Is Bush's past now present?
Smoke from the nearby forest fires was so thick it obscured the sun and horizon. Not only was Fairbanks at the mercy of fickle winds, but even the experts were stymied. Plotting the fires' direction and extent was impossible because pilots were unable to map the perimeters. The smokescreen effectively crippled people's ability to gauge what was happening on the ground.
Similarly, the smokescreen rising from the White House has blocked many Americans from seeing the true dimensions of George Bush's crimes. Arguably the least experienced of any president, Bush and his gang of neocons cynically exploited anger and confusion over the Sept. 11 attacks by illegally invading Iraq.
In the process, the United States has killed more than 12,000 civilians and 7,000 of Iraq's military. U.S. wounded total more than 6,000, while nearly 900 have been killed.
Since Americans expect foreign policy to be based on truthful assessments and rely on the press to inform and analyze, we might as well have been wearing blindfolds. Lately, however, dirty air is giving way to transparency.
Unable to fool all the people all the time, gaps in the smoke are now revealing the extent of Bush's deceptions. Following on the failure to locate weapons of mass destruction, photos of U.S. troops abusing Iraqi prisoners toppled claims of moral high ground. Michael Moore's film, "Fahrenheit 9/11," goes further, exposing the lies and misdirection that is at the heart of Bush's rush to war.
Unlike lap-dog journalists, experts in diverse fields are reviewing how we came to this point.
By his own admission, Bush was a heavy drinker for more than 20 years. While more than 10 million Americans are similarly afflicted, only one has been elevated to the presidency. Though it is reported that he stopped drinking in 1986, at the age of 40, Bush's policies and judgment appear linked to alcohol addiction.
A growing number of professionals in psychopathology and alcohol counseling claim that Bush exhibits characteristics of "dry drunk" syndrome. A term adopted by Alcoholics Anonymous, a dry drunk is a person who shows impaired behavior, although not actually imbibing. While technically "dry," such individuals are not truly sober. Dry drunks tend to extremes while also displaying increased anxiety, irritability, resentment, impulsive anger and lack of empathy. They are rigid, judgmental and often present an inordinate sense of entitlement.
Katherine van Wormer, a professor at the University of Northern Iowa and co-author of "Addiction Treatment: A Strengths Perspective," points to Bush's language as a way to see through the smoke.
"First there were the terms--'crusade' and 'infinite justice.' Next came 'evil doers,' 'axis of evil,' and 'regime change' ... the polarized thinking and the obsessive repetition reminded me of many of the recovering alcoholics/addicts I had treated," van Wormer writes.
Other researchers cite the president's black-and-white view of the world. Although one of the first principles of leadership is the ability to consider opposing points of view, Bush can't muster such perspectives. In regard to foreign policy, Bush has said, "... my job isn't to try to nuance. I think moral clarity is important ... this is evil versus good."
Mark Crispin Miller, a professor of communication at New York University, examined Bush's language for evidence of distorted thinking. Author of "Dyslexicon: Observations on a National Disorder," Miller initially intended an amusing catalog of Bush's verbal gaffes. Played for laughs by many, some view Bush's stumbling speech as an endearing tic.
However, in reading the transcripts of his speeches, Miller realized something more serious was going on. Bush's garbled and confusing sentences may actually reveal a hidden personality disorder.
Miller builds the case that Bush's gaffes occur only when he's speaking about things that mean little to him. Topics such as the poor, idealism or compassion are often twisted beyond meaning.
However, writes Miller, "He has no trouble speaking off the cuff when he's speaking punitively, when he's talking about violence, when he's talking about revenge. When he struts and thumps his chest, his syntax and grammar are fine. This is a guy who is absolutely proud of his own inflexibility and rectitude."
Now that the smoke is clearing, the obvious is visible. The future of the republic is threatened from within. Fueled by prejudice and a single-minded pursuit of power, a demagogue warped by alcohol occupies the White House.
Recovery is possible, but it will take years to regain what is lost. In the meantime, like charred skeletons of houses lost to wildfire, the tattered remnants of American honor and justice twist slowly in the wind.
Douglas Yates, a Marine Corps veteran, is a writer and photographer living in Ester.
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