George W. Bush’s biographer says “he truly loves and relishes life.” Just not Muslim life.
Murderer Loves Life
Ted Rall
Ted Rall is a syndicated political cartoonist for Andrews McMeel Syndication and WhoWhatWhy.org and Counterpoint. He is a contributor to Centerclip and co-host of "The Final Countdown" talk show on Radio Sputnik. He is a graphic novelist and author of many books of art and prose, and an occasional war correspondent. He is, recently, the author of the graphic novel "2024: Revisited."
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Sociopaths don’t have cognitive dissonance, Ted.
Bush’s biggest regret is still trading Sammy Sosa.
Aggie_Dude beat me to it, Ted.
One of my favorite authors is John D. MacDonald. In one of his later Travis McGee stories, he gives us a person who has been a full-blown alcoholic for many months. The alcohol has, in the words of the character’s sister, left him as “a simplified personality.” He’s “almost” there, but the parts that make him complete–the parts that make him a fully functioning human–aren’t all working.
The more I review it all in my mind, the more I realize that the Dubyas of the world genuinely are “simplified” persons. Mix that in with the sort of sociopathy that George W. Bush’s upbringing would have encouraged and forced upon him, and I don’t doubt for a second that he sleeps well at night and couldn’t care about history. I bet his caretakers consider it an accomplishment that he cares about making wash-wash when he does number two.
What monstrous fruit the tree of our civilization produces.
Just before he died, a friend gave me all his John D McDonald books, but I haven’t read them all yet. Could you please tell me which one you’re talking about? I’ll read it next.
Thanks (in advance)
He cares about *HIS* life. In addition to the Muslim lives, the thousands of U.S. military personnel don’t count, either.
Not a response to your comment above, derlehrer, but rather to your request to michaelwme for a source regarding the sales of commutation and pardons in Texas : http://seguingazette.com/opinion/community_columnists/article_00d2c2c2-1ab5-11e0-9da2-001cc4c002e0.html
Henri
@ mhenriday – Thanks for that link; it was an interesting read. When I first read the comment by *michaelwme*, I was under the impression that it was something more recent than “Maw” Ferguson, etc. That’s why I asked for a source.
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I take note from the article: “This law [creating the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles] took the power of direct pardon away from the governor of Texas. He still has to sign a pardon, but on his own he can only issue a single 30-day stay of execution in a capital case.” That wasn’t the impression I got from the post I queried.
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Thanks for your assistance. 🙂
The life for which George Walker Bush seems to feel love is distinctly praepartum. As demonstrated not solely by his actions in places like Afghanistan (which his successor in office has extended to other places as well), but by Mr Bush’s record with respect to executions as governor of Texas….
Henri
Texas had a scandal where a former governor sold commutations and pardons, so the governor of Texas no longer signs the final death warrant, and can no longer commute sentences or pardon condemned prisoners (there’s a committee that does that now, so the baksheesh gets spread more evenly than all going to the governor).
After that law was passed, EVERY Texas governor has tried to take full credit for every execution, saying they were tough on crime (Democrats as well as Republicans, men as well as women).
@ michaelwme –
You have my attention. I’ve tried a “Google” search but haven’t had any success.
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Can you supply a source for what you’ve asserted about the former governor’s (who?) selling commutations and pardons, as well as the unneeded requirement of a governor’s signature on the order of execution? (My search hasn’t been successful.)