Bullshit

In a recent humorous but none-the-less honest and serious little book, Harry Frankfurt delves into the concept of 'bullshit.' We all know it when we see it but conceptualising it is hard to do. According to Frankfurt, bullshit is much worse than lying in that a lie and a liar are concerned with the truth. There must exist some respect for it- an acknowledgement that a true account of events and facts exists- even if the idea is to frame the truth in another, even ulterior way. Bullshit, in contrast, is pernicious and unconcerned with the truth or reality. The bullshitter seeks to create his/her own reality, in a sense. Fortunately, since Bush came to office we have all come to know bullshit very well. If he isn't blowing smoke up our ass he's just plain full of shit.

Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on your view), I am not alone in remarking that the recent rhetoric coming from the Bush administration regarding Iran sounds an awful lot like the rhetoric that led us into Iraq. The problem is that now we are aware of his BS world view. Bush has, despite what Cheney thinks, lost a serious amount of credibility internationally and domestically. In short, no one trusts him. All the talk about the danger of Iran and its nuclear programme may be based in truth (I think it partially is) but coming from Bush it sounds like, to quote dear ol Cheney, hogwash. People are convinced that all this talk is just the slow flow of BS as Bush tries to create a case for war (or at least some sort of intervention) against Iran. This is dangerous stuff.

It seems that Bush is about to release a 'dossier' of detailed information about Iran's ulterior motives regarding not just nukes but Iraq. Does that sound familiar? Will Bush convince Colin Powell to come back, shred what little dignity he retains, and attempt to con the UN into believing that whatever is in that dossier is real, not cherry picked as it was for Iraq, and cause for international concern? If Bush really is just creating a case and wildly overestimating, well, everything, does he really believe that people will not just believe him but trust him? Honestly, does the man have no exposure to the real world right now? I almost pity the man (almost). He has spread so much bullshit in this world that he may now be unable to escape his own BS creation.

Now here's the real problem: Bush may be right to distrust Iran but no one is going to believe him. The particulars of the issue defy simple explanation, which is part of Bush's problem. Iran's president is being challenged for his nuclear stance, he has been weakened domestically, and there is a real concern in Iran that he might be hurting the country. (Funny that Ahmadinejad and Bush might have a lot more in common than they admit!) Some are even talking about backing down and taking a break to try and get back to the negotiating table. Iran does not want a confrontation. Whether it really wants nuclear weapons is open for debate and many feel that even if there is a real civilian programme underway that there is also a military component to it.

I am beginning to wonder, though, whether there is much we can do to stop this idiot (Bush, I mean). He is convinced that he is the 'decider' (and bravo to Sen Specter for standing up to him and pointing out that many 'deciders' exist and the Congress is one of them). He is convinced that the world works the way he sees it and with him at the top free to do as he wishes. If there was ever some lame and rather simplistic belief that Bush somehow brought the country together and was the right man at the right time after September 11th (I think any president would fit the bill and Giuliani did a better job anyhow), then it's time to admit that he is likely the worse man for the job today. If anything stands in the way of a peaceful world it's Bush.