Thinking about my previous posting, I realized that there is something else — actually, many other things, but one in particular right now — which bothers me about this whole Lies-In-The-President’s-Speech situation: George W. Bush is taking no personal responsibility for the words which came out of his mouth.
Everyone around him is extemporizing furiously to explain how those 16 words regarding bogus uranium purchases got into the State of the Union Address. “It was the CIA’s fault.” “It was the fault of the Brits.” “The evidence of the falsity had not yet been discovered.” Everyone blaming, everyone pointing fingers.
Everyone, that is, except the person who spoke the words. He takes no responsibility for his statements.
What kind of person feels no ownership of the words coming out of his mouth? An actor? No, all the actors I know connect with their lines, feeling them, believing the words so that they can inhabit another soul. A liar, then? No, a liar creates the words, crafting them carefully to convince others of their veracity, taking pride when he succeeds. A salesman? No, the salesman who doesn’t believe in his product and the statements he makes to sell that product won’t be successful, and won’t be selling for very long.
How about a puppet? Only a puppet has no connection with the words he speaks. Only a puppet voices words that are put into his mouth without routing through its brain. Only a puppet like George W. Bush would demonstrate no anger at the people who made him look like a lying fool in front of the entire world.
So, George W. Bush is, as I have always believed, merely a puppet. But, who, exactly, is the puppeteer?
