Apolitically Incorrect » A Guy Like the Rest of Us

It's raining outside. Rain on Christmas isn't like snow on Christmas. Snow on Christmas is quiet and inspiring; rain on Christmas is just depressing. In addition to the rain, the house is currently in Christmas catharsis. The shouts and "revelry" that follows a multigenerational morning Christmas celebration have died down and the "merriment" that will accompany the extended family afternoon celebration has yet to start. Rain and quiet make it a good time to wrestle with some Deep Thoughts.

The Danger of Deep Thoughts

While just about everyone Thinks Deep from time to time, not very many people are actually brave enough to give voice to their thoughts. This is probably a good thing. Drunken musings that invariably get shared at the company Christmas party, much to the sharer's horror when he/she/it is sober, come from somewhere. Let's just call the source of these "wonders" and conspiracy theories the Well of Deepness (for serious lack of a better name); and, frankly, no one fills their Well while drunk.

It is also somewhat unfortunate that most people's Well of Deepness is rather shallow. Just somewhat unfortunate though. You see, shallow people get to be happy people. They wander through life too innocent, fortunate and stupid to really drink deeply. As such, they tend not to worry much about global catastrophe, disparity and inequality, economic calamity, theology, or politics. They instead worry about small things, like: who in the office is sleeping with who, whether or not the favorite team will do well at the Big Bowl Game, their future (and probably non-existent) promotion, and whether the swag from this year's Christmas measures up to those of yore.

Like I said, just because most people have a rather shallow Deep Well does not mean that this is a bad thing. Even if more people could dive deep and wax eloquent, I'm not sure that it would make the world a better place. After all, very intelligent people have been known to proclaim and defend utter tripe.

Normality in High Places

There are some important (and notable) exceptions to this rule, however. Those in power don't have the ability or luxury to be surface dwellers. Good leaders aren't like the rest of us. They have vision, goals, and the ability to think things through in a cohesive manner. They enjoy big discussions and actually have the audacity to try and change the world. It is only somewhat unfortunate when they succeed.

So, it is disconcerting that the greatest requirement for the American presidency is that the president be a "normal guy." Americans want to relate to their president and know that he understands them. It is more than somewhat ironic that the current commander and chief is indeed a normal guy. He's just like the rest of us and that has led our country to its current ruin.

I came to this conclusion after finishing the book, The Bush Tragedy, by Jacob Weisberg. Weisberg plots Bush's life in three acts: his desire to live up to his father, his attempt to differentiate himself, and the inevitable consequences of his decisions and actions.

As I read the surprisingly gripping narrative, I came to a several unexpected conclusions. First, the motivations and desires which drive Bush aren't all that different from those that drive me, or the people I know. Second, Bush's election shows that anyone can be elected President of the United States. Third, just because anyone can be elected President doesn't mean that just anyone should be.

I also discovered something else. The Bush Tragedy made me reconsider many of opinions and thoughts about Bush and his culpability. While George W. Bush has rightfully earned a great deal of the revulsion that much of the country feels toward him, he is also worthy of pity. Bush isn't all that different from the black sheep of many a family. When talking about this person, let's refer to them as Uncle Marvin for simplicty. We can all remember the time when Marvin got in over his head. He made some initial mistakes and then made more mistakes trying to fix the resulting mess. Who can blame Uncle Marvin for getting in over head? Is it not written, "Judge not lest ye be judged?"

That is a surprisingly good description for George W. Bush. So, even though the results of Bush's governance have been disastrous, it is much easier to shovel that blame onto the extraordinary people who surround Bush: Karl Rove, Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, et al. After all, it wasn't really Marvin's fault that he took some bad advice. He's a really good guy, about six layers down. A complicated portrait makes it hard to arrive at simple proclamations of justice. This makes a nuanced response to George W. Bush rather hard, but otherwise necessary.

I rather like something that J.R.R. Tolkien wrote on this subject in Part 1 of the Lord of the Rings. In the scene, Frodo and Gandalf are discussing Bilbo's decision to spare Golem's life (just for the point of clarification; Golem is a liar, murderer and thief):

PIty? It was indeed pity that stayed Bilbo's hand. Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. Even the very wise cannot see all ends.

The Meaning

So, Deep Thoughts aside, I find myself in the position of the drunk who has espoused his half formed conspiracy theory. Also like the drunk, I lack the half that matters: the bit which explains the mystery. So, in my state, It is fair to ask a simple question: What is the take home message of my ramblings?

That's a good question. To go off in another unrelated direction, I think one lesson is simple. Books are powerful and can cause us to question deeply held opinions. Another lesson is not quite so simple. Namely: It's good to wallow in complexity.

The Bush Tragedy was successful in making me think outside of my knowledge of Bush and his motivating factors. As I read, Bush became less of the lazy, arrogant and pathetically stupid caricature I believed him to be. Rather, I found myself seeing a true flesh and blood being with complex emotions and motivations.

I also found myself nurturing an odd feeling. While it will probably require fifty years to really nail down the details, I think it likely that George W. Bush has presided over one of the most pivotal (and disastrous) presidencies of the new century. I also hope that some good might inadvertently emerge from our country's current mess. To commandeer the rest of Tolkien's lines: