"Capt. JG" wrote
...... My question is why did Bush lie about it .....


Vito wrote:
Politicians react differently than other people. If I ask -say- your age, your
first response is likely the truth. That's so common that police and courts put
more faith in it (Raes Gestae (sp?) evidence) than other testimony. With
sociopaths like Bush just the opposite is true - their first instinct is to lie.

I disagree strongly. I don't think President Bush lies
deliberately at all. It's more like what you get if you ask
a precocious 5 year old to solve a calculus equation.

One key point is that Bush *believes* what he's saying. I'm
sure he honestly did think that Saddam's WMD's were the
biggest threat to America. He is at the mercy of his
advisors & what they tell him.

I'm equally sure that he thought his energy policy from 2000
to 2005 was the best thing for America, and sees no
contradiction at all with his statements on energy policy
for 2006 (which sounded like an Al Gore speech from 1999).



Oddly, we all know this yet our own tendency toward honesty misleads us into
believing them. Think about it. Given the man's track record of whoppers why
do we expect anything but lies?


It's not the first time we have had a President who was
largely a figurehead. It's not the first time we have had a
President who was a figurehead for rapacious profiteers.
However, it is the first time (that I know of) we have been
in such a position politically, economically, militarily,
all at once. Bad luck?

DSK

DSK wrote:
It's not the first time we have had a President who was
largely a figurehead. It's not the first time we have had a
President who was a figurehead for rapacious profiteers.

Yeah, but certainly not since WWII and probably not since the 19th
century. I don't think Harding was this bad.

However, it is the first time (that I know of) we have been
in such a position politically, economically, militarily,
all at once. Bad luck?

Criminal negligance on the part of the Silent, Boomer, and post Boomer
generations, namely most of the people born from 1925 to the early
80's. Never have there been so many Americans with their collective
heads up their collective asses.

My Silent generation parents have done what they do best, remaining
silent. My Dad said point blank that he didn't want to know what was
going on. Doesn't prevent them from stating the most idiot ignorance
based opinions possible. Boomers have been incredibly narrowly focused
on their own pet issues to the exclusion of all else, particularly the
right wing 'christians' and their dream of an American theocracy. Post
boomers have done what the Lost generation and all other previous post
Boomer-type generations have done: concentrate on surviving day to day
and trying not to think about the future.

"DSK" wrote
I disagree strongly. I don't think President Bush lies
deliberately at all. .....
One key point is that Bush *believes* what he's saying.....

Our positions are not necessarily mutualy exclusive. I've had the misfortune to
know a couple people like Bush personally. Again, if one asks most people a
simple question they will instinctively tell the truth unless that truth
threatens them. You or I could easily claim to have 120 ft crewed yachts
instead of my old catalina or your trawler but we do not. Some might argue that
our parents crippled us by instilling an instinctive honesty.

Pathological liars do not share that liability - the give answers they believe
best suit their own interests. It may even be true, or partly true, sometimes.
Then they convince themselves it is true, eventually loosing track of what is
real and what is not.

As you say, Bush could pass a lie detector test claiming that Saddam had WMDs he
was about to share with bin Ladin. That's what makes them different than garden
variety liars (Like Clinton and his BJ) and also so dangerous.

Vito wrote:


Pathological liars do not share that liability - the give answers they believe
best suit their own interests. It may even be true, or partly true, sometimes.
Then they convince themselves it is true, eventually loosing track of what is
real and what is not.


You talking about GW or Bubbles?

Cheers
Marty