Counter-transference

I was very moved by yesterday's comments regarding "Unmasking Bush." I have responded to some of them below. Most important, I'm again inviting those of you who know bereaved military families who have met with President Bush to share their experiences here. I continue to believe that making those stories public will help all of us to understand this man and the danger he poses to the world.

To Richard: "chronic" means lifelong – and yes, Bush is chronically himself though he has used different means of coping with his massive anxiety – from drink to religion to externalizing violence in Iraq and Abu Ghraib. And it would be helpful, not just for Americans to know more about who Bush is if bereaved families came forward – I agree wholeheartedly with you that it could also be therapeutic for those families themselves. Thank you for your thoughts.

To Newsguy: It is so hard to understand why so many of us went through "a kind of mental illness last November". What do you think?

To William R, Kenneth R, reallygone, and Robert Gruber: You sent references or links to the Newsweek article about Bush helping people mourn in NC last year. One thing the article shows is that Bush has a lot of power to get Newsweek to print last year's news on such short notice – whether or not this White House gets special treatment from Newsweek, I am sure it feels entitled to it after the debacle over the magazine's report about US personnel degrading the Koran as an interrogation technique. The second thing it shows is that Cindy Sheehan and others are getting under his skin. And finally, it shows that Bush doesn't mind using other people to prove his humanity, much in the same way he uses Cindy's son to justify continuing to lose more American troops.

I am asking that families who are willing to talk about their experiences with him to do so – knowing full well how painful that might be. It is, of course to use their experiences – but it is voluntary and it is for the purpose of preventing other families to have to endure the same thing.

And yes, it's good to see examples of Bush's compassion – something I that I nonetheless doubt as genuine.

To Richard Bennett: I DO disagree with the president's policies. I also think that his detachment and disconnection allow him to pursue them relentlessly, without thought about their consequences.

To Madonna: The diagnosis of psychopath fits well and has been under used by myself and some of my colleagues who think in terms of "psychodynamics" more than specific diagnostic terms. My focus has been on the meaning of his behavior more than on a particular diagnosis. For example, there is no bi-polar diagnosis that fits what I wrote about Bush – but he has these two poles between massive indifference and massive destructiveness, both of which are without guilt. So you are right about psychopathy and I appreciate your thought. Thank you.

To DSmith: Glory hound is even less of a medical diagnosis than the "bi-polar" one mentioned above. The neocons you describe deserve fuller attention.

To JP of SB: Your recounting of the Bill O'Reilly show fits exactly with my thoughts about Bush and his incredible disconnection – both from reality (linking 9/11 and Saddam) and from compassion. O'Reilly sounds as if he understood this all too quickly when he changed topics. I do wish more families would share their experiences, if they could find it in their hearts to do so. Thank you.

To Fred Neubauer: Many people call Bush a puppet of Cheney. If Bush is a puppet, he is a puppet who chose his puppeteer.

To Get a Life: I have the full report of Cindy Sheehan's meeting with President Bush last year and he was as callous as the person described above – called her "mom" and her son the "loved one". Your screen name reveals a lot, I fear.

To Johann: Thanks for your reference to the Dr. Neruda novel about evil. I look forward to reading it.

To Jade: Your thoughtful comments about the war itself I think go to the heart of the matter. And I agree with you that if the draft were started again there would be thousands more protesting in Crawford.