Through the Eyes of Bush

Have you ever thought over the past five years that the America you live in was unrelated to the one that exists for the media and the White House? Have you spent time talking with friends and neighbors wondering why they think we need to fear everyone and that the best course of action is an offensive or pre-emptive one? Do you shudder when you hear others say how great G.W. is and that he is one of the greatest presidents this country has ever seen?
Well, you are not alone. These people function in a state of mind that Maureen Dowd, columnist for the New York Times, has dubbed Bushworld.
In the opening pages of her recent book by the same name, we get a descriptive view of this universe parallel to the reality that we live in. Especially that of our commander and thief. The truth of our reality is out there my friends and we no longer need question our sanity.
Here is a taste of what Bushworld is like:

In Bushworld, flag-draped remains of the fallen are important to revere and show the nation, but only in political ads hawking the president's leadership against terror.

In Bushworld, it's fine to take $700 million that Congress provided for the war in Afghanistan and 9/11 recovery and divert it to the war in Iraq that you're insisting you're not planning.

In Bushworld, it's O.K. to run for reelection as the avenger of 9/11, even as you make secret deals with the Arab kingdom where most of the 9/11 hijackers came from.

In Bushworld, you can reign as the antiterror president even after hearing an intelligence report about Al Qaeda's plans to attack America and then stepping outside to clear brush.

In Bushworld, they struggle to keep church and state separate in Iraq, even as they increasingly merge the two in America.

In Bushworld, imperfect intelligence is good enough to knock over Iraq. But even better intelligence that North Korea is building the weapons that Saddam could only dream about is hidden away.

In Bushworld, there's no irony that so many who did so much to avoid the Vietnam draft have now strained the military so much that lawmakers are talking about bringing back the draft.

In Bushworld, you don't bother asking your vice president and top Defense Department officials whether you should go to war in Iraq, because they've already maneuvered you into going to war.

In Bushworld, we went to war to give Iraq a democratic process, yet we disdain the democratic process that causes allies to pull out troops.

Now ask yourself whose sanity should be called into question.