"Part Two"
"Part Three"
This series of articles relies heavily on a psychological study of Adolf Hitler commissioned by the United States government in 1942/1943, and released as a book titled "The Mind of Adolf Hitler" by Walter C. Langer in 1972. (L) indicates Langer's words, (H) indicates Hitler's words.
Hitler believed that politicians made their mistake in not designing their message to appeal to the people of the lower classes. He had been a poor student, and perhaps because of his own sense of intellectual inadequacy, he mistrusted and ridiculed intellectuals as an adult.
"[Hitler's] opinion of the intellect is, in fact, extremely low." (L. p. 35.) He said, "The intellect has grown autocratic and has become a disease of life. We must distrust the intelligence and the conscience and must place our faith in our instincts." (H. p. 214.)
Bush suffered from learning disabilities as a child. He felt inferior to the intellectuals he was surrounded by throughout his academic life. Consequently, he despises most intellectuals except those he knows are absolutely loyal to him. Need I enumerate here all the experts whose opinions and advice the "Decider" did not even consider, regarding terrorism, the economy, tax cuts, and the ridiculously naive belief that the Iraqi people would be so glad we "freed" them that putting millions of people formerly employed and paid by the state out of work would not create problems? As former Secretary of State Madeline Albright said on Jon Stewart's "Daily Show," 'The problem with being so convinced you are right and that God is on your side is that you then have no "Plan B" for when "Plan A" fails.'
If war had actually been necessary, it is almost certain that the war and its aftermath would have proven less disastrous if it had been planned wisely -- if Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld had listened to those who knew a bit about war. Like General Shinseki and Colin Powell.
The Occupation did not even have much of a "Plan A."
Hitler believed in the superiority of "instinct," and not only instinct, but people's basest instincts. In Mein Kampf he wrote that most social movements did not take into great enough consideration "the soul of the nation's lower classes." Consequently, he crafted his message to appeal to the masses on an emotional level. He made the most of his "capacity to appeal to the most primitive, as well as the most ideal inclinations in man, to arouse the basest instincts and yet cloak them with nobility, justifying all actions as means to the attainment of an ideal goal." (L. p. 70.)
Bush is killing people to bring "freedom" and "democracy" to them. Never mind that if they truly wanted freedom they would fight for it themselves. Never mind that if he were truly concerned about the interests of the Iraqi people, he would have guarded their museums and hospitals during the invasion rather than simply guarding their oil ministry. It is telling that at the wars onset he did not urge the Iraqi people to keep themselves safe and to not kill our soldiers, but he did admonish them to not sabotage the oil.
Hitler said "I am freeing men from the restraints of an intelligence that has taken charge; from the dirty and degrading modifications of a chimera called conscience and morality"(H. p. 215.) Brutality is respected. Brutality and physical strength. The plain man in the street respects nothing but brutal strength and ruthlessness. We want to be the supporters of the dictatorship of national reason, of national energy, of national - brutality and resolution." (H. 218.)
Howard Dean said he wanted to be the candidate of "men who drive pick-up trucks with Confederate flags in the back," but a huge segment of Bush's support comes from those very people. Men who feel increasingly powerless because of the encroachment on what was formerly their turf by women and minorities. Men who have been further emasculated by a poor economy (for those who are not investors, and those who do not work in the defense industry), which has made them less able to do the "manly" thing, which is to provide adequately for their families.
It is, of course, George Bush and others like him who promote the anti-union, "free-trade" "pro investment" laws that are largely responsible for this fact, but G.W. has the gift of being able to "come off" as a regular guy even though he has probably not done an honest day of what such men would call "work" in his entire life. Like Hitler, he is rumored to be afraid of horses, but he is good at "talking tough" and also like Hitler, Bush knows that perception is more important than fact. "his [Hitler's] greatest joy is to be considered as "one of the boys.-- (L. p. 56.)
Bush appealed to people on an emotional level, especially his macho white male base, when he said he would "smoke" bin Laden out, get him "dead or alive," bring him to "justice."
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