W The Merciless: What We'll Remember Most About George W. Bush

George W. Bush is doing farewell TV interviews with a view to his legacy. What makes him unique? Here's my personal note for the cosmic time capsule.

I write this as the proud father of a Marine son who served honorably in W's wars. I write this as an author who had one of my many pro-military op-eds (that was published in the Washington Post) glowingly read out loud on Meet The Press by first lady Laura Bush. I write this as a former life long Republican.

Who and what was George W Bush? I believe he was our nation's first sociopath president.

According to the textbook clinical definition a sociopath is person with a disregard for the rights of others. The sociopath is often a charming witty person who stage manages his life to impress others while hiding his true character. His amicable attributes are cultivated to cover his major trait: the violation of the rights of others. A sociopath also shows a lack of regret for his actions... Sound familiar?

It all started when George W. Bush presided over 152 executions while governor of Texas, more than any other modern era American governor. It ended with the needless deaths of hundreds of thousands, including over 4000 American war dead and over 30,000 wounded and counting, after W attacked Iraq, a country that had had nothing to do with the attack on America of 9/11.

What should have told all Americans that W was unfit to serve? W didn't pardon one man or woman on his crowded death row. Before running for the presidency he had already shown himself to be a crass, merciless bully, a man to whom killing came easily.

Following Karla Faye Tucker's notorious execution in W Bush's Texas, conservative commentator Tucker Carlson interviewed then Governor Bush about how the Board of Pardons had arrived at the determination on her clemency plea. Carlson reported that Bush, alluding to a televised interview which Karla Faye Tucker had given to Larry King, smirked and spoke mockingly about her. Here's a quote from Carlson's article. (Talk, September 1999.)

In the weeks before the execution, Bush says, "A number of protesters came to Austin to demand clemency for Karla Faye Tucker." "Did you meet with any of them?" I ask. Bush whips around and stares at me. "No, I didn't meet with any of them", he snaps, as though I've just asked the dumbest, most offensive question ever posed. "I didn't meet with Larry King either when he came down for it [the interview]. I watched his interview with Tucker, though. He asked her real difficult questions like, 'What would you say to Governor Bush?'" "What was her answer?" I wonder. "'Please,'" Bush whimpers, his lips pursed in mock desperation, "'don't kill me.'" I must look shocked -- ridiculing the pleas of a condemned prisoner who has since been executed seems odd and cruel -- because he immediately stops smirking.

A man who mocked a woman he'd denied a pardon to was unfit to serve as president. A heartless bully is not who Americans want in the White House. He might rather have been a good candidate for psychological therapy. Why wasn't this story the subject of an editorial in every major newspaper when W ran for the presidency? This should have been the headline: "Bush The Merciless Mocked Condemned -- Unfit to Serve."

Maybe W's crass sophomoric attitude toward suffering was why one reason W The Merciless started a completely unnecessary war of choice so blithely and then prosecuted it so ineptly that many more American soldiers died and were maimed during the interminable occupation than during the war.

W The Merciless hid his dead and wounded of his needless war. No pictures of funerals or flag-draped coffins please! Let the 'little people' die without the dignity of having their passing recorded, mourned or protested by the nation. Out of sight, out of mind. Forget the soldiers! Just go shopping!

Burying W's troops (literally and figuratively) was to be stage managed along with everything else. But when his troops needed care W The Merciless (who had sent them into the wrong war with the wrong equipment) fought to stop extra funding for educational and other veteran's benefits saying it might tempt soldiers not to reenlist because they would have better options.

W The Merciless said he believed in the Bible. The Bible says that those that show mercy to those they are in power over will be shown mercy. George W. Bush showed no mercy to the condemned, to his own soldiers or to their families, to Iraq, to innocent men, women and children killed by the tens of thousands in his needless war of choice. The Bible says that those who forgive will be forgiven. W The Merciless forgave no one. The Bible says that those who do something good for the least of Jesus' brothers will have done it as "unto Jesus." W The Merciless smashed the ancient Christian communities in Iraq by unleashing the civil war that sent one and a half million Christians into exile, or to their deaths, reducing the oldest and most vibrant Christian community remaining in the Middle East to a shadow. That's what W the "born-again evangelical" did to Jesus' Middle Eastern brothers, so that is what -- by the Bible's standard -- he did to Jesus.

W The Merciless will go down in history as an inept bungler. But one hundred years from now, if America is still around, and if anyone cares, what W The Merciless will be remembered for is just two things: the many needless death over which he presided, and his total lack of remorse.

In other words W The Merciless will be remembered as America's foremost sociopath president, a man who left the White House with a smile on his face and the blood of hundreds of thousands on his hands. That is his legacy.

Frank Schaeffer is the author of CRAZY FOR GOD- How I Grew Up As One Of The Elect, Helped Found The Religious Right, And Lived To Take All (Or Almost All) Of It Back. Now in paperback.

Comments

[Akenanubis]

Response to Joesnuffy--- Religion doesn't twist people into monsters, monsters twist religion to express and justify their sick minds and agendas.

[Akenanubis]

The truly frightening thing about the Bush legacy is that the media and political climate in this country has set up such a permanent and violent polarity that CNN, the NYT and every other news organ in the country could show video footage of Bush feasting on the carcasses of the dead and half the country would refuse to believe it calling it a "Lib" spin. I have watched this unfiold for the last eight years. But now everyone is coming out of the woodwork and pointing fingers. Why wasn't this guy taken out of office in handcuffs or a straightjacket years ago? Why now is all this coming out in places where it's merely singing to the choir?

[joesnuffy]

I really dislike organized religion for many reason, one of which is the hypocrisy, and Bush is a perfect example. There are many Christians, for example, that believe that simply stating that Jesus Christ is your saviour makes you a Christian. They talk the talk but don't walk the walk. I have been to church a few times, have sat in on bible studies, and have talked with many so-called Christians. What I have found more often than not is that the things that Jesus taught are largely forgotten, or at least are not the focus. Instead, I found it's all about whorshipping Jesus. They do not talk about tolerance, kindness, respect, helping those less fortunate. And their actions behind the scenes (and even sometimes in glaring view) are not in line with Jesus' teachings. It's sad.

So we had Bush claiming to be a Christian, though not acting like it. And all these Christians, who are probably equally hypocritical, rallied around him, enough for him to win 2 elections. It's religion at its ugliest

[JimReed]

"I found it's all about whorshipping Jesus"

Look more closely and I think you will see it is actually about worshipping the religion itself. They are worshipping Christianity. They are listening to the group. They have become their own god. Astounding but true.

[RainbowPhoenix]

What does it say about this country that someone like Bush got enough of the vote for election fraud to even be possible.

[joesnuffy]

What does it say about this country that he was elected, not once, but twice!!!

[JimReed]

I heard you being interviewed on NPR, Fresh Air. I enjoyed the program, and you raised an interesting issue, don't reignite the culture war. That was a reasonable request, but the topic might deserve more thought. I think it might not come down to Obama's choice. We can try to avoid the pitfalls, but those who want war might dig a lot of pits. As you explained, they need the issue of the week, they will find it, and their people will respond. Their people are now in the minority, but does that raise or lower the anger level?

[jp5472]

Jim, I see your points - 28% of this nation still thinks "W" did a great job. Listening to Frank on NPR and having read most of his work and articles here, I think Mr Schaeffer has the right approach. These culture wars are not going to go away, but we, as a majority, who see past these "fringe" issues realize that if we let them return to center stage, what's left of this land will be too far gone after the economic and industrial collapse we are experiencing. We have let single issues/agendas drive voters while the foundation (our industrial might that built the middle class and took us from an agrarian nation, leading to our economic strength) of this country has crumbled. These "pits" as you refer to them - We, meaning you me and everyone else who voted for Obama need to be avoided by seeing the "big picture", or the "30000 foot view", not getting mired in these pits as those with an agenda would like us to continue to for their own selfish (usually financial/power) purposes.

[JimReed]

It is hard for people to see the big picture, and easy for those setting traps. From a historical perspective, Christianity has been damaging itself since linking with the party of wealth. Palin demonstrates it is not over. Chrisitanity lost round one, and they don't yet comprehend what a disaster it was, so they are coming out swinging for round two. They are not quite as big as they used to be, and they should shrink a little more. It can be tough on a religion when it requires issues based on hate, and people keep throwing that up in their face. Either they harden their heart, or they become like Frank.

[bubbuh]

A rather good little essay.

[BabsfromKansas]

"Personally, I think he's further evidence that the Great Scriptwriter in the sky has an overdeveloped sense of irony."
Molly Ivins

[javagirl322]

I will always remember how the media was NOT allowed to show Americans the thousands of dead shoulders sent to their death.....even after Bush admitted there were no WMD's. Everyone knows Bush has no shame....now he wants employees who worked with/for him to say he has/had "honor and dignity". What a joke!

[justaworkinstiff]

I recall my stunned silence in 2000 when the SC made the decisioin to stop the recount in Florida...then my screaming pain as Kerry bungled what should have been a walk in the park election over W in 2004...and the scariest part of all people is that 25% of the people in this nation still think he's done a good job... If that doesn't terrify you then check your pulse.

[MalleusMaleficarum]

Thanks to Frank Schaeffer for a frank, accurate and apposite comment on the catastrophic presidency of George W. Bush. While he did not make any reference to the work of the prominent psychiatrist, Dr. Justin Frank, who is the author of the insightful book: Bush on the Couch, the two have similar opinions of Bush. Justin Frank blogs on the Huff Post, and I hope he will read this article. Frank Schaeffer provides an excellent starting point for historians to begin their assessment of Bush, 43. In historical context with Nixon, Reagan, Bush 41 and Clinton, Bush 43 does represent a twisted psychic disaster of major proportions who was the fulfillment of the culture of selfishness, secrecy, greed and fear that shaped him -- and his partners in crime: Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and the neocons.

[gilwaters]

Well, on the plus side, Bush did run a very successful affirmative-action program for incompetent graduates of Liberty University (the faux institute of higher learning founded by Christian Holy Warrior Jerry Falwell).

[democratbob]

Unfortunately, those who need to hear this message the most are the least likely to listen. Members of my own family are still very much Bush supporters, and wish they could have voted for him for a third term.
The Bush White House has just released their latest revisionist history of his administration in their unceasing effort to rewrite the real events of the last eight years. We need constant reminders of the truth, to try to prevent it from ever happening again.

[hortonhearsawho]

How about, Infamous................ instead of legacy.

[javagirl322]

Yes, infamous is accurate....

[SoMG]

I went to Yale and I heard all about W. His coke use was legend. All day every day from before he enrolled until after he finished. I predicted that Molly Ivins would turn out to be the best predictor and I was right. The W presidency has been just what I said it would be--a practical joke on the American people. I don't think I quite realized how big it would be.

We are not done getting screwed by this toxic family yet. If I had to pick the one person I consider most dangerous to humanity, it would be Governor Jeb Bush. The one they called "the Smart One". Imagine if GWBush were capable. That's Jeb.

[AgrippinaMinora]

Not a practical joke. More like a cruel hoax.

[mrsbee]

I agree with you totally Jeb Bush is the really scariest one of all....imagine him and Palin on the same ticket ....could easly happen...the lunatic right is so outraged that Obama got in that they would really push them....it sends chills down my spine...back when W was running I kept telling the people I knew that were Rethugs ...just look at the executions in Texas that he favored...but no on listened... this article is spot on about him...and he is all over TV now trying to get people to think how religious he is and to feel sorry for him...turns my stomach..he was actually on ABC last night with some broad fawning all over him about God, and Christ...and he was actually in conversation about how he prays etc...he even had the nerve to say that the Muslims who say they are religious and kill people do not really pray to God...that's a real laugh..he was responsible for the deaths of countless people in this war of greed...based on his lie.

[brynn6]

It may have been in that same Tucker Carlson interview, that when Bush was asked about the huge number of executions, he replied that "he didn't lose any sleep over it." I knew for sure that he was a monster then, but no one would listen. Molly Ivins did a heroic job of trying to warn the country about him, but no one would listen to her either.

I remember talking to an acquaintance right before the Nixon election. I asked him how he could vote for such an obviously ruthless man that seemed to have no conscience at all. He said that he thought those were the qualities that the country needed in a leader. I think that attitude explains everything we need to know about why Bush happened.

[teaINharbor]

What disturbs me is, Tucker Carlson has seemed to back Bush throughout his presidency.

We need to step-up against the Mainstream Media sh--shoveling, and make certain the truth is heard by all.

teaINharbor

[democracy7]

It is because of the cowardice the main stream media has exhibited, the fear of being labeled unpatriotic, the willfully turning a blind eye to his actions that has brought us to this point in American history. The fourth estate has failed us. No wonder newspapers in general are in trouble.