Joho the Blog
An Entry from the Archives

David, I'm in the same camp as you are, but I have a slightly different take on why Bush jumps from explanation to explanation and why he sounds so incoherent when asked to explain anything. Bush simply does not operate on the basis of rational analysis. He operates on a belief system, and he really does believe that we should be able to do whatever we want, because, after all, we're America, and if we want to do it, it must be the right thing. It's the same kind of "faith-based" non-thought that lies behind his pushing of tax cuts. It's why he's genuinely so flabbergasted when opposed, and so unable to offer anything like a real explanation grounded in logic -- he has not, in fact, thought things through. This also fits in with his total inability to put himself in someone else's shoes and imagine their reaction (ie - North Korea after the Bush repudiation of South Korean attempts at rapprochement, the idiotic "axis of evil" speech, etc.).

Wasn't it Ian Buruma who said something to the effect that a true believer is much more dangerous than a cynical operator, because while the latter might cut a deal, the former is compelled to take the world down in flames with him, because he "knows" he has the "truth".

Dave,

Nice phrase, 'ambivalent but not undecided'. In that way you and I are in the same camp, we simply resolved our ambivalences differently.

Paul

I totally agree with the comments by John. I think Bush cannot put himself in other people's shoes and feels nothing for them. Everything is black and white and his way or the wrong way... He thinks God whispers to him, and how dare we question Bush/God? He does not understand why Iraqi people might be turning more and more against the US, as they struggle day-to-day with this terrible situation, death all around them, lack of basic services, etc. Additionally, what hardship has Bush ever endured? How can he know, feel, or understand the suffering of others? I almost choke on the words "compassionate conservative." I find nothing compassionate about the man and nothing conservative either. How conservative is it to not wait for weapons inspectors to finish their job? How conservative is it to run the deficit up to the largest it has ever been? I'm not sure that it is God who whispers in George Bush's ear, but quite possibly it is lucifer himself.

If you are interested, write to me at my email above, and I will be happy to give you the web site address that contains a moving Iraq war screen show set to music by Judith Jobse, "Fools Rule the World."

While President Bush continues to deny that his decision to go to war in Iraq was an egregious error, administration officials are revealing their true feelings for the war and conceding their mistakes. In a speech in Michigan yesterday, former CIA Director George Tenet admitted that the Iraq war was "wrong." "I believed [Hussein] had weapons of mass destruction. He didn't," Tenet stated. President Bush's mistakes and his administration's manipulations include:

The rush to war in Iraq was not justified. The entire rationale for a rapid war in Iraq—the imminent threat of a major attack with weapons of mass destruction and the supposed Iraqi connection to 9/11—had no basis in reality. Beyond Tenet's admission, a new investigation by the Senate Armed Services committee concludes that an "intelligence unit, run by Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Douglas J. Feith, shaded analytic judgments, ignored contrary evidence and sidestepped the CIA to present dubious findings to senior officials at the White House," according to the L.A. Times. The Bush administration misled the American people and the world community.

Post-war security failures have left our troops in a chaotic environment. Top military officials and Paul Bremer, who served as head of the Coalition Provisional Authority, have all stated that the administration did not supply enough troops and support to secure post-war Iraq. Consequently, our soldiers are caught-up in a rising insurgency, terrorists are pouring across the borders, and critical reconstruction efforts have been thwarted. Iraq is now a terrorist haven and training ground.

The wrong choices on Iraq have left the American people less secure and reduced our position as a trusted world leader. The ongoing strategic failures in Iraq have forced America down a dangerous path and left the U.S. taking 90 percent of the casualties and paying 90 percent of the cost. President Bush's decision to invade Iraq – and refusal since to admit error – have left us isolated and less able to take the steps we need to take to protect our people.