The Truman Show
Via a sadly appropriate media outlet, Karl Rove makes the case for "history's verdict." It's clear this president goes to bed every night assuring himself that prophets are never understood in their own time. Just as patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel, history's approval is the last yearning of a failure.
posted by The Cunning Realist at Saturday, September 01, 2007
8 Comments:
He (Bush) is seeming more "the sad clown" as each day goes by.
Rove and Bush are both huge successes, not least in their own minds... they each successfully bent the country to their will in the face of blatant facts to the contrary (Rove by electing and re-electing Bush, whereas Bush by taking us into war with Iraq), and incidentally helped their well-connected friends make literally billions of dollars off of America's mistakes. They will be lauded by zealous admirers and well-provided for, monetarily, for the rest of their lives after leaving the White House -- can anyone doubt that?
But probably more important than that, their successes were in leading, not in winning. The final results of all their plans were a bit disappointing, but people like these probably sleep very well at night by assuring themselves that they "took decisive action" and imposed a "firm morality and strong will" upon the nation, and the world -- whereas they believe any of their detractors would have screwed up and folded under pressure, and the country would be worse-off. George Lakoff of the Rockridge Institute explains very convincingly why typical conservatives believe that applying force and discipline is much more important than actually getting the right answer. These people may look like clowns from the outside, but I'm sure in their own minds (and the minds of anyone who is allowed close enough to speak candidly to them) they already consider themselves to be historical successes.
I agree. They have been wildly successful. No offense Wendyo, but you couldn't be more wrong. Have you not been paying attention lately? Did that recent American Legion speech sound like a "Sad Clown"? He very clearly has won the battle with congress. Not only have they completely capitulated to his war plans but he is asking (and will get) for another $50 Billion just as his PR campaign to wage war on Iran hits its climax. This man is not done yet.
The parallel universe is complete.
Upon reflection Goldhorder, you are correct and I was wrong. I guess the more appropriate description for Bush would be "delusional," at least as it relates to history and his place in it.
I wonder how he is going to explain all this away as he embarks upon his post-presidential, future career as an orator ("givin' some speeches to replenish the ol' coffers.") The fools who will be attending these farcical, revisionist events will be the sad clowns.
...wendyo wrote:
The fools who will be attending these farcical, revisionist events will be the sad clowns.
Now I think you're right, wendyo! But it's no mystery how Bush and the neocons will 'spin' his disastrous eight years. The Democrats, who also bear at minimum 40-50% responsibility for this country's current messes (due to their craven capitulation), are already united with the Republicans in explaining things:
Alternet article
In the video to your right, Hillary Clinton receives some well-deserved jeers for a profoundly ignorant statement where she blames the Iraqis for our failed occupation of their country. Andre Banks wrote that it showed her intent to ride "to the White House on the white horse of racism." For weeks now Clinton has been attaching herself to this "it's the Iraqi government's fault" things are so bad in Iraq message...
Yep, great leaders are always misunderstood. We went into Iraq with the best of intentions and with specific, foolproof plans developed by experts -- but those primitive swarthy people whom we invited ourselves over there to save, couldn't handle our benificent gift of freedom and democracy, so the plan failed. Same goes for the economy: prescient economic experts in both parties carefully crafted superb economic tools for the poor and lower middle class to lift themselves out of debt, but those lazy workers didn't use the tools, greedy consumers spent instead of wisely saving, and those malicious unions and populists convinced them that they shouldn't need to do those things. The fault always lies, in political rhetoric, with the people who warned us about the problems earliest.
Nobody ever, ever wants to admit that something is their fault... and the past eight years are no exception whatsoever. The sad clowns will be sitting in the American Enterprise Institute after paying $350 a plate to hear a lecture from Dubya, and still be wondering howcome all their stellar achievements and proposals didn't get them elected the following year.
Woodrow Wilson is now considered a great president, so anything is possible. It seems that if you get the US involved in a war you’re destined for greatness. Wilson, LBJ, Truman.
Bush may be correct, in fact I’d bet he is.
Depressing.
hicaagill [url=http://wiki.openqa.org/display/~buy-buspar-without-no-prescription-online]Buy Buspar without no prescription online[/url] [url=http://wiki.openqa.org/display/~buy-zithromax-without-no-prescription-online]Buy Zithromax without no prescription online[/url]
Post a Comment
<< Home