Bipolar Disorder

[hafoc]

I don't think Dubya's biggest problem is that he's an idiot (although he certainly is). Rather, I think it's that he's so impossibly pigheaded.

It's obvious, to me anyway, that it doesn't matter how well a policy adheres to your principles if it just plain DOES NOT WORK. Yet Dubya is the kind of guy who would run head-first into a brick wall twenty times, dust himself off, blame the failure of his wall-butting policy on Democratic obstructionism, and then start over. He is Sticking to his Principles, you see, and his inability to learn from his mistakes is evidence (in his eyes anyway) of his high moral standards.

They say that any nation gets the government it deserves. What we did to deserve Dubya is obvious. When we Red Staters (or vice-versi) spend all our so-called political discourse wondering how the Blue Staters (or vice-versi) can be so deliberately, calculatingly evil as to dare to actually DISAGREE with our high holy opinion on some damn thing or other (instead of, heaven forbid, actually listening to the other guy, treating him with some modicum of respect, listening to his opinion, and understanding his point of view) then, whichever side you're on, compromise becomes making deals with the devil. And when even considering any compromise Violates Your Principles, some pathologically inflexible dolt like Dubya becomes the perfect candidate.

Enjoy him. You've earned him.

Comments

[jirris-midvale.livejournal.com]

On one hand, it makes me sad to see your political party fall so far into extremism. On the other, it makes me happy that you didn't go along for the ride.

I know one fellow who used to be a moderate republican. In fact, when I was younger he was on of the people who *got* me interested in politics. A lot of his philosophies about living in this country passed on to me. Now, I won't lie, I do lean to the left. I won't go too far down that road however, as there's a lot of things I don't agree with. Same problem with the other side of things.

Recently, I met with him again after a few years. Being that it used to be a favorite topic of ours, I brought up current events and such. I was very saddened by what I heard. He supported various things that I know he wouldn't have 5 years ago. He followed his party rather than followed his ideals.

[(Anonymous)]

Ectually, I don't think I ever really had a political party, except perhaps the Libertarians once upon a time. Of course, through the universe's nasty sense of humor (thank you, Papa Coyote) I ended up working for government. Seeing what I've seen, I think the Libertarians have a fine ideal, but I don't think it would work if you applied it unthinkingly.

The "unthinkingly" part is the problem with any idiology, methinks. :D

[hafoc.livejournal.com]

Ectually, I don't think I ever really had a political party, except perhaps the Libertarians once upon a time. Of course, through the universe's nasty sense of humor (thank you, Papa Coyote) I ended up working for government. Seeing what I've seen, I think the Libertarians have a fine ideal, but I don't think it would work if you applied it unthinkingly.

The "unthinkingly" part is the problem with any idiology, methinks. :D

[athelind.livejournal.com]

In all the discussions I've heard about what "intelligence" means, be it in anthropology, philosophy, or AI research, one of the key, universal components is the ability to gather information from your surroundings and alter your behavior accordingly.

You've just said that Our Leader can't do this. Like a nonsentient machine, he will continue to repeat the same actions over and over despite their evident lack of effectiveness.

What you've said boils down to "Dubya's not an idiot; he's just stupid."

[hafoc.livejournal.com]

(grins) Perhaps so. Far be it from me to argue definitions with YOU.

However, I've known some stupid people who could take good advice. I've known some brilliant people who couldn't.

I think Dubya is stupid-- I said as much in the first line of my dumb little screed. He won't change his behavior because of his experience-- by your definition that's still stupidity. But he also won't change his behavior by listening to advice or divergent opinions. Which might be stupid too, but I'd put it more in the realm of arrogance.

Or the belief that he is God's Chosen Servant. Which I guess is arrogance too.

Um... I guess my take on it is that he WON'T change. I think he could, if he chose to. He just chooses not to, thinking this is virtue. Whether that's arrogance or stupidity...?

Granted, of course, that when the results are so disastrous it's hard to tell the difference between arrogance and stupidity. Nor does it matter to the dead.