Paul Craig Roberts asks a compelling question: “Is President Bush sane?” Though Bush is apparently power-mad, don’t underestimate his ruthlessness. Cunning is the word for Bush. He is shrewd enough to know that Hitler took total power in the aftermath of the Reichstag fire. All the pieces of a perfect power grab puzzle are in place for Bush. All he needs is an event.
He has assumed power to attack any nation without a congressional declaration of war and invoke a state of emergency. Under the Military Detainee Act, Bush can have anyone arrested without being charged, held incommunicado in a subterranean prison network, tortured, and held for life. History shows that power vacuums are filled. Can any one doubt the extremes that a leader who lied to get a war that killed half a million people will go to cover his tracks? If the light of truth ever shines on this disgraceful war, Bush, Cheney, Blair, and the other war plotters could face the gallows. …
If anyone is insane it is the average American and the corrupted members of Congress for allowing this to be set up. Bush is too cunning, cold-hearted, and ruthless to be considered insane. I propose that Mr. Roberts rephrase the question to “Is Bush a cunning, evil being waiting to spring a power trap on a gullible people who are ignoring his evil ways?”
Paul Craig Roberts replies:
I agree that the American people were idiotic to allow the conditions described by John Mackesy to materialize. That we did so demonstrates an extraordinary trust in government that would have amazed our Founding Fathers. However, I do not think that Bush/Cheney and the neocons could get away with a seizure of power comparable to Hitler’s. Hitler was charismatic and convincing. In contrast, today Bush is regarded by tens of millions of Americans, perhaps a majority, as moronic. Even his own father is alarmed and has sent family retainer Jim Baker to save the son.
It’s about time that someone finally had the courage to propose a perfectly logical and valid question: Is the president really sane? An old cliché states that insanity is when one continues to do the same thing, but expects different results. This president is either oblivious to reality, or he lives in a different reality than the rest of us mortal beings. In fact, taken at face value, his completely inflexible behavior, fierce demands for absolute loyalty, and incessant lying to himself and everyone else suggest some sort of psychopathology. After all the rats have abandoned the ship, save one lone rat who hasn’t noticed or doesn’t accept that the ship is plummeting to the depths, what other explanation can there be? History tells us what to expect from this type of leader.
Has the author of this article ever taken time to talk to an American soldier? My son is in Iraq for another tour of duty with the Big Red One.
He is dedicated to finishing the job at hand. He believes in what he is doing, as a large majority of the American troops do. I recently visited Walter Reed Army Hospital, and the wounded all had the same voice. Get me better and back to my unit, we need to be there. This was from a Pfc. to a major.
The so-called experts in the media have no idea how the troops feel. I’m sure they search out just the right ones to talk to.
~ J. Hall (A very proud Army dad. My son has served his nation for 22 years, and he volunteered to go back after earning a Bronze Star on his last tour.) Southampton, N.J.
Paul Craig Roberts replies:
This person is out to lunch. Polls of our troops in Iraq show that 72 percent think the troops should be withdrawn. Even a majority of the Marines want to come home. My column quotes from the recent Marine intelligence report that concludes: “the social and political situation has deteriorated to a point that U.S. and Iraqi troops are no longer capable of militarily defeating the insurgency in al-Anbar province.” Perhaps this dad suffers Bush’s delusions.
Boris Berezovsky and the Bizarro Effect
Justin,
I am seriously a fan of your writing, but why are you going on and on about this Russian crap? Are you saying that the American establishment is anti-Russian? Or that they’re dishonest schemers? We know that. Are the Russians “drifting” toward authoritarianism? Does a bear crap in the woods? Who killed that loopy Russian ex-spy? Who cares? What does it have to do with anything?
The Russians are serious global competitors who are rarely competent at anything. They are not going to be our real allies. They are not going to go away. Nothing has changed or is changing with them. We have designs on their territory. They know. We know they know. They know we know they know.
Vladimir Putin can take care of himself. Get on to something else. Please.
~ Stephen Davis
