It is funny how they are so willing to accept resposibility, but never mention, or expect to endure consequences.

Nice piece.  Perhaps it is merely quaint (to appropriate Attorney General Gonsalez’s language) to suggest that tendering one’s resignation after a significant failure or judgment or performance might put some teeth into the otherwise vacuous assertions of Bush, Cheney, Chertoff et al that they “take full responsibility.”

Norman,

Good piece. Spot on.

There’s one more point I’d like to add that your article prompted me think about. In fact, it has a lot to do with Bush and his appeal and popularity.

This “I take full responsibility” line (as you note with your examples) is more of a Bush thing than a Cheyney thing. In fact, I’ve read Bush had to push Cheyney to do this and he found him a soft pillow to land on at pseudo-news channel Fox and with pseudo-journalist Hume.

In both the examples you cite, where Bush said “I take full responsibility” he later on explicitly, or by inference always adds, “and I did it for you.” Beauty huh?

Unlike any leader in my memory he has constantly reaffirmed the idea that his actions are all to be understood within the context of his personal understanding of his presidential responsibility - “to protect us.”

He almost always makes it personal. He is not there to lead or defend America, and even tells us that we may not like him but we always know what he stands for and that is again by inference, to protect us.

This is decidedly in line with the character of a man re-made from a life of family neglect and substance abuse by the literalism of fundamentalist Christianity.

It is a kind of moral blackmail.

Like Jesus, who died for our sins, he does this for us, so we should not challenge him or ever question his motives.

So whether it’s illegal wiretaps or invading sovereign nations without cause or provocation, expending our troops’ lives like disposable lighters, or declassifying the security status of intelligence officers, like “Jesus Would Do”, he’s doing it for us.

Pretty smart actually. Mainly because it works. And of course, incredibly Messianic .

NOTE: I’m not sure by the way Fadel Abdallah, that we are so much a “nation of sheep” as much as we are a nation of consumers. We are marketed to, not informed. Everything including the news is riddled with the interests of commerce; and everything, even our politicians are delivered unto us as “Brands”. It’s a sad state but not a dire – that is to say irreversible - one. It simply takes a revolution in thinking and a commitment by everyone who cares enough to get off their asses and do something other than complain.

If that’s what you mean by a “people’s revolution” then I agree. If what you mean is what people meant back in the 60’s and 70’s, let me save you some time, it’s vanity. Get over it. Get engaged and change this world. It is all there is.

On the eve of the Normandy Invasion in 1944, General Dwight Eisenhower composed two letters to send to Washington; one if the invasion succeeded, and one if it failed. The second one was brief and succinct:

“Our landings have failed and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based on the best information available. The troops, the air and the navy did all that bravery could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone.”

Eisenhower was willing to accept blame and fault along with responsibility. I have no doubt he would have tendered his resignation to Roosevelt along with that letter.

That’s leadership.

Rhetorically speaking, this is indeed a great article. However, I am sick and tired of being sick and tired about a sheepish nation, watching evil Bush highjacking and mocking democracy, and turning a democratic nation into a police state, while nicely accepting responsibilty for one disaster after another, and yet there is no action on part of a good segment of this sleepy nation to dethrone him from the throne he made for himself, while every body cowed under the blanket of the culture of fear, he manipulatively created. Where is the revolutionary ferver America?! Peaceful democratic change is an illusion, for democracy was something from the past. Only a people’s revolution have a chance to restore democracy!