One of the things I’ve always wondered about is how do people who’ve done obvious shitty stuff in public handle themselves?
How do they view themselves in a mirror, how do they sleep at night knowing they caused needless horror and suffering — despite my disbelief, I have to keep in mind a lot of them don’t give a shit, they’re assholes.
On the face of German Chancellor Angela Merkel (in the sequence from July 2006 at left) is the true, pure and unobstructed unfolding of WTF.
However, the LA Times reported (via boingboing): “Entering the meeting room, as relayed by a Russian television camera, Bush headed directly behind the chancellor, reached out and, placing both hands on the collar of her gold jacket, gave her a short massage just below the neck. She smiled.”
One has to be shitting one — if that’s anywhere near a smile, I’d sure as shit don’t want to see a laugh.
Hence, we can see how the media has massaged the dumb-shit antics of the worst president in US history, a president without the slightest bit of regret, remorse or public awareness.
And so outside the realm of reality.
(Illustration found here).
In 2008, George Jr. opened his ass and spoke to US troops fighting and dying in Afghanistan: “I must say, I’m a little envious,” Bush said. “If I were slightly younger and not employed here, I think it would be a fantastic experience to be on the front lines of helping this young democracy succeed…It must be exciting for you … in some ways romantic, in some ways, you know, confronting danger. You’re really making history, and thanks.”
Fast forward to last night and the former president’s interview with NBC’s Matt Lauer. (I did smile when I typed ‘former president’).
George Jr. is out touring the land promoting his ode to lying, “Decision Points,” which is set to strike book stores today like a 20-pound bag of cow shit.
In a tell-tale on torture via waterboarding:
“Because the lawyer said it was legal,” he tells Lauer. “He said it did not fall within the anti-torture act. I’m not a lawyer. But you gotta trust the judgment of people around you, and I do.”
Bush says that if he could do it over, he would. “My job was to protect America. And I did,” he says, before adding, “All I ask is that people read the book.”
The New York Times this morning popped it nearly on the mark:
There was something jarring about suddenly seeing George W. Bush on screen again and it wasn’t just déjà vu.
It was more like running into a former spouse after many years: no matter how bitter or amicable the separation, that first reunion is disconcerting — the ex seems both eerily the same and weirdly diminished.
Except the ex-president is a lying, smug little asshole.
And come to think of it, maybe talking assholes within our current framework is not such a biological abnormality after all.
It appears the norm.