Hi Karen, You and I are trying to dig just a little deeper into Bush Junior's pysche -- in the way that perhaps a biographer or historian might be doing in, say, several years fom now.
At 08:41 09/03/03 -0800, you wrote: >Keith, you quoted: "Whether you agree with him or not," Mr. Schumer said, >"one of Bush's strengths is that he goes with his instincts. And at a time >like this, when the winds are swirling around in all different directions, a >president is well served who has his own internal gyroscope." (KWC) <<<< I don't really mean to beat this theme to death but in the faith of his middle life crises, as did Saul of Tarsus, Bush is practising turning over his problems to God. He has prayerfully submitted his concerns to the Almighty, and now it is in God's hands. As the Newsweek cover story says so well, this allows one to be unflappable. Fate will now decide. He has been a faithful servant, and has no doubts, no second-guessing. Also note that Fineman compared the bible study group to AA, a convenient and permanent life guidance system for the converted. I don't even want to speculate on how he will deal with it if this quest does not succeed as expected. And maybe I am also afraid of what it will be like if it does succeed and the adoring throngs equate him with young King David. >>>> Yes, I fully appreciate what you're saying. Let me creep backwards into what I want to say: I think what is going on in the White House is as well-planned a conspiracy as any in history bar none. (I am not a conspiracy-man normally.) I see Bush Junior as being completely manipulated. First of all (as undoubtedly happened when he was Governor of Texas), he has a ring of advisors immediately around him on whom he relies completely for policy advice, selection of staff and, very importantly, well-prepared "Readers Digest" type speeches. (In this case, the succinctness is as much for the sake of Bush himself rather than just his audience!) Standing further back is Cheney who is viewing everything in as cool and objective way as possible. He's totally removed from most of the stress and is trying to judge decisions and events to a nicety. So far, he's been astoundingly successful and has created a supremecy for Bush Junior which I never would have thought possible in America. Real heavyweight intellectual opposition has been almost nil so far. It's almost like the McArthy era all over again. Then, partnering Cheney is Bush Senior. He's also an experienced politician but, mainly, he's the chap who is keeping Bush Junior on the rails emotionally by using Junior's new born-again language. Bush Senior, of course, is not a born-again (and he probably cringes every time he uses the language) but he's so relieved that Bush Junior gave up womanising and drinking in '86 (was it?) that he uses the language that seems to have registered deeply with Bush Junior. So, yes! Bush Junior does have an internal gyroscope -- that of simplistic Christianity -- and it's a very powerful one because it has worked wonders so far in creating a new, and spectacularly successful life for himself (with the help of his father's friends!). But every time the gyroscope falters or slows down (as it must do constantly every time Bush speaks with real people with real problems in the outside world -- e.g. Putin, Blair, etc) then it's his father's job to re-set and synchronise his gyroscope again with his Christian beliefs. This is why (as the recent evidence suggests) he and his father are in constant touch by phone. Now then, in your penultimate sentence, you touch upon something that I've wondered about constantly in the last few months: (KWC) <<<< I don't even want to speculate on how he will deal with it if this quest does not succeed as expected. >>>> Yes. Now what happens when a real big problem arises -- so big that the group around Bush, and, further back, Cheney and Bush Senior, have no immediate answer for? Let me posit a hypothetical situation (and not so hypothetical as all that in the coming weeks!). During the invasion, let us say that a cruise missile goes off course and demolishes a school in Baghdad killing 200 young children. The result is video'd and shown all over the world. Anti-Americanism will rise to new heights. The anti-war movement in America in particular will erupt. What on earth can Bush Junior say? What on earth can his group advise him to say? They'll probably come up with something in due course, but not immediately. What will Bush Junior do when he realise that his advisors can't advise him? It's then we'll see how steady his internal gyroscope is. Will he remain comforted by the books of sermons that he keeps by his bedside when he realises that most of the world hates not just America, but *him*, when most Americans hate him, when even perhaps Laura hates him (which she would do if she has any self-respect). But I don't think we need hypothetical situations such as the aboe. What will happen when the full repercussions of the invasion start becoming manifest all round the world? (Kim Il Jong has already started. God knows what will happen in the Middle East -- in Israel, Iran and Saudi Arabia in particular -- all at explosion point already.) If the group around Bush can't handle all these events smoothly, quickly and sensibly then I think Bush will go haywire -- will ake to the bottle again, probably. In all seriousness, if Bush invades, then the consequences during the next 12 months, will probably bring about his impeachment. And the American economy is already spiralling downwards! "Those whom the Gods wish to destroy . . . . " Keith ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------ Keith Hudson, General Editor, Handlo Music, http://www.handlo.com 6 Upper Camden Place, Bath BA1 5HX, England Tel: +44 1225 312622; Fax: +44 1225 447727; mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
