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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH

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To: bentway who wrote (511265)12/16/2003 10:48:13 PM
From: Skywatcher  Read Replies (1) of 769670
 
Saddamania
by Bill C. Davis

Like a figure you love to hate in Wrestlemania operas, Saddam is a
pumped-up hyped reality whose intense wattage is useful to the extent that
it gives a patina of heroism to the very people who have given him his star
status on the international stage. His resume is downloaded daily – hourly –
so that his capture gives honor and morality to the immoral and the
dishonorable.

Saddam was a symptom caused by a condition. The condition remains -
the symptoms will change names and locations – and the likes of Bush will
dress themselves in white and mount the military like a mighty steed and
sally forth to distinguish themselves by conquering the reality they
themselves helped to create.

The war and occupation lay the groundwork for the next Saddam. Whoever
it is will be installed, encouraged and harnessed and he’ll behave until he
either gets a vision, a message from God, a delusion of grandeur or a better
offer. Then his villainy, which at one point was characterized as an asset,
will be billed as intolerable evil.

Saddam needs to be given stature so that Bush as conqueror will also
appear to have stature. Saddamania and Wrestlemania use the same
marketing tactic: make the villain fabulous so the hero is super heroic.
When Bush talks about Saddam he drips with disgust and disdain. His
ability to be moved by Saddam’s evil implies that he is the champion not
only of the Iraqi people but also of all things good in the world.

It’s easy to join the fever pitch of the fight. It’s not unlike watching a cock
fight. You can find yourself rooting for one bird over the other but the
nagging question is what am I doing watching and investing in it in the first
place.

Bush creates a primitive tug. He prefers you would be ashamed that you
would question any tactic that would cause the desired result of bringing
down the villain. To Bush, questioning how and who wanted the sociopath to
become what he was is as irrelevant as the UN. Bush deals with symptoms
not conditions. He sees evil as a proper noun.

Like throwing a piece of red meat to a hungry crowd the capture plays like a
blockbuster. It’s irresistible, satisfying and climactic – but the Iraqi narrative
will continue. As Michael Ware of Time magazine warns – this is not over –
the insurgents, many of whom saw Saddam as a Western creation, care
less about the capture and more about the occupation. This occupation
they perceive to be a continuation more than an antidote to Saddam.

Saddamania is red hot. His billing is as preemptive as the war itself. The
cover of Newsweek and Time bumped Howard Dean and Jesus Christ
respectively for the image of the homeless dictator. Like Bush and company
those venerable publications know what sells.

Bill C. Davis is a playwright

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