Ominous murmuring in Bush's ear
A dumb president lets others to ride on him. I found this New York Times article (Via Toronto Star) an interesting article that partially explores Dick Cheney's personality and his hidden roll in telling George Bush what to do. Here is some excerpts:
"Dick Cheney's dry Wyoming voice has the same effect on some male Republicans, starting at the very top, and even some journalists, that a high-pitched whistle has on a dog. How else to explain the vice-president's success in creating a parallel universe inside the White House that is shaping the real universe?..."
"....Cheney's parallel universe is a Bizarro world where no doubts exist. He indulges in extremes of judgment, over-pessimistic about our ability to contain Saddam Hussein and over-optimistic about the gratitude we would encounter as "liberators" in Iraq.
In Cheneyworld, the invasion of Iraq has made the world a safer place (tell it to the Italians), weapons of mass destruction are still concealed in all those Iraqi basements, every Iraqi insurgent is a card-carrying member of Al Qaeda and the increase in attacks on Americans reflects the guerrillas' desperation, not their strengths.
Guerrilla attacks on American soldiers are labelled acts of terrorism rather than acts of war, even though the official U.S. definition describes terrorism as attacks on civilians..."
"....But while some have suggested that the president feels let down by Rumsfeld, he still seems seduced by the siren call of that deep Cheney voice and lugubrious Cheney worldview" just like high-pitched whistle effect on a dog.
"...The vice-president cherry-picks the intelligence, then feeds his version of reality to Bush. The president leaves himself open to manipulation because, by his own admission, he doesn't read the papers (perhaps because he can't read well - Faramin) and relies on (call it takes the order from - Faramin) his inner circle to filter information to him.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported last week that the CIA issued a top-secret report from Iraq, endorsed by chief administrator Paul Bremer, warning that growing numbers of Iraqis are concluding that the United States can be defeated and are supporting the insurgents.
The question is whether other voices can ever break through that sonorous, ominous murmuring in the president's ear."
"Dick Cheney's dry Wyoming voice has the same effect on some male Republicans, starting at the very top, and even some journalists, that a high-pitched whistle has on a dog. How else to explain the vice-president's success in creating a parallel universe inside the White House that is shaping the real universe?..."
"....Cheney's parallel universe is a Bizarro world where no doubts exist. He indulges in extremes of judgment, over-pessimistic about our ability to contain Saddam Hussein and over-optimistic about the gratitude we would encounter as "liberators" in Iraq.
In Cheneyworld, the invasion of Iraq has made the world a safer place (tell it to the Italians), weapons of mass destruction are still concealed in all those Iraqi basements, every Iraqi insurgent is a card-carrying member of Al Qaeda and the increase in attacks on Americans reflects the guerrillas' desperation, not their strengths.
Guerrilla attacks on American soldiers are labelled acts of terrorism rather than acts of war, even though the official U.S. definition describes terrorism as attacks on civilians..."
"....But while some have suggested that the president feels let down by Rumsfeld, he still seems seduced by the siren call of that deep Cheney voice and lugubrious Cheney worldview" just like high-pitched whistle effect on a dog.
"...The vice-president cherry-picks the intelligence, then feeds his version of reality to Bush. The president leaves himself open to manipulation because, by his own admission, he doesn't read the papers (perhaps because he can't read well - Faramin) and relies on (call it takes the order from - Faramin) his inner circle to filter information to him.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported last week that the CIA issued a top-secret report from Iraq, endorsed by chief administrator Paul Bremer, warning that growing numbers of Iraqis are concluding that the United States can be defeated and are supporting the insurgents.
The question is whether other voices can ever break through that sonorous, ominous murmuring in the president's ear."
posted by Faramin | 2:17 p.m.
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