Three fateful words: "I'm the Decider"
Fate has terrible power.Note: This is just speculation. But the nature of the speculation may just be worth dreaming of.You cannot escape it by wealth or war.
No fort will keep it out, no ships outrun it.
- Sophocles
An abundance of diaries have come and gone that touched upon George Bush's use of the word "decider" in a recent appearance. Of the ones I caught, none appeared to realize the potential repurcussions of the entire sentence that he spoke. He was put on the spot by a question regarding Rumsfield, and had responded off-the-cuff with "I'm the decider"...
Was I the only one who felt that a gong went off in the background as he spoke the fateful words "I'm the decider" -- like those words were taken down and marked as an important part of history in the making? It could be that my mind was suitably preoccupied with other concerns, but that phrase is important.
It's an acknowledgement of responsibility for the decisions that come out of the Bush White House.
Regardless of whether Karl, Dick or Connie (or Moe, Larry and Curly) are making the actual tactical and strategic plans behind the disaster that our Executive Branch has become, by speaking those three words George W. Bush has just given all the other players a partial pass for the crimes committed, and those yet to be executed.
By saying "I'm the decider" he has done the unintended equivalent of saying "The Buck Stops Here" -- remember that famous line?
But for George, this also sticks him as unable to now claim he was acting under the influence of others -- he's the decider. The others are lackeys. They give him the information and options, and he decides. His decision.
This is bad for George, should he find himself in a trial anytime soon and having to defend his record and decisions.
This could be worse for Iran, if you think there are coordinated business and political interests in the shadows behind these lunatics are acting for personal gain and at cross-purposes to the national welfare. After all, if we nuke Iran, then while the folks in charge on the field and all the way up to George are able to try the "I was under orders / being blackmailed / didn't have an alternative" defense, George doesn't have that luxury. The folks who want him to mess up Iran -- who may not be looking at the potential consequences -- will breath a sigh of relief. They're safely outside the danger zone now, unless they left really incriminating information in George's hands. ("Baaaad monkey! Baaaad!")
If George hadn't spoken those words, he'd still have a little wiggle-room. Very little, but it would exist. Now, with video evidence at hand, his statement can be extrapolated. He's the decider. The buck -- and the investigation -- will stop with him. I don't think he realizes this yet. I doubt he thinks that an investigation will get that far.
One thing is for sure, IMO: he's the decider. The decisions rest with him. The special interests that fuel him are now largely off the hook. They can let him hang, and serve as the deadman's switch to any investigation -- who needs to go beyond the President and his Administration, when you have the man on tape saying that he was the one who called the shots?
Keep a copy of his remarks (available here at Crooks and Liars) for when the tribunal begins. And save it for your kids' or grandkids' future history project. You'll be able to say "I was there" and play the video.
George W. Bush has, I believe, just sealed his fate while protecting whatever the true impetus to his drive toward Iran is. And with it, he may just have sealed the fate of Iran as well.
"We make our own fortunes and we call them fate"
- Benjamin Disraeli
Hmmm, that is an interesting twist. I respectfully, disagree, about the 'buck stops here' message... that is not what the American public heard, and why you may have not seen this perspective in many diaries. A gong went off alright but many of us heard it differently than you.
I'm the decider...said to most of us...I have the 'power' not I am 'responsible'
It was a toddler response to all the generals saying that Rummy must go...Dubya responsed like a toddler being potty trained...he is in control of elimination, and he is the 'decider' for when he will go to the potty.
That is what the public heard. Not responsibility, he shirks that and demonstrates incompetency over and over.
I suspect if we were to ask Barbara, we would learn that he was difficult to potty train and refused to go, just to spite his mother and prove that he was IN CONTROL.
It is this stage of development that is well documented as having long term consequences for adults in terms of autonomy, power and responsibity...and Bush proves it.
Any parent who has ever potty trained a child can tell you that.
Duby defecates whenever, and whereever he wants and there is NOTHING we or the rest of the world can do about it because he
is the DECIDER.
April 20, 2006 9:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
True, the less-than-graceful incompetence that "Dear Leader" has demonstrated is like a spoiled child's arrogance -- no concern for responsibility and no claim to accountability. However, in the context of the speech, the claim "I'm the decider" is what it is: his statement of being the one who makes the decisions, the one with the power to keep or toss Rumsfield.
And therefore, it can easily be coopted to illustrate that he has therefore claimed responsibility for the decisions of the Bush White House. Plausible deniability claims may actually hold less water now.
Esp. if folks keep repeating "He's the decider. He said so himself."
:)
Never, never brave me, nor my fury tempt:
Downey wings, but wroth they beat
Tempest even in reason's seat.
April 21, 2006 3:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
Actually, I heard something different from either whiterosebuddy or greyhawk.
I heard a guy, backed into the corner, repeating something he has been taught. I would bet, on more than one occassion, either Rove or Cheney have had to say to George, 'Mr President, you are the one who gets to decide'. And of course, with Georges's language learning difficulties, he boiled that down in his brain to 'I'm the decider'. And when he got caught off guard, he went back to his simplistic mantra - 'I'm the decider'.
It is truly sad how inept George W. Bush is. It is truly freightening just how gullable the public is to vote the guy a second term in office.
Beware of the fanatics, they never see gray.
April 20, 2006 1:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
I certainly can agree with this as well.
He pretty much said the same thing once before when he was on that ranch of his, when asked about a report saying such and such was going to be done, he told the reporter ' I'm the guy who makes the decision, I'm the Commander in Chief, so it doesn't matter what 'so and so' said, because I get to make that decision, and I am telling you that has not been decided.
To me this was about being 'in charge' again.
It reminded me of school days, when a kid gets selected captain and thinks whatever they want goes and they constantly tell everyone on the team, but I am the captain, and this is what I want. lol lol
April 20, 2006 3:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ditto.
The man has command and control issues.
And he's apparently spouted leaks everywhere.
;)
Never, never brave me, nor my fury tempt:
Downey wings, but wroth they beat
Tempest even in reason's seat.
April 21, 2006 3:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
That is a good point, and perhaps it is what lay at the core of the word selection. It makes the most sense.
Because he spokes the words, regardless of the ultimate source and reason, he has (IMO) opened himself up to accusations of accountability -- something he most desperately would prefer to avoid, given his Administration's wholehearted penchance for scapegoating.
Never, never brave me, nor my fury tempt:
Downey wings, but wroth they beat
Tempest even in reason's seat.
April 21, 2006 3:42 AM | Reply | Permalink