A Policy of Narcissism

"It's nice to see a president showing leadership and courage...."

-- Bill Kristol, December 24, 2006

That's right. Bill Kristol thinks George Bush is "showing leadership" by ignoring everyone except those who have already been utterly, remorselessly wrong about everything regarding the illegal invasion of Iraq. This statement came during a discussion about what now appears to be the impending troop surge that Bush will order in defiance of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, most military analysts and the American public. Kristol and the rest of his neo-con cohorts are now convinced -- or want to be convinced -- that a troop surge is the sure fire ticket to victory in Iraq. This past summer's Baghdad troop surge resulted increased violence and mayhem, but that was just because the surge wasn't big and bold enough. Surely, this time the insurgency and the murderous militias will get the message.

To Kristol and his ilk, Bush is showing leadership by continuing to tow the neo-con line with his continued UN assault on Iran as well as his recent deployment of more warships in the Persian Gulf. These recent moves come as a direct repudiation of the ISG recommendations that the White House talk to Tehran and Damascus. While Bush heard a lot of criticism of his policies in the Middle East and promised to "listen" to everyone, it is now more clear than ever that, for Bush, reason and diplomacy are mere rhetorical window dressing, designed to shroud the fact that war and aggression are the only tools he considers to be at his disposal. This is pursuant to the fact that he really only listens to one line, the one that tells him he can still win and save what he believes will be his historic legacy. Bush's legacy is first and foremost. His narcissism now so consumes him, that he has little regard for the real world. As a neo-con narcissist himself, Kristol can't help but admire this quality in Bush: defy sense and reason! conquer the world in pursuit of the great legacy of a leader who will not be understood until history has had a chance to reconcile the bad with some future good that no one can see but Bush and the rest of his neo-con visionaries.

In more normative times, these people would be wrapped in straight jackets and left to drool in the corners of padded rooms. Now? Why, they wax staidly on Fox News, telling everyone in opposition how blind and short sighted they are. Under the cover of media discussions, which have centered only around how long and how big the surge should now be, and in defiance of the electoral will of this country, more troops are about to sent into the boiling cauldron of Baghdad. No cost is too high, no carnage too gross to save Bush and his legacy. It is the policy madness.