George W. Bush's television appearance in which he shed tears on behalf of Dick Cheney's accidental shooting ordeal reminds me of a story I heard years ago that taught a valuable lesson.
The efficient taskmaster of the Nazi Auschwitz death camp was praised by Hitler for his efficiency in carrying out the mass executions mandated in the brutal regime's quest to "purify" society in the important early stages of what was intended by the Fuhrer to be a one thousand year rule.
At one point the operational function had to be carried out by subordinates as the taskmaster took one week off from duties due to grievance over the death of his pet cat. The story illustrated what happens when individuals become divorced from reality.
While it is ordinarily commendable to grieve over a deceased pet, this grieving cat owner thought nothing of gassing scores of helpless individuals who had done nothing to personally displease him.
The Bush tear shedding incident along with other comments demonstrating waves of compassion for Cheney are examples of abandoning reality and living in a tragic world of fantasy in which the only sympathies are shown for selective individuals while blinders are invoked pertaining to others, such as the 100,000 dead victims of the Iraq War.
Remember, this is the same George W. Bush who was viewed by White House video monitors raising his clenched right fist and extolling, "Feels good!" when the first bombs were falling in Baghdad.
The attack resulted in tragic loss of life involving innocent men, women and children who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when Donald Rumsfeld's vaunted shock and awe machine was unleashed with blinding ferocity.
The Bush absence of compassion in that instance relates to Bush's mother as well. It was former first lady Barbara Bush who stated in a television interview that her "beautiful mind" could not be bothered by a potentially disruptive matter such as war deaths.
Then there is Cheney himself, on whom so much compassion is currently being bestowed by Republican National Committee commentators masquerading as news anchors for a station that masquerades as a news provider, so-called Fox News, as Neil Cavuto bemoans the tragic difficulties encountered by Cheney this week.
When Cheney as a congressman had a chance to vote along with other House members to condemn the continuing imprisonment of Nelson Mandela by South Africa's ruthless apartheid government, this great man of compassion cast a "no" vote. After all, his clients were doing business with South Africa and shouldn't business come first?
The legendary Cheney compassion was again in evidence when he cast a "no" vote in Congress against the meals on wheels program. Forgive those of us who do not see fit to join the Bush-Cavuto tear session on Cheney's behalf.
It is interesting to observe Cheney's passion for hunting. He might have turned thumbs down on Mandela and economically strapped seniors, but he has always been a vigorous champion of the National Rifle Association.
It is interesting to observe Cheney's passion for hunting. He might have turned thumbs down on Mandela and economically strapped seniors, but he has always been a vigorous champion of the National Rifle Association.
Instead of grabbing a rifle and joining the effort to "liberate" Southeast Asia Cheney received no less than ten deferments as a busy graduate student who, in his words, "had other priorities." When the last one expired he quickly impregnated his wife, avoiding the prospect of service.
Could it be that, as much as he enjoys firing guns, Cheney decided after due reflection that the difference between hunting retreating and defenseless creatures of prey and Viet Cong forces was that the latter possessed the capability to fire back?