The Gaurdian is reporting that, in June 2003, our president said this to a group of Palestenian ministers: "God would tell me, 'George go and fight these terrorists in Afghanistan'. And I did. And then God would tell me 'George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq'. And I did. And now, again, I feel God's words coming to me, 'Go get the Palestinians their state and get the Israelis their security, and get peace in the Middle East'. And, by God, I'm gonna do it."
[The minutes of the meeting are here It isn't clear if the president meant the real God, or his personal God Karl Rove.]
Ok, now a few things makes sense.
First, this is a solution for all the crazy, counter-intutitive stuff our president does. Like the Virgin Mary herself, he blames it all on God.
Take universal health care, for example. Or gun control. Or nation building in Iraq. Or the appointment of Harriet Muirs. Or any one of a thousand other times when Bush took a position that was the exact opposite of his piously professed principles. We, mortals, thought he was just a garden variaty panderer. A hypocrite. But instead it turns out he was carrying out God's will.
Second, this revelation explains the president's serenity and ruthlessness. If a man believes -truly believes- that he is acting for God, he is capable of anything. He can twist the truth, oppress the poor, exalt the rich, despoil the earth, ignore the law -even murder children- without the slightest compunction, the briefest moment of doubt or self-reflection. In history, many men who thought themselves God's annointed agent did just this. Though, to date, Bush has stopped short of murdering children, he does imagine himself to be the president who's never made a mistake. Now we know why.
And finally, speaking for myself, I know that I am absolutely relieved. It's about time we had a prophet serving as president instead of a sinner who might rely on reason, logic, or other tools of the devil.
[HT MisNagid]