I don’t guess I have anything against other countries creating a category of special people, royalty, people who stand above others for one reason or another. But we decided a long time ago that we weren’t going to do that here in America. We said that "all men are created equal." It would have been better to say "all humans are to be treated as having the same value, the same rights, and the same responsibilities" [but it just doesn’t flow off the tongue]. This week, George Bush has taken a lot of flack for his behavior with the Queen of England. And he deserves it. If you’re not going to play by the rules, don’t invite such people to visit here.
On the other hand, Bush does think that some people are "special." Apparently, Paul Wolfowitz is such a person. He’s gotten himself all tangled up in a tawdry bit of a scandal, and he’s hardly behaved like a Bank President. He may not have committed a crime, but he sure hasn’t risen to the office. Bush says that Wolfowitz should continue to lead the World Bank. I wonder why he thinks that? And then there’s Alberto Gonzales who has bombed as Attorney General – sins of Ommission and Commission. One wonders, in fact, why he isn’t in jail, much less still Attorney General. Bush still says that he has confidence in Gonzales. I wonder why he would say that?
Now there’s Paris Hilton. She got busted for drunk driving and got her license suspended. Then she was stopped for driving, and sentenced to jail time. She’s appealing the decision and asking the Governor for a pardon. I wonder why she thinks she should be pardoned?
Seems like there are a lot of "special" people these days – a Vice President whose Chief of Staff was convicted for doing what he was told by his boss, and a Secretary of State who doesn’t feel obligated to meet with Congress, and a Chief Political Adviser to the President who doesn’t have to testify under oath. I wonder why these people are so "special," why they are immune to things the rest of us have to do?
I expect it comes down to the fact that our President believes he is "special" – the decider, the commander in chief guy, the guy who can wink at the Queen of England, the one who can interpret the laws of Congress however he choses. I wonder why he thinks that? I wonder how he is able to say that these other people are so special, and yet act like a monkey when he’s visited by one of the few people in the world who has been actually proclaimed "special."
Reckon he’s envious? Maybe he should get himself a hat…
The problem with the current administration is that their definition of leadership means that you are in front. You might be stumbling around aimlessly, but as long as you are at the front of the pack you are leading. They won’t take into consideration that if you have a bad map it doesn’t make a damn difference if you are in front, because you aren’t going to end up where you need to be! They need to go NOW!