Dr. Forbush Thinks

Sometimes I just wonder where the American people have gone. Are they hiding in their houses waiting for a new day to dawn? Is everyone just too frightened to look outside their homes and take an interest in the world?

Well, I walk down my street and I see the kids outside playing in their yards. I see adults sitting on their front porches drinking beer and wine sharing the time talking with their neighbors. I drop my kids off at school, and pick them up after their activities and I see people doing the same. So, there are Americans who leave their humble abodes, but do they take the time to look around?

Well, I am comforted that quietly 60% or more of the American public disagrees with the job that George W Bush is doing. I am comforted by the fact that finally a majority of Americans actually disagree with the War in Iraq and believe that we should never have started that conflict. So, at least we aren’t very likely to march off to Iran or Syria any time soon. But, then again I felt comforted that George W Bush was seeking support from the UN before he invaded Iraq, and I was disillusioned by the fact that he gave up that course when he knew that he couldn’t get support from the sane members of the security council. So, I worry that my comfort is a false one, cushioned in the platitudes of the pollsters. If George W Bush wants to kill someone, who is going to stop him? If George W Bush wants to invade a country, who is going to stop him? This reality that I am living in is just like the 1930s Europe that allowed Adolph Hitler to invade wherever he saw fit.

In March of 2003 when the war protestors stood up and said “NO!” their shouts fell on deaf ears. The majority of Americans thought that the Republicans knew what they were doing. But, it looks like some of those who supported the invasion have had a change of heart. But, a change of heart doesn’t change anything unless the politicians fear they won’t be elected again. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like much is happening on this front. Instead people are keeping to themselves in the political debate. Maybe they have taken the belief that they just don’t understand the world and they don’t care to think about it any more. This withdrawal from an issue happens in our culture much too often. In fact, it could actually be possible that George W Bush himself is reacting this way. But, he is a public figure required to talk about these things. So, perhaps he just continues to read the script and forget about the whole mess.

There have been quite a few pieces out in the last few days that contemplate what George W Bush is thinking about, or if he is at all. They question the hypocrisy and lies contained in his public statements, and they wonder what might be going on upstairs, as they say. Here, here and here are three.

Of course, those are only a few from the last few days. But, what really gets me is the new spin the White House is trying to play on the intellect of the president. We all know that they have played up George W Bush’s speaking problems and turned them into an advantage for themselves by trying to paint him as a “regular guy.” You know, a regular guys that crashes his bike, chokes on pretzels, tells flatulence jokes and goes to bed early every night. But, lately the spin hasn’t been working out for them so well. So, now they have begun to tell us about the books that George W Bush has been reading.

Apparently, believe it or not, George W Bush has read 50 books this year. And, in his competitive frat boy mentality he is lording his accomplishment over Karl Rove, who has only read 40 this year. The first thing that came to mind when I read this was how every year at my wife’s school there are kids who want to read books that are way over their heads. The kids can call the words pretty well, but the problem comes when you ask them about what they read. These kids have trouble understanding the complexity of the interactions going on in the book as well as comprehending the intricacy of the story. So, I imagine a race between these two men resulting in page turning but little else. Or, perhaps if George was actually interested in a book or two, he could be on the phone with authors and experts on these books asking them questions. But, that doesn’t really seem very likely.

Perhaps George W Bush really is smarter than his campaign manager allows him to let on. I hope this isn’t the case, because that would mean that he really doesn’t care about the 100 plus people being killed in Iraq every day. (How many were killed every day under Saddam Hussein? Is he getting close? If he really is smarter than he lets on, then these people who died in the aftermath of Katrina really didn’t need to died. Every Hezbolla can get relief to the people faster than George W Bush.

So, where are the American people? Why don’t they let their voices be heard? Maybe a little pressure on the congress could prevent more mayhem? Maybe a little money for the opposition Party would frighten the government into working for the public’s interest? Whatever it is, the American people need to make an effort and get their voices heard. If not now, then when? We are a Democracy, and the people who live in a Democracy have a responsibility to learn as much as they and inform everyone they know.



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Don't forget what Stephen Colbert said, "Reality has a well-known liberal bias."


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Politics