Idiot or not?

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Is George W. Bush an idiot?

It's easy to lampoon the man. But is he stupid?

You be the judge.

Interesting to see some conservatives are coming to their senses about Bush however, as with MSNBC's Joe Scarborough:

For the past six years George W. Bush has been the target of ridicule from liberal circles. But now, instead of laughing at Democrats’ ill-directed arrogance, Republicans are quietly joining the left in questioning the President’s intellectual prowess.

The biggest knock on Bush’s brain is his lack of intellectual curiosity. Former administration officials still close to the White House will tell you Mr. Bush detests dissent, embraces a narrow world view and is intellectually incurious.

Worse for this White House is the fact that George W. Bush has daily smackdowns with the English language and the English language usually wins.

I agree with some of the anlysts though. In my mind, being arrogant, obtuse and inarticulate does not make a person an idiot. Otherwise half the country (and 90% of our political leaders) would all be idiots, and the word would have no meaning.

Liar? Yes. He lied to the American people on God knows how many issues.

War criminal? Quite possibly. He authorized detention and torture of so-called 'terror' suspects without a shred of evidence and in contravention of the Geneva Convention.

Idiot? Highly unlikely in my humble opinion. An idiot (even with help from smart friends) could not have so successfully carried out the transformation of America from a freedom-loving democracy into an incipient totalitarian state. Yes, he had good help, but I don't believe the story that Bush is a fool.

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1 Comments

Ben Abbott on August 24, 2006 8:47 PM
You comment: "Idiot? Highly unlikely in my humble opinion. An idiot (even with help from smart friends) could not have so successfully carried out the transformation of America from a freedom-loving democracy into an incipient totalitarian state." This is an area I've given some thought to over the last few years. Describing Bush as an idiot is not necessary intended to indicate he is incapable of acheiving his goals ... it *may* be intended to indicate his is unable to set a goal that is generally proper and constructive. He certainly has a strong will and doggedly pursues his goals ... but that he generally accomplishes what he sets his mind on doesn't mean he isn't an idiot when in comes to deciding what needs to be accomplished. As you noted, Bush is known for his lack of intellectual curiousity, and intolerance for differences in opinion. Such is not in character for an intellectual ... and certainly not in character for someone who is supposed to represent *all* of us, not just those who agree with him :-( Bush would be a brilliant soldier, but as a President, I'm of the opinion, he is an idiot :-(

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