The Highly Delusional State of Bush
Watching Bush always makes me feel in need of a shower, and I just can’t afford the gas bills. His smarmy praise of Nancy Pelosi, while at the same time jabbing a stiff finger in their ribs by referring to the “Democrat Leadership”, and making Tim Johnson’s health into a major political issue, was enough for me. (Clue: There is no ‘Democrat Party’ – there is only a Democratic Party. ‘Democrat party’ has long been a term of derision within the ‘Repub party’. It was most often used by Dick Nixon - another very popular president.)
It thought it would be more useful at this point, rather than discussing the state of the union – which everyone knows is in the crapper – or going over his laundry list of rehashed pipe dreams, to discuss instead the highly delusional state of George Bush.
Let’s put it this way: If Bush could convince himself Republicans would win the last election even though all the polls screamed otherwise. If he could convince himself that attacking a nation that was no threat to us is the same as defending our nation against terrorists. If he could convince himself that we’re winning a war that everyone knows is lost. If he could convince himself that torturing and killing innocent Iraqis is the same as liberating them. If he can convince himself that continually lying to our nation is in our interest rather than his own. If he can convince himself that taking away our most basic freedoms is the same as defending them. If he can convince himself that constantly putting himself above the law is the same as preserving the rule of law. If he can convince himself of all these things and a whole lot more, the real question becomes - what bald-faced lie won’t he believe? How did he get this way? And what sort of danger are we really in?
Bush is delusional because his view of reality isn’t based upon any search for the truth or recognition of the facts – it’s grounded in his own greed, lust for power, and an unreasonably exalted view of his own judgement and natural abilities.
On the latter point, it was Thomas Jefferson who once said, “the wise know too well their weakness to assume infallibility; and he who knows most, knows best how little he knows.” Another way of saying this is that, ‘the most ignorant people are also most ignorant of their own limitations.’ Nowhere is this most apparent that with the current occupant of the White House.
Many people look at Bush’s strange combination of stupidity and stubbornness, as if only the wise and well-informed had any right to be certain. Unfortunately, that’s not the way it works. It’s our ignorance that feeds into our pride and stubborness, while wisdom makes us more humble, and more able to listen to other points of view. (As opposed to going on a phoney ‘listening tour’.)
It likely took a prolonged effort to end up as stubborn and self-deluded as George W Bush. Not only does he scrupulously avoid any familiarity with the facts (except when they can be twisted to re-enforce his delusions), but a lot of premium grain alcohol went into making him the man he is today. It’s difficult to understand how anyone could have been reduced to such a state without the involvement of drugs and/or alcohol. Why? Because we are all born wiser than he’s ended up. In a sober state, even the most ignorant human being would still have the common sense and basic instinct to get out of the rain (and out of Iraq) rather than self-destructing (and putting more troops in). But not Bush.
Bush keeps saying, “the American people have to understand...” as if we’re the ones harboring delusions. When you're crazy you think everyone else is misinformed. Certainly he’s a liar, but the most important lies are the ones he keeps telling himself. He could probably convince himself of anything - if he saw a buck or two in it. Now he’s completely caught up in his own lies and empty rhetoric about saving Iraq, when the best thing we could do for the Iraqis is keep Bush and his murderous instincts away from them. The fact is, next to the extermination of native Americans, the war in Iraq is probably the most shamefully dishonest and greedy little genocide our nation has ever conceived. Then it was all about stealing their land, and now it’s all about stealing the oil under their land.
How dangerous is he? Let’s put it this way: Would you rather have a president who did things he knew were evil, but he still had enough sense not to self-destruct? Or one who was already self-destructing and threatening a world war because he’s managed to convince himself he’s doing the right thing? The man capable of doing the most evil is the man capable of believing the evil he’s doing is right and absolutely necessary.
Evil is as evil does, and not as evil thinks of himself. Satan still views himself as an angel of light, unjustly cast down from heaven. The power of the Antichrist is the power of deception, and most of all to deceive himself - just as Bush has deceived himself into thinking he's on some divine mission to save the world by starting wars and torturing people. It’s the kind of deception that springs from ignorance and an exalted view of himself, rather than any deeper understanding of the truth.
Jesus said that to him who has (wisdom and understanding), even more will be given to him, while for those who don’t have, even what (common sense) they do have, will eventually be taken away. (Mt 13:6) So as we humbly seek the truth, acknowledging all our weakness and faults, a deeper understanding of the truth will be granted to us. But when we seek only to disseminate lies, and arrogantly avoid any honest assessment of our own sins and limitations, our lives become ensnared by our delusions, and even the common sense we once had and were born with, will eventually be lost and taken away from us, as our lives self-destruct, and as we also destroy the lives of those around us.
Such is the highly delusional state of Bush, the reason for the mess and destruction in Iraq, as well as the perilous state of our nation.
It thought it would be more useful at this point, rather than discussing the state of the union – which everyone knows is in the crapper – or going over his laundry list of rehashed pipe dreams, to discuss instead the highly delusional state of George Bush.
Let’s put it this way: If Bush could convince himself Republicans would win the last election even though all the polls screamed otherwise. If he could convince himself that attacking a nation that was no threat to us is the same as defending our nation against terrorists. If he could convince himself that we’re winning a war that everyone knows is lost. If he could convince himself that torturing and killing innocent Iraqis is the same as liberating them. If he can convince himself that continually lying to our nation is in our interest rather than his own. If he can convince himself that taking away our most basic freedoms is the same as defending them. If he can convince himself that constantly putting himself above the law is the same as preserving the rule of law. If he can convince himself of all these things and a whole lot more, the real question becomes - what bald-faced lie won’t he believe? How did he get this way? And what sort of danger are we really in?
Bush is delusional because his view of reality isn’t based upon any search for the truth or recognition of the facts – it’s grounded in his own greed, lust for power, and an unreasonably exalted view of his own judgement and natural abilities.
On the latter point, it was Thomas Jefferson who once said, “the wise know too well their weakness to assume infallibility; and he who knows most, knows best how little he knows.” Another way of saying this is that, ‘the most ignorant people are also most ignorant of their own limitations.’ Nowhere is this most apparent that with the current occupant of the White House.
Many people look at Bush’s strange combination of stupidity and stubbornness, as if only the wise and well-informed had any right to be certain. Unfortunately, that’s not the way it works. It’s our ignorance that feeds into our pride and stubborness, while wisdom makes us more humble, and more able to listen to other points of view. (As opposed to going on a phoney ‘listening tour’.)
It likely took a prolonged effort to end up as stubborn and self-deluded as George W Bush. Not only does he scrupulously avoid any familiarity with the facts (except when they can be twisted to re-enforce his delusions), but a lot of premium grain alcohol went into making him the man he is today. It’s difficult to understand how anyone could have been reduced to such a state without the involvement of drugs and/or alcohol. Why? Because we are all born wiser than he’s ended up. In a sober state, even the most ignorant human being would still have the common sense and basic instinct to get out of the rain (and out of Iraq) rather than self-destructing (and putting more troops in). But not Bush.
Bush keeps saying, “the American people have to understand...” as if we’re the ones harboring delusions. When you're crazy you think everyone else is misinformed. Certainly he’s a liar, but the most important lies are the ones he keeps telling himself. He could probably convince himself of anything - if he saw a buck or two in it. Now he’s completely caught up in his own lies and empty rhetoric about saving Iraq, when the best thing we could do for the Iraqis is keep Bush and his murderous instincts away from them. The fact is, next to the extermination of native Americans, the war in Iraq is probably the most shamefully dishonest and greedy little genocide our nation has ever conceived. Then it was all about stealing their land, and now it’s all about stealing the oil under their land.
How dangerous is he? Let’s put it this way: Would you rather have a president who did things he knew were evil, but he still had enough sense not to self-destruct? Or one who was already self-destructing and threatening a world war because he’s managed to convince himself he’s doing the right thing? The man capable of doing the most evil is the man capable of believing the evil he’s doing is right and absolutely necessary.
Evil is as evil does, and not as evil thinks of himself. Satan still views himself as an angel of light, unjustly cast down from heaven. The power of the Antichrist is the power of deception, and most of all to deceive himself - just as Bush has deceived himself into thinking he's on some divine mission to save the world by starting wars and torturing people. It’s the kind of deception that springs from ignorance and an exalted view of himself, rather than any deeper understanding of the truth.
Jesus said that to him who has (wisdom and understanding), even more will be given to him, while for those who don’t have, even what (common sense) they do have, will eventually be taken away. (Mt 13:6) So as we humbly seek the truth, acknowledging all our weakness and faults, a deeper understanding of the truth will be granted to us. But when we seek only to disseminate lies, and arrogantly avoid any honest assessment of our own sins and limitations, our lives become ensnared by our delusions, and even the common sense we once had and were born with, will eventually be lost and taken away from us, as our lives self-destruct, and as we also destroy the lives of those around us.
Such is the highly delusional state of Bush, the reason for the mess and destruction in Iraq, as well as the perilous state of our nation.
posted by R. Stephen Hanchett at 11:18 AM
<< Home