The Pretenders on Tour

I'm reading that book by Paul O'Neill now and it pisses me off to think how much opportunity this administration had to do constructive things and they fucked them all up. O'Neill was the guy who turned around Alcoa. Alan Greenspan is a friend and thinks he is brilliant. When Greenspan thinks you're brilliant, you're a pretty fuckin' smart guy. He believed in hard-nosed analysis of the facts and in listening to the other side. He said you only have credibility "when you bring together opposite poles", then you have vigorous debate and arrive at a consensus. For the environment he suggested a list of consultants to Bush from both sides of the issue. For the economy, O'Neill and Greenspan put their heads together and came up with a solid, comprehensive plan.

Bush ignored everything. He and his cronies already had plans for all those things (including Iraq, ten days into his term) and had no intention of listening to anyone else. Bush only wanted the appearance of credibility. He brought in O'Neill for his notoriety and reputation, using him as a human shield so he could push through his own ruinous bullshit agenda.

But then Bush loves to pretend. It's all he's ever done, it's his true calling in life. He's a New England dandy who bought a hat and a ranch and convinced millions of drooling hayseeds that he was a cowboy. He's the ultimate insider pretending to be a rebel. He pretends to be a fighter jock/hero, but when it came time to prove his mettle, he hid behind daddy's assless chaps and got the rich boy's deferment, jumping ahead of thousands of others to get into the National Guard (where he was deemed too dumb to fly). While there, he never showed up for duty (coke don't snort itself) and then went AWOL.

Ironic that so many repugnantcan macho men identify with Bush since he's probably the GAYEST president ever--used to be a cheerleader, likes to dress like a cowboy, etc. Maybe it's a rough trade Log Cabin Republican thing. Or maybe it's a case of conservitards secretly craving what they condemn, which has become all the rage in GOP (Gray Old Pervert) circles.


But I think the reason Bush supporters like Bush is mostly because they are birds of a feather. In this case the yellow-bellied Chickenhawk. A Bush supporter is just as big a pretender as he is. If a stupid, pampered, draft-dodging, cowardly redneck can be president and a hero, then the floodgates of delusion are opened to all who wish to hitch a ride aboard the USS Incompetence. They, too, can be the tough guys they've always imagined themselves to be (after so many repeated viewings of action flicks on the USA channel in their parent's basement). Just as long as their pansy asses aren't on the line. They're very brave sitting behind a keyboard rattling their sabers as long as someone else is doing the fencing.