more on Must Read: George Bush - "Without a Doubt"

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: John Adams <jadams01 () sprynet com>
Date: October 22, 2004 2:12:43 PM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Re: [IP] more on Must Read: George Bush - "Without a Doubt"

There's an editor at Tor Books, Teresa Nielsen-Hayden, who has a 
widely-read weblog, Making Light, found at 
http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/ (her husband Patrick, also an 
editor at Tor, also has an exceptional weblog, 
http://nielsenhayden.com/electrolite/), in which she recently posted a 
remarkable piece, "Motivation and Doubt", at 
http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/005631.html making 
reference to Suskind's article. I would recommend this piece to anyone 
reading IP. Here are a few bits from it which give a flavor of the 
piece:

"I arrived at certain theories about George W. Bush by a strange route, 
which was thinking about the class of writers who take rejection worst. 
I don’t mean the ones who’re hurt worst; I couldn’t possibly judge 
that. I’m talking about the ones who react with aggressive denial. And 
it seemed to me that the ones I most often saw doing that were 
middle-aged white guys with a management background."

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

"Facts and mechanisms are not the issue. Their relationship with 
success is mystical and emotional. Thus, the person who quibbles with 
the details of their plan is their enemy rather than their ally. Such 
impediments will of course be overcome if the employee correctly 
understands and implements the magic PHB force of will. After all, 
that’s what force of will is there for. In the meantime, by expressing 
reservations the employee has potentially weakened the all-important 
PHB confidence. That’s not being a good employee.

"(Do I need to point out that there’s a world of difference between 
absolute faith in the success of work you do yourself, and absolute 
faith in your own success when your job consists of telling other 
people what to do?)"

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

"A historical note: The corporation that had the most, and most 
fervent, motivational and inspirational corporate-branded pelf I’ve 
ever seen? That would have to be Enron. They were swimming in it – 
everything from posters, pens, and t-shirts to Christmas ornaments and 
fine cut-crystal tchotchkes. And when Enron went boom, and screwed its 
employees six ways from Sunday, you should have seen how fast that 
stuff came flying onto eBay. The saddest ones were the employee awards 
set with little jewels showing how many years of devoted work they’d 
put into the company: Together, we aren’t winners."

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

"It’s not cute, and it’s not funny, and it’s not religion. George Bush 
is running national policy on faith—but it’s not faith in God. It’s 
become something far stranger and more idolatrous.

"What he’s put his faith in is George W. Bush, which is not the same 
thing as saying he believes in himself. He can’t believe in himself; he 
knows he doesn’t know anything. But instead of seeking more information 
and better counsel, he’s abandoned the frustrations of dealing with the 
factual, external universe. He’s now basing everything on the instincts 
of George W. Bush. That’s where the smirk comes from.

"He’s certain he’s right. So was every dotcom investor. So is every 
blackjack player in Las Vegas."

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

And so on. There is also an extensive comment thread--as Teresa says, 
"Note: My readers are the best thing about this weblog. If you’re not 
reading the comments, you’re missing half the fun."

All the best,

        John A
        see me fulminate at http://www.jzip.org/

-------------------------------------
You are subscribed as interesting-people () lists elistx com
To manage your subscription, go to
 http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip

Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/