the banality of dubya

we know george w bush isn't stupid. he even has occasional flashes of brilliance.

but he's thoughtless.

when we learned of the recent national intelligence estimate, statements of colin powell and other present and former military officers, and bob woodward's new book, it became apparent this president never considered the consequences of some of his most significant actions, such as how going to war and reinterpreting treaty obligations might affect the fight against terrorists, the willingness of other nations to support us in that fight, and the morale of both our troops and our civilian population.

today mr bush signed a law, which, in spite of a much-heralded compromise, still contains egregious provisions such as suspension of habeas corpus and power to use hearsay and coerced testimony (as long as it was obtained before a certain arbitrarily chosen date) .

in front of tv cameras he sometimes looks pained when his missteps get questioned, as if he's becoming aware of his failures at last. today's signature of the military commissions act shows he's more likely thinking something like "why don't they get it?"

but i think we can see just who it is that still doesn't get it.