The nation's psyche
First it's Camus, now this. Pretty soon the guy will show up wearing a turtle neck.
No. How can the "psyche" of the country (does the country have a psyche?) be strained by a war in which only a small percentage of the population -- those with loved ones in the military -- is affected. A war in which no taxes are raised, no consumption is rationed, and no draft is threatened does not strain the psyche of the nation.
The "psyche" he's talking about are the collective fears of the 101st fighting keyboardists and the "prowar" crowd who are now nervously finding that "the country" no longer supports an open-ended commitment to taking sides in an Iraqi civil war. The psyche he's worried about is that of Bill Kristol and his like, who can now be seen on TV babbling on and on about the need for more indescriminate killing in Iraq.
The "country's" psyche is merely exhausted. Worn out by terror alerts that seem to strike every time preznit's approval rating nears the Mendoza line and a deep sense that our country's reputation and strength have been dealt a grave blow by a war that makes no sense, conducted by an administration that has none either.
“These are challenging times, and they’re difficult times, and they’re straining the psyche of our country,” Mr. Bush said in an hourlong news conference. “Nobody wants to turn on their TV on a daily basis and see havoc wrought by terrorists.”
No. How can the "psyche" of the country (does the country have a psyche?) be strained by a war in which only a small percentage of the population -- those with loved ones in the military -- is affected. A war in which no taxes are raised, no consumption is rationed, and no draft is threatened does not strain the psyche of the nation.
The "psyche" he's talking about are the collective fears of the 101st fighting keyboardists and the "prowar" crowd who are now nervously finding that "the country" no longer supports an open-ended commitment to taking sides in an Iraqi civil war. The psyche he's worried about is that of Bill Kristol and his like, who can now be seen on TV babbling on and on about the need for more indescriminate killing in Iraq.
The "country's" psyche is merely exhausted. Worn out by terror alerts that seem to strike every time preznit's approval rating nears the Mendoza line and a deep sense that our country's reputation and strength have been dealt a grave blow by a war that makes no sense, conducted by an administration that has none either.
posted by John at 11:10 AM
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