succeeded, he could show magnanimity by graciously pointing out that only the execution of the plan was his.
But that's not our Coward in Chief. Saving American and Iraqi lives and reducing the tension caused by American presence in Iraq is not as important to him as making sure that he gets to be the hero who won the war. And unfortunately, those few who still believe in him see this stubbornness as a principled man sticking to his guns. But a lot of his support comes from the South, where following a principle to death became a good thing when it helped people to cope with defeat in the Civil War. Actually, it was that same mentality that fueled the rush to secession and war in the cotton south.
This is self-destructive behavior, and self-destructive behavior is a bad thing. One of the first questions asked in a psychological evaluation is "Do you think about doing harm to yourself or other people?" In Bush's case, the honest answer--the answer of a man of integrity--would be "Yes. I'm committing political suicide daily, and knowing that there is an alternative, I am following a policy that leads to the death and injury of dozens of Americans and Iraqis daily." But Bush is not a man of integrity. Something along the line--maybe privilege, maybe a distant father, maybe realizing that his younger brother was the favored son--has made him crazy--or as a colleague of mine puts it "dangerous crazy."
A thought. A few weeks ago, Poppy Bush teared up when talking about Jeb, the son he thought would be president--the smart one, the one ho was something more than a frat puke. Well, Poppy, you get no sympathy from me. I've done all I could to dissuade my sons from doing things that I thought were wrong for them in any way. It was not easy, but I wanted them to think about possible pitfalls in a course of action. It didn't always work for me, but you, Poppy, had enough influence in the Republican Party that you probably could have pulled a few strings to make sure that Georgie didn't get the nomination. But your commitment to dynasty kicked in, and you did nothing. So don't cry, Poppy. You're at fault. There's blood on your hands, too.
Here's why: A good leader, seeing a serious problem, one that is costing American lives and treasure beyond what he ever expected, one that has seriously diminished confidence in the United States around the world (and, frankly, at home), one that most Americans believe cannot be ended successfully, would accept help from any source to get out of it. A good leader would realize that if his opposition's plan didn't work, he could always point out that it wasn't his plan that failed. These days, he'd get high marks for bipartisanship, win, lose, or draw. And if the plan succeeded, he could show magnanimity by graciously pointing out that only the execution of the plan was his.
But that's not our Coward in Chief. Saving American and Iraqi lives and reducing the tension caused by American presence in Iraq is not as important to him as making sure that he gets to be the hero who won the war. And unfortunately, those few who still believe in him see this stubbornness as a principled man sticking to his guns. But a lot of his support comes from the South, where following a principle to death became a good thing when it helped people to cope with defeat in the Civil War. Actually, it was that same mentality that fueled the rush to secession and war in the cotton south.
This is self-destructive behavior, and self-destructive behavior is a bad thing. One of the first questions asked in a psychological evaluation is "Do you think about doing harm to yourself or other people?" In Bush's case, the honest answer--the answer of a man of integrity--would be "Yes. I'm committing political suicide daily, and knowing that there is an alternative, I am following a policy that leads to the death and injury of dozens of Americans and Iraqis daily." But Bush is not a man of integrity. Something along the line--maybe privilege, maybe a distant father, maybe realizing that his younger brother was the favored son--has made him crazy--or as a colleague of mine puts it "dangerous crazy."
A thought. A few weeks ago, Poppy Bush teared up when talking about Jeb, the son he thought would be president--the smart one, the one ho was something more than a frat puke. Well, Poppy, you get no sympathy from me. I've done all I could to dissuade my sons from doing things that I thought were wrong for them in any way. It was not easy, but I wanted them to think about possible pitfalls in a course of action. It didn't always work for me, but you, Poppy, had enough influence in the Republican Party that you probably could have pulled a few strings to make sure that Georgie didn't get the nomination. But your commitment to dynasty kicked in, and you did nothing. So don't cry, Poppy. You're at fault. There's blood on your hands, too.
posted by amsterdr at 5:23 AM
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