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George W. Bush, Man of the Year or Man of La Mancha?
Bush has been compared to Don Quixote many times. In reality it is more accurate to portray him as the Sancho Panza to Grover Norquist's Don Quixote.
Bush, Man of the Year or Man of La Mancha?
!["Quixote]()
"On the right is an image by William Hogarth, one
of the many eighteenth century artists who
illustrated the Cervantes text. Here we see Don
Quixote attacking the barber for his basin, or as
Don Quixote sees it, the Golden Helmet of
of the many eighteenth century artists who
illustrated the Cervantes text. Here we see Don
Quixote attacking the barber for his basin, or as
Don Quixote sees it, the Golden Helmet of
Mambrino." --Transformations in the 18th Century: The Enlightenment
Many people have compared George W. Bush to Don Quixote, but Sancho Panza is perhaps a closer fit. Being "Leader of the Free World" and God's instrument of liberation and peace in Iraq is a complex job, far beyond Bush's modest abilities. He is, after all, a man who does not read, who lacks curiosity about the world, and who never appears before the public unless the audience has been pre-screened to guarantee that his illusions are not disturbed by dissent. There must be someone else defining the President's strategy and agenda, however unskillfully. Most likely the creative genius behind the White House throne is Grover Norquist. Unfortunately for the analogy between Norquist and Quixote however, most people would probably not agree that bankrupting America is a heroic, knightly deed, even as a first step in eliminating the jackboot of government from the necks of free men and women. But as with Don Quixote's deeds, the end result of this folly will be pain and suffering for the beneficiaries.
Don Quixote and Sancho Panza
In Don Quixote and Sancho Panza the relationship of Cervantes' knight Don Quixote to the squire Sancho Panza is explored: "[...] We are quick to read Don Quixote and Sancho as representing illusion and reality respectively. Perhaps this is too quick a judgment. Just as Don Quixote is dubbed a lunatic for privileging his imagination over reality, Sancho is equally as foolish. Though Sancho is able to recognize windmills for what they are, he continues to follow his master on his journey in hopes that he will receive wealth and power as reward."
Of course, George W. Bush is not an ignorant peasant, so the closeness of the fit to Sancho Panza fails in that regard, at least. He is no Don Quixote either. For who is his Dulcinea? Condoleeza Rice? Would that she were a figment of the imagination. But no, she is all too real. Furthermore, Don Quixote is a knight, a courageous warrior unafraid to personally do battle, risking life and limb, while George W. Bush is an AWOL reservist, who fled on 9/11 and who is protected at all times from all danger by many armed men. Nevertheless, the comparison to Don Quixote is popular, as this example demonstrates:
Bush's trip to Spain in 2001 undoubtedly set the stage for Google's 5000+ Bush/Quixote comparisons. 'It was the day Don Quixote was reunited with Sancho Panza. The man who is convinced he is leader of the free world stood side by side with a man whose name and title he could not quite remember, and gave that world some serious advice on the best way to stay free. "Trade is one of the most hopeful opportunities for people around the globe," George Bush informed his Madrid audience sagely, on the first stop of his first trip to Europe as President of the United States.' Surely the $60 billion trade deficit reported on 1/12/2005 has given great hope and opportunities to people around the globe, particularly the Chinese, who reportedly are stealing American jobs (the jobs would have gone to robots anyway eventually, had not the Chinese peasants been available.)
The analogy of George Bush to Don Quixote, however inaccurate, is also depicted quite nicely in relation to the Iraq debacle by "norm" at onegoodmove.org in George Bush Knight-Errant Sans Generosity: 'The Washington Post is currently running an excellent series on the subject. Mistakes Loom Large as Handover Nears. In reading the article I was reminded of Cervantes' Don Quixote. The Knight-Errant who travels the countryside righting wrongs in the name of God. Two incidents from his story come to mind when discussing the War on Terror and Iraq. At one point Don Quixote attacks a group of monks accompanying a corpse. He believes the corpse is that of a knight whose death he must avenge. He charges at the monks breaking the leg of one young man. Quixote introduces himself as a knight whose "occupation and profession" is to "wander the world righting wrongs and rectifying injuries" The young man points out to Don Quixote that he is mistaken, as he was just fine until Don Quixote came along and broke his leg. The leg will be "injured for the rest of my life; it was a great misadventure for me to run across a man who is seeking adventures", he said. A view, I believe a majority of Iraqis are sympathetic to. In an earlier incident, Don Quixote comes across Andres a boy who is being whipped by his master. Don Quixote fulfilling his "duty" sends the master on his way. Later Andres turns up again and informs Don Quixote that everything turned out "very differently from what your grace imagines" The master returned, he explained, and flogged him all the harder telling the boy what a fool he was making of Don Quixote. Andres leaves Don Quixote with some words of wisdom, that should he ever come upon him again, even if he's being beaten "don't help me and don't come to my rescue." This is the Quixote pattern, and this it seems is the George Bush pattern. He acts from what he believes are righteous motives, but in the end causes more harm than good.'
Grover Norquist and George Bush
Now that Bush is preparing to "help" Social Security the same way the he helped Iraq, Medicare, and the US Treasury, it is important that we not listen to the words coming out of Bush's mouth, for yea verily, the white man doth speaketh with a forked tongue. Instead, focus carefully on the words of the master to whom Bush is merely the squire.
'Grover Norquist addressed the opportunity to build the Republican Party through the issue of the privatization of social security. Norquist began his speech with the usual liberal-bashing, declaring that the Right is “people with jobs and who go to church.” Norquist said that “the Left are not friends, they’re not allies, they’re competing parasites” and that if the Republicans take away their resources they’ll just fight amongst themselves. Norquist made his case that the current majority of investors are Republicans and therefore privatizing social security and making all of Americans investors will naturally make more people Republicans. According to Norquist, the privatization of social security will have the added benefit of protecting corporations as well, because the public will view Democrat’s attacks on corporations as hurting their personal retirement futures. Norquist asked, if Democrats no longer have “class warfare” to campaign on, what would they have left? He answered his own question by saying they’ll just become the “weird sex party.” Norquist believes that people who own guns, home-school or send their kids to private school-- the “leave us alone coalition”-- will have all have less need for government and will want to eliminate entitlement programs such as social security.' -- It's Official, the Bush Administration Will Borrow Money to Pay For Social Secuity
Clearly, Grover Norquist is a thinker and an idealist, albeit quite evil :) Phase 1 of his plan, bankrupting the government might just work. Congress shows no signs of concern, nor of patriotism or spines!
The full plan is articulated here and here. Have a nice read!
* * *
LINKS Used or Read For This Rant:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=george+bush+sancho+panza&btnG=Search
http://www.wam.umd.edu/~david/sancho1.htm
http://www.wam.umd.edu/~david/dulcinea.htm
http://www.wam.umd.edu/~david/the.htm
http://www.wam.umd.edu/~david/images/hogarth.gif
http://onegoodmove.org/1gm/1gmarchive/001382.html
http://www.commondreams.org/views01/0613-05.htm
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article3977.htm
http://www.star.niu.edu/articles/?id=508
http://pbahq.smartcampaigns.com/index.php?q=node/196
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-01-11-bush-social-security_x.htm
http://wireservice.wired.com/wired/story.asp?section=Breaking&storyId=974336&tw=wn_wire_story
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=42382005
http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,11928603%255E1702,00.html
http://icasualties.org/oif/
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apwashington_story.asp?category=1151&slug=US%20Iraq%20Weapons%20Glance
http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Inauguration/story?id=406639&page=1
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2005_01/005443.php
http://www.courierjournal.com/cjextra/editorials/2005/01/04/opin-bot0104-2947.html
http://www.briefing.com/Silver/Calendars/EconomicReleases/trade.htm
http://www.briefing.com/Silver/Calendars/EconomicReleases/budget.htm
http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/050113/trade_usa_china_1.html
http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=acJBHE2Fs86w&refer=news_index
http://finance.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,11866894%255E14305,00.html
http://reuters.myway.com/article/20050111/2005-01-11T080859Z_01_N10542739_RTRIDST_0_NEWS-TRADE-CHINA-USA-DC.html
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=7296922
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0110-26.htm
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20050111/a_tank11.art.htm
http://iraqwar.mirror-world.ru/tiki-read_article.php?articleId=36238
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/01/12/MNGMSAORAC1.DTL
http://www.awolbush.com/
http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/03/09/05_wherewasgeorge.html
Many people have compared George W. Bush to Don Quixote, but Sancho Panza is perhaps a closer fit. Being "Leader of the Free World" and God's instrument of liberation and peace in Iraq is a complex job, far beyond Bush's modest abilities. He is, after all, a man who does not read, who lacks curiosity about the world, and who never appears before the public unless the audience has been pre-screened to guarantee that his illusions are not disturbed by dissent. There must be someone else defining the President's strategy and agenda, however unskillfully. Most likely the creative genius behind the White House throne is Grover Norquist. Unfortunately for the analogy between Norquist and Quixote however, most people would probably not agree that bankrupting America is a heroic, knightly deed, even as a first step in eliminating the jackboot of government from the necks of free men and women. But as with Don Quixote's deeds, the end result of this folly will be pain and suffering for the beneficiaries.
Don Quixote and Sancho Panza
In Don Quixote and Sancho Panza the relationship of Cervantes' knight Don Quixote to the squire Sancho Panza is explored: "[...] We are quick to read Don Quixote and Sancho as representing illusion and reality respectively. Perhaps this is too quick a judgment. Just as Don Quixote is dubbed a lunatic for privileging his imagination over reality, Sancho is equally as foolish. Though Sancho is able to recognize windmills for what they are, he continues to follow his master on his journey in hopes that he will receive wealth and power as reward."
Of course, George W. Bush is not an ignorant peasant, so the closeness of the fit to Sancho Panza fails in that regard, at least. He is no Don Quixote either. For who is his Dulcinea? Condoleeza Rice? Would that she were a figment of the imagination. But no, she is all too real. Furthermore, Don Quixote is a knight, a courageous warrior unafraid to personally do battle, risking life and limb, while George W. Bush is an AWOL reservist, who fled on 9/11 and who is protected at all times from all danger by many armed men. Nevertheless, the comparison to Don Quixote is popular, as this example demonstrates:
Bush's trip to Spain in 2001 undoubtedly set the stage for Google's 5000+ Bush/Quixote comparisons. 'It was the day Don Quixote was reunited with Sancho Panza. The man who is convinced he is leader of the free world stood side by side with a man whose name and title he could not quite remember, and gave that world some serious advice on the best way to stay free. "Trade is one of the most hopeful opportunities for people around the globe," George Bush informed his Madrid audience sagely, on the first stop of his first trip to Europe as President of the United States.' Surely the $60 billion trade deficit reported on 1/12/2005 has given great hope and opportunities to people around the globe, particularly the Chinese, who reportedly are stealing American jobs (the jobs would have gone to robots anyway eventually, had not the Chinese peasants been available.)
The analogy of George Bush to Don Quixote, however inaccurate, is also depicted quite nicely in relation to the Iraq debacle by "norm" at onegoodmove.org in George Bush Knight-Errant Sans Generosity: 'The Washington Post is currently running an excellent series on the subject. Mistakes Loom Large as Handover Nears. In reading the article I was reminded of Cervantes' Don Quixote. The Knight-Errant who travels the countryside righting wrongs in the name of God. Two incidents from his story come to mind when discussing the War on Terror and Iraq. At one point Don Quixote attacks a group of monks accompanying a corpse. He believes the corpse is that of a knight whose death he must avenge. He charges at the monks breaking the leg of one young man. Quixote introduces himself as a knight whose "occupation and profession" is to "wander the world righting wrongs and rectifying injuries" The young man points out to Don Quixote that he is mistaken, as he was just fine until Don Quixote came along and broke his leg. The leg will be "injured for the rest of my life; it was a great misadventure for me to run across a man who is seeking adventures", he said. A view, I believe a majority of Iraqis are sympathetic to. In an earlier incident, Don Quixote comes across Andres a boy who is being whipped by his master. Don Quixote fulfilling his "duty" sends the master on his way. Later Andres turns up again and informs Don Quixote that everything turned out "very differently from what your grace imagines" The master returned, he explained, and flogged him all the harder telling the boy what a fool he was making of Don Quixote. Andres leaves Don Quixote with some words of wisdom, that should he ever come upon him again, even if he's being beaten "don't help me and don't come to my rescue." This is the Quixote pattern, and this it seems is the George Bush pattern. He acts from what he believes are righteous motives, but in the end causes more harm than good.'
Grover Norquist and George Bush
Now that Bush is preparing to "help" Social Security the same way the he helped Iraq, Medicare, and the US Treasury, it is important that we not listen to the words coming out of Bush's mouth, for yea verily, the white man doth speaketh with a forked tongue. Instead, focus carefully on the words of the master to whom Bush is merely the squire.
'Grover Norquist addressed the opportunity to build the Republican Party through the issue of the privatization of social security. Norquist began his speech with the usual liberal-bashing, declaring that the Right is “people with jobs and who go to church.” Norquist said that “the Left are not friends, they’re not allies, they’re competing parasites” and that if the Republicans take away their resources they’ll just fight amongst themselves. Norquist made his case that the current majority of investors are Republicans and therefore privatizing social security and making all of Americans investors will naturally make more people Republicans. According to Norquist, the privatization of social security will have the added benefit of protecting corporations as well, because the public will view Democrat’s attacks on corporations as hurting their personal retirement futures. Norquist asked, if Democrats no longer have “class warfare” to campaign on, what would they have left? He answered his own question by saying they’ll just become the “weird sex party.” Norquist believes that people who own guns, home-school or send their kids to private school-- the “leave us alone coalition”-- will have all have less need for government and will want to eliminate entitlement programs such as social security.' -- It's Official, the Bush Administration Will Borrow Money to Pay For Social Secuity
Clearly, Grover Norquist is a thinker and an idealist, albeit quite evil :) Phase 1 of his plan, bankrupting the government might just work. Congress shows no signs of concern, nor of patriotism or spines!
The full plan is articulated here and here. Have a nice read!
* * *
LINKS Used or Read For This Rant:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=george+bush+sancho+panza&btnG=Search
http://www.wam.umd.edu/~david/sancho1.htm
http://www.wam.umd.edu/~david/dulcinea.htm
http://www.wam.umd.edu/~david/the.htm
http://www.wam.umd.edu/~david/images/hogarth.gif
http://onegoodmove.org/1gm/1gmarchive/001382.html
http://www.commondreams.org/views01/0613-05.htm
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article3977.htm
http://www.star.niu.edu/articles/?id=508
http://pbahq.smartcampaigns.com/index.php?q=node/196
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-01-11-bush-social-security_x.htm
http://wireservice.wired.com/wired/story.asp?section=Breaking&storyId=974336&tw=wn_wire_story
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=42382005
http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,11928603%255E1702,00.html
http://icasualties.org/oif/
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apwashington_story.asp?category=1151&slug=US%20Iraq%20Weapons%20Glance
http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Inauguration/story?id=406639&page=1
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2005_01/005443.php
http://www.courierjournal.com/cjextra/editorials/2005/01/04/opin-bot0104-2947.html
http://www.briefing.com/Silver/Calendars/EconomicReleases/trade.htm
http://www.briefing.com/Silver/Calendars/EconomicReleases/budget.htm
http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/050113/trade_usa_china_1.html
http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=acJBHE2Fs86w&refer=news_index
http://finance.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,11866894%255E14305,00.html
http://reuters.myway.com/article/20050111/2005-01-11T080859Z_01_N10542739_RTRIDST_0_NEWS-TRADE-CHINA-USA-DC.html
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=7296922
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0110-26.htm
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20050111/a_tank11.art.htm
http://iraqwar.mirror-world.ru/tiki-read_article.php?articleId=36238
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/01/12/MNGMSAORAC1.DTL
http://www.awolbush.com/
http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/03/09/05_wherewasgeorge.html
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