The Divine Right of Liars
Bush doesn't lie. . .He imagines. Apparently that's the new mantra for reporters like Time Mag's Joe Klein:
[T]he uranium story ... has ballast because it clarifies an aspect of George W. Bush's essential character — specifically, the problem he has with telling the truth. I am not saying Bush is a liar. Lying is witting: "I did not have sexual relations with that woman." This is weirder than that. The President seems to believe that wishing will make it so — and he is so stupendously incurious that he rarely makes an effort to find the truth of the matter. He misleads not only the nation but himself. Every worst-case Saddam scenario just had to be true, as did every best-case post-Saddam scenario. Bush's talent for self-deception extends to domestic and economic policy.
So either Bush is that clever sort of aw shucks liar whose endearing vacuity (read Chauncey Gardener, Forrest Gump) lets him shirk responsibility for his words and deeds, or he's a right-you-are-if-you-think-you-are sort of guy whose self-delusions are sinking the environment, Americorps, international relations, civil rights, the autonomy of the intelligence agencies, Condi's career. . .you finish the list. Would any Fortune company tolerate a leader like this?
For a governmental equivalent of Dubya, you'd have to go back to an era when divine right or absolute monarchy held sway--or a place where it still does. As a chief exec, Dubya is unique in modern U.S. political life. Reagan was a movie actor, but this guy is a movie character--and certainly not the sort that John Wayne was fond of playing.
Roman Emperor Caligula comes to mind. After inheriting the job from Tiberius, Caligula squandered the vast sums of money Tiberius had accumulated in the treasury. When he came to power in A.D. 37, Caligula had no administrative experience beyond his honorary quaestorship, and had spent an unhappy early life.
There's nothing new or even necessarily alarming about political dynasties. . .it's hardly surprising when the Kathleen Kennedies and Chelsea Clintons and John Quincys are attracted to the family business--but the assumption is they were paying attention when affairs of state came up at the family dinner table--not tuning out.
5:45:01 AM 
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