Is Bush an Idiot?

[johnaries]

This was a question asked recently by...
no, not an extreme Left Wing activist, not by some Liberal Blogger, not even by Cindy Sheehan...
but by a former Republican Congressman and well-known Bush apologist, Joe Scarborough. He ddedicated an entire show to the subject.

Actually, the same question was asked of the famed "Ozone Man" Al Gore, and - frankly - his answer was much more insightful, intelligent, and well-thought-out:

"I don't think he's unintelligent at all. He's incurious ... there's a puzzling lack of curiosity."

Well, there you go. I think it sums up Bush perfectly. It’s not that’s he’s stupid, exactly, it’s just that he has this “curious lack of curiosity“.

Bush simply doesn’t want to know anything “new“. There is nothing new under the sun, and nothing new to learn; everything is black and white, and can be resolved through the sites of a gun. If you are having some new or unusual problem, then it must be a problem of your own making - deal with it. It’s your fault, after all, for not foreseeing it in the first place. And yet, he’s always making excuses when he hasn’t foreseen a problem.

Actually, there was a Science-Fiction novel that predicted this. Surprise! No, it wasn’t Orwell’s 1984 (although everyone should re-read 1984 and think about it). I’m actually talking about Asimov’s original Foundation trilogy. The major factor leading to the downfall of the existing Empire was the lack of new research, new findings, new “curiosity”. The consensus was that there was no new research to be done, that they already had all the facts, and all research papers simply argued over details of previous research papers and reports. (Intelligent Design and Biblical arguments, anyone?).

Further, when the people with legitimate concerns petitioned the Emperor to address these concerns, the Emperor sent one of his Bureaucrats to “address their concerns”. After listening to all the concerns, this Bureaucrat made a speech which gave great hope to all the concerned citizens and greatly eased their minds. At least, until someone actually analyzed the speech itself. In the novel, the speech was given to a mathematician who assigned positive and negative values to sections of the speech (the most unbiased system that the author could think of), and it turned out that although the speech itself was very uplifting (what we call “spin” today), the Bureaucrat also made qualifying statements that completely negated anything “positive” that the people thought he was saying.

Although the people felt very positive and reassured by the Bureaucrats visit, the Bottom line:

Assurances from the Government - none. Zero. Zilch. Goose egg,
Commitments from the Government - none. Zero. Zilch Goose egg.
Amount that the Government cares - none. Zero. Zilch. Goose egg.

It’s a really good series. And all of the novels in the original series are short, so you could read them in a day or two. Oh, and since so many people now are farm animal ignorant, here’s a clue - mules are the result of breeding a horse with a donkey, and therefore mules are sterile and cannot reproduce on their own.

You’ll understand before you finish the second book.

But to answer the question as to Bush's IQ - no, he's not "dumb" he does have a curious lack of curiosity. He doesn't worry about new questions, and he doesn't seek new answers. "Stay the Course", even if it leads you over a cliff....

[Jackpine Radical]

1. Thanx 4 the refresher on Asimov.

I read the Foundation books many years ago, far enough in the past to have forgotten a lot of their contents. I remember Hari Selden, psychohistory, the Mule, etc., though. Interesting to bring all of that back up in the context of current events.

[Berry Cool]

4. Sorry, but to me a lack of curiosity, and a stubbornness and refusal to

listen to anything others have to say, is part of the definition of stupidity.

[Ishoutandscream2]

8. Agreed. The major components of stupidity, imhp

I could handle his verbal gaffes, and his lack of interest in reading, if he would simply stop "doing it his way or the highway." Constantly going with your gut, and refusing the advice and suggestions of others, really define the true nature of stupidity.

[Kailassa]

10. I have a son whose IQ was measured at around 60.

And he is always curious, wanting to learn about everything,
and as determined to understand the world as anyone else I know.
He often sits down with a newspaper, asking me to explain the pictures
and tell him what's going on in the world, and then wants to know why.
And he'll bring out our world globe so I can show him where things are
happening.

One of the things he is most curious about is George Bush.

I'm ashamed to admit this son is prejudiced. He can't stand being around
people even more retarded than himself, and refused to be sent off on any
more camps and excursions with what he calls: "Dribble People."

And he wants to know why Americans have a "Dribble Person" for their president.

I pointed out that we have John Howard, and the English have Tony Blair,
and he started to get a look of understanding in his puzzled brown eyes.

"I member," he told me, "it's like schools. You splained if a teacher is too
stupid to teach, they call him principal and he has to spend every day in
the principal's office."

I had, too, years ago when he was wondering why a principal who hated
handicapped kids was being a pig to him.

He now knows not to call the president of the US a Dribble Person, because
dribble people can still be nice. They don't make laws allowing torture
and don't blow up frogs or other countries.

And, he tells me, even a dribble person would have sent boats to rescue the
people after the hurricane.

[niyad]

11. your son is most acute in his observations--"dribble people" would

probably be insulted to be lumped in with this sad waste of oxygen and skin.

[Der Blaue Engel]

6. I think perhaps Gore was being generous

I think he's both stupid and incurious. Or put it this way if you think "stupid" underestimates him: intellectually lazy and willfully pig-ignorant. (Throw in morally bankrupt for good measure.)

[PresidentWar]

2. Does a bear shit in the woods?

[acmejack]

3. He's about 10 IQ points short...

Gore is much more insightful & intelligent than I. But I am right in this case, Bush is a fucking moron, I have had the benefit of four additional years of observation. The results are in and there is no doubt whatsoever.

[Richard Steele]

5. Yup.

[lonestarnot]

7. Lemming to Red Rover, Red Rummy, and Poppie (he was threatened you know.)

[niyad]

9. I don't think he's an idiot--I think he's an extremely dangerous sociopath