No conscience. No Shame. Fear of Humiliation. An assessment of George Bush. [View All]

[Atman]

From "Dangers of a Cornered Bush" in the Consortium News. It's a very good read. The subject of impeachment is particularly compelling, offering a slightly different (but no less urgent) perspective on why it MUST be undertaken; not to redress the crimes of Bush's past, but to stop Bush from dragging the country into Iran. The case is made that only if the president is under the threat of removal from office will our military commanders consider disobeying his orders to attack. They'd likely say "no," the writer posits, in such a circumstance out of constitutional respect for the voice of the people. Read the whole thing. But if you don't here's another very telling excerpt into the mind of madman...

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The Assessment of Dr. Frank:

If a patient came into my consulting room missing an arm, the first question I would ask is, “What happened to your arm?” The same would be true for a patient who has no guilt, no conscience. I would want to know what happened to it.

No Conscience

George W. Bush is without conscience, and it would require a lengthy series of clinical sessions to find out what happened to it. By identifying himself as all good and on the side of right, he has been able to vanquish any guilt, any sense of doing wrong.

In Bush on the Couch I gave examples illustrating that remarkable lack of conscience. From his youthful days blowing up frogs with firecrackers to his unapologetic public endorsement of torture, there has been no change.

Observers are gradually becoming aware of this fundamental deficit. For example, after watching the president’s press conference on July 12, Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan wrote, “He doesn't seem to be suffering, which is jarring. Presidents in great enterprises that are going badly suffer: Lincoln, LBJ with his head in his hands. Why doesn't Mr. Bush?”

No Shame

George W. Bush seems also to be without shame. He expresses no regret or embarrassment about his failure to help Katrina victims, or to tell the truth. He says whatever he thinks people want to hear, whether it be “stay the course” or “I’ve never been about ‘stay the course.’” He does whatever he wants.

He lies—not just to us, but to himself as well. What makes lying so easy for Bush is his contempt—for language, for law, and for anybody who dares question him.

That he could say so baldly that he’d never been about “stay the course” is bone chilling. So his words mean nothing. That is very important for people to understand.

Fear of Humiliation

Despite having no shame, Bush has a profound fear of failure and humiliation. He defends himself from this by any means at his disposal—most frequently with indifference or contempt.

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http://www.consortiumnews.com/2007/072707a.html

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