JENKINS: Bush Breakdown Dead Ahead?

[SeveneightyWhoa]

Bush Breakdown Dead Ahead?

January 15 2007
Counterbias.com
by W. David Jenkins III


“Political language -- and with variations this is true of all political parties, from Conservatives to Anarchists -- is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.” – From George Orwell’s “Politics and the English Language," 1946

“Danger, there's a breakdown dead ahead - Maybe you're in way above your head” – From Boz Scaggs’ “Breakdown Dead Ahead,” 1980
Although the thought has crossed my mind many times in the past, I have to admit that my concern for the psychological stability (or lack thereof) of George W. Bush has increased tenfold since his joint appearance with Tony Blair a few weeks ago. In the wake of the release of the ISG Report the day before, Bush’s statements and mannerisms during that press conference revealed a level of disconnect and desperation that I had to wonder if the men with the big nets and white coats might be lurking in the White House somewhere.

Bush’s statements were not anything that we hadn’t heard in the past, but when taken in the context of the present situation he and his administration find themselves in, those statements took on a darker connotation. We were watching a man whose main concern was that his world was falling apart while failing to comprehend that the real world was also crumbling due to his ineptitude. But after a few minutes into the question and answer session, a troubling thought occurred to me; what if Bush’s infamous bubble is really beginning to break?

Continue.. http://www.counterbias.com/827.html

[msongs]

1. sociopaths like bush do not generally suffer breakdowns

from what I have read, having no conscience, they are not troubled or conflicted by their thoughts or actions.

Msongs

[Fovea]

2. When Sociopaths run out of options

they double down and kill everyone that threatens them or they surrender with a smirk.

It's the difference between Stalin and Ted Bundy.

[Frustratedlady]

8. No, just the rest of us do.

If he goes down, he won't go down quietly and it won't be his fault.

[Jackpine Radical]

13. You're exactly right.

[On the Road]

3. It's Happened Before

Sigmund Freud cowrote a psychological biography of Woodrow Wilson in which he argued persuasively that Wilson suffered a nervous breakdown in negotiating the Treaty of Versailles.

One effect of this breakdown is that it allowed England and France to walk all over the other parties and set abusive conditions. (In, you can argue that these conditions laid the groundwork for WWII.) Of course, Freud was not exactly neutral -- as an Austrian, his country was part of the defeated Central Powers. And his coauthor was a former disgruntled US Asst. Secretary of State.

Bush's breakdown may be leading to a similar result in failure to exercise control over nominal allies. Abuses on both Sunni and Shiite sides show a complete inability to put forward a coherent strategy or exert any kind of influence. As bad as the War is, it might be better if Bush were replaced by someone who is actually competent.

[hlthe2b]

7. It may be all of us around the sociopath that break down...

if we aren't careful.... I know I'm fighting despair and depression and it seems that quite a few other DUers are joining me in that fight...

[aquart]

14. Oh, this is the wrong time for that.

The bubble around Bush is getting ever smaller and tighter.

He seems to be deliberately trying to provoke a constitutional confrontation in the belief HIS Supreme Court will back him. Maybe it will. But we have to hash this out or the next president walks into office with all Bush's power intact. I don't give a damn if it's a Dem. NO ONE should have that much power.

[hlthe2b]

15. agree...eom

[lonestarnot]

4. Waiting to see what happens after the breakdown.

[SammyWinstonJack]

12. Rubber room time?

:evilgrin:

[Imagevision]

19. Perhaps we'll get to see one of those mushroom cloudes Bush & Cheney spoke of...

[Philosoraptor]

5. EXCELLENT read!

[liberal N proud]

6. Will it be televised?

Oh I hope it is televised. For what this regime has cost us all, I want a little bit of entertainment.

[malaise]

9. Ditto

Please please please let me be watching when it happens.

[halobeam]

10. They'd cut to commercial before we got to see the REAL stuff happen.

They aren't going to let the prez. lay down and cry/shake/scream...whatever.. for all the world to see. We'd get about 5 seconds of it and that would be it.

[malaise]

11. I'll take a nano-second

if you know what I mean :D

[SammyWinstonJack]

16. I'm hoping for a "Lonesome Rhodes " moment, from the chimp

:evilgrin:

[Forrest Greene]

25. Great Movie!

Sheriff Andy never seemed quite the same to me after I saw that.

[SammyWinstonJack]

17. opps!

[sammythecat]

23. Oh, there will almost certainly be a video.

There is a video of everything nowadays.

[Imagevision]

18. Bush Breakdown? Bush's only concern is bombing Iran before he leaves office, then it's

up to the Dem's to sort out the mess. It was clever for the ideologs/neocons to put Bush jr. in the white house, he truly is stupid and doesn't give a sh*t what others outside of his "have-mores" think.

[Usrename]

20. I don't think he is strong enough to make it to the end of his term.

There is a good chance that the Secret Service will find him incapacitated after an unfortunate pretzel/bicycle accident. There is much sympathy to be gained from his demise. Politically, he is useless to anyone now.

[emlev]

21. In California we could "5150" him--what's the procedure in DC?

5150 is a section of California's Welfare and Institutions Code which deals with involuntary confinement and psychiatric evaluation of any person deemed gravely disabled or a danger to himself, herself or others<1>. Section 5150 allows any peace officer in the state of California, as well as any clinician specifically designated by a local county, to request the confinement after signing a written declaration. The term 5150 informally refers to the person being confined and can also refer to the declaration itself.

5150 criteria

The criteria for writing a 5150 includes danger to self, danger to others, and/or grave disability - as noted below. The conditions must exist under the context of a mental illness and the person must be refusing psychiatric treatment.

1. Danger to self - the person must be an immediate threat to themselves, usually by being suicidal. Someone who is severely depressed and wishes to die would fall under this category.
2. Danger to others - the person must be an immediate threat to someone else. A person hearing voices telling them to kill someone would fall under this category.
3. Gravely disabled
1. Adult - the person (over 18 years old) is unable to provide for their food, clothing, and/or shelter - and there is no indication that anyone is willing or able to assist them in procuring these needs. This does not necessarily mean homeless, as a homeless person who is able to seek housing (even in a temporary shelter) when weather demands it would not fall under this category.
2. Minor - the person (under 18 years old) is unable to provide for their food, clothing, and/or shelter - even if these are supplied directly.

from Wikipedia.

[paparush]

22. The Iran bombing campaign (Shucks and Aaaah) will distract from the Breakdown...nt

[ginnyinWI]

24. I thought he looked scared

He puts up walls of denial whenever he runs into trouble, and now it's getting harder to do. I think that if he has to face reality--that Iraq is a disaster--his next defense will be to plant the blame firmly on someone or something else--not his own behavior or lack of competence. This will prevent him from melting down completely. This is a guy who has failed time and time again, and he knows how to justify it to himself.

He might start putting more weight on Cheney and others to help him out, make decisions for him--and all involved will cover up what's going on. Think of how Reagan's people covered up his Alzheimer's at the end of his second term. The people knew nothing certain until later.

The most interesting comment from the interview for me: when asked if he had watched the Saddam execution, he turned kind of green and said , "oh no, not the whole thing..." He seemed downright scared. It's one thing when someone like myself feels too squeamish to handle it--but I expect a president to be a little tougher. If * had only, say, seen a little combat in war in his life, he wouldn't be so lilly-livered. It's one thing to decline to watch something out of principle, but he seemed to shy away from it because he's afraid or squeamish in the face of witnessing something like that.