At least one opinion writer has noted that the most prominent public person busily re-evaluating the Bush presidency is President Obama himself. Now that he has the responsibility of dealing with the different aspects of the War on Terror (which Bush named but Al-Qaeda launched), he is observing thoughtfully that several things — Guantanamo, and warrantless electronic surveillance of foreign individuals of suspect habits and acquaintances, and the American presence in Iraq — are more complex and ambiguous than was depicted in campaign rhetoric.
Be assured, I agree with you. I don’t doubt that there will be a substantial contingent who will continue to regard Bush as irredeemably evil for policies that Obama, after careful consideration, will continue to apply because he has decided that they are necessary and appropriate … yet these same people will give the new President a pass on these same things because he is 1) so wonderfully himself and 2) not the malignant moronic hatemonger Bush.
I heard the basic sentiment expressed often in Iraq (by Iraqis): “You know he’s a bad person because he does bad things. You know the things he does are bad because he’s a bad person. If I do the same things, they’re not bad because I’m not bad.” At the time I was somewhat disillusioned by the shallowness and self-servingness — and, yes, the obvious innocent sincerity — of this attitude. It does not make me optimistic to see the same thing operating in more ‘advanced’ people in America.
no subject
Be assured, I agree with you. I don’t doubt that there will be a substantial contingent who will continue to regard Bush as irredeemably evil for policies that Obama, after careful consideration, will continue to apply because he has decided that they are necessary and appropriate … yet these same people will give the new President a pass on these same things because he is 1) so wonderfully himself and 2) not the malignant moronic hatemonger Bush.
I heard the basic sentiment expressed often in Iraq (by Iraqis): “You know he’s a bad person because he does bad things. You know the things he does are bad because he’s a bad person. If I do the same things, they’re not bad because I’m not bad.” At the time I was somewhat disillusioned by the shallowness and self-servingness — and, yes, the obvious innocent sincerity — of this attitude. It does not make me optimistic to see the same thing operating in more ‘advanced’ people in America.