I didn’t watch our shrub’s speech (see post below), but I’ve read the transcript (painful enough on it’s own), and something struck me: our shrub is an addict in denial. The rationalizations, denials of reality, and outright lies, are typical behavior patterns of an addict who won’t admit that they’ve lost control of their life.
By way of explaining, I am a former heroin addict. Years back, when I was in my early 20’s, I fell victim to that vicious drug. Like many addicts, I was able to maintain a semblance of functionality, which allowed me to remain in denial for several years. When family and friends would try to tell me how messed up I was, I would tell them that I was getting “better” and just needed some more time. It wasn’t true, but at the time I believed it. Finally, reality broke through. It was a very painful experience, and it took several years to recover. With the help of friends, I was able to restart my life. But I could have had a very different end.
Shrub is addicted to this war in Iraq. Despite the obvious deterioration in front of him, he denies the problem and calls for another dose. He’s able to maintain a semblance of functionality, and so continue his habit. The repeated falsehoods are his way of saying “I don’t have a problem” and that things are “getting better”.
There is one huge difference. My addiction hurt myself, my family, and my friends. Shrub’s addiction is destroying our entire country. Each time he shoots up, more soldiers and Iraqis die. We can see the steady deterioration. Last night, shrub basically said that he’s going to cut back his dosage to the level he was using last year.
He needs an intervention.
Unfortunately, congress lacks the courage to intervene (much like my own family was afraid to intervene with me). So it’s up to us. It’s time for all of us to step up and say “you must stop this behavior”.
Going through withdrawal is painful, and withdrawing from Iraq is going to hurt. But it’s the only alternative to the slow death that our country is facing.
Added: It should be noted, while shrub claims to have “recovered from alcohol and drugs”, he still exhibits the classic behavior of an addict.
(cross-posted from my blog http://www.pygalgia.blogspot.com/
Pygalgia
2 Comments
That’s an interesting analogy, and there’s no doubt some truth to it. Nevertheless, Bush’s “addiction” to the war in Iraq is functional for Bush, since if his deceptions and stalling tactics succeed and a real withdrawal is not initiated while he is still president, the Republicans will be able to say that it was not Bush who lost the war.
I think the real addict in denial here is the American body politic, and Bush is a symptom of that addiction. The addiction is to unrestrained, predatory capitalism, and the country’s addiction to oil is part of that larger addiction.
Capitalism American style has led to the situation in which America hardly manufactures anything anymore that the rest of the world would want to buy. The Europeans don’t need to invade oil-producing countries, because they will always be able to buy oil from them, since they will always have something to sell to them. The only thing Americans have to “sell” to other countries is dollars, and no one knows how long other countries will be willing to buy and hold on to those dollars.
Thus, America is addicted to its empire, which it depends upon, since it has little of positive value to offer to the rest of the world.
Very true. We are a society of consumers, not producers. We are addicted to oil. I admit that I am not articulate enough to put it all in one small post. I only tackle each facet as best I can. But if we each throw in our pieces, maybe we can make a whole.
“How do you eat an elephant?”
“One bite at a time”