Bush, like Reagan, is not a stupid man

Posted from eMail to the Dean:

Dear Dean Velvel,

Thank you so much for sharing your insights about the war crimes perpetrated by the Bush administration. You are right on target.

I would however differ a bit regarding the Bush-as-Dumb thesis. It was the same defense used by Reagan during Iran-contra: I was asleep at the switch, gee, I didnt keep tabs of things, duh...etc

In fact, in my view, Bush, like Reagan, is not a stupid man. He flubs words and sentences, so did Reagan and Eisenhower. He sometimes defers to subordinates, as has every president including Nixon and Kennedy.

He is ill-informed at times. But he has the intelligence of a rat. He knows where his interests lie. He picks the right people who know what reactionary course to take on all fronts, be it global interventionism, the undermining of public school funding, the elimination of environmental protections, the appointment of judges, the undermining of Medicare (while seeming to be bolstering it), etc., etc. He is performing "brilliantly" and we are getting screwed royally. I wish the Dems had a leader who was as ruthlessly and effectively dumb as Bush. In fact, now that I think of it, they probably do, alas.

With every good wish and appreciation for all your work,
Michael