October 07, 2003

George W. Bush's Medieval Presidency


Anachronistic Quote of the Day


"So it is written. So it shall be done."


-Ramses (Yul Brenner) in The Ten Commandments

Just a vivid example of a head of state who is driven by what he wants, as opposed to the empirical evidence of what he actually has (e.g. locusts, rivers of blood, killer hail, and a country full of dead firstborns).

As Neal Gabler points out in this L.A. Times editorial, denial was a fundamental element of monarchy rule back in the bad old days. It didn't matter what was happening, or what the people wanted. All that mattered was what the king thought.

Stupid, right?

Which is why a bunch of guys back in 1776, children of The Enlightenment, rationalism & the value of empirical evidence, thumbed their nose at King George III and decided they'd try making a government of the people, for the people, and by the people.

It's times like this that I wish George W. Bush had been a better student, or had at least bothered to pay attention in history class. At least then he'd know that he was perverting the system instead of thinking that he, himself, is the living embodiment of the will of the people.

The moral of this story: the President is a REPRESENTATIVE of the people. How the Hell do you know what the people want if you don't read the paper and don't listen to polls?

Oh, I forgot. God tells him.

Nevermind.

No comments: