armchair psychology: what if Poppy (subconsciously) wanted Junior to fail?

[npincus]

Poppy famously has not offered advice or challenged Junior's shocking and awful Iraq adventure, from its planning to execution... and much ink has been spilled calling Iraq the offspring of Junior's Oedipal angst; the entire trajectory of his life an effort to beat his Dad at something.


What hasn't been analyzed as thoroughly is Poppy's motivation: WHY knowing as he did that invading Iraq would blow that country wide open (and he DID know it; he and his circle- even CHENEY-- were quoted in the 90's as saying the risk and costs of 'gong to Baghdad' would have been too great), you have to wonder WHY Poppy didn't try an intervention of sorts, to stop Junior, or at least EDUCATE him as to what he was getting this country into. Junior did not know there were Sunnis and Shi'ites in Iraq, or what they were, 3 months prior to the Iraq invasion, according to citations in Peter Galbraith's book "The End of Iraq". Knowing the potential for civil war to ignite there and the history of conflict between the sects, WHY didn't Poppy try to discuss ANY of this with Junior? Were all the American and Iraqi lives Poppy KNEW would be lost not worth the risk of pissing off his spoiled little prince? Why, oh why did Poppy say NOTHING?


One unfortunate thought occurred to me. Junior's epic failure has elevated his Father's presidency, vindicated his 'controversial' decision to leave Saddam in power. Poppy is smart enough to figure out that his son's decision to 'go to Baghdad' and its tragic consequences would elevate his decision not to do so, and elevate his presidency in history. So did Poppy (subconsciously) want Junior fuck-up? And is that an explanation for why he has been so damned passive about trying to influence his son when it would have made a difference? Did Poppy need to be the better man in the history books?


More: is Poppy subconsciously pissed that he was a one-termer and his son is a two-termer, knowing that he is the more accomplished of the two?


OK, this is armchair psychoanalysis, and it's not my field. But the whole saga has been more tragic and complex than any work of fiction-- even more than "Three Shakespeares". And, for the record, I don't believe anything that Poppy would have said or done could have stopped his little monster. But at least he could have TRIED.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. I would meet you halfway if you could prove that

Poppy had a favorite son, Jeb. And Jeb was supposed to be the candidate for the presidency in 2000 but Jr. kissed more ass than his brother, became the golden boy and supplanted Jeb, the heir apparent. So, maybe Poppy did wish for * to screw up as a passive-aggressive attitude as his plans for Jeb were frustrated.

[vote 4 democracy]

2. He certainly got his subconscious wish if its true

Wouldn't surprise me at all. I think more likely Sr is being quiet because he knows Jr will react passive aggressively to anything that looks like dad has authority over him now . . . and the results are likely to be more damaging to the family. He knows he can't restrain his son or get him to see reason. He knows his son is a child and an embarrassment to the family - that is why he really cried.

[InvisibleTouch]

3. Very interesting theory!

As screwed-up as that family is, it wouldn't surprise me.

Whether there was a deliberate element to it or not, though, it did come out to Poppy's benefit. Even I have found myself thinking, "You know, in retrospect the old man wasn't even that bad, comparatively speaking." When you're halfway-nostalgic for any Bush, something is very wrong with the world.

[flordehinojos]

4. he bleated to the four winds that he supports his son mind, body and soul.

he is very schizophrenogenic: say one thing - mean another OR words mean one thing, the emotional tone means another.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_teresa_s_061211_o_2c_the_billy_gloat_w.htm

[Javaman]

5. Than he's the worst piece of crap I could ever think of that has

ever existed.

Putting a nation through hell to satisfy some sort of personal fatherly grudge whether real or subconscious against his moron* son, is just plain fucking evil.