No, I don't hate Bush

The other day a friend of mine who happens to be a strong backer of Bush and I am pretty darn sure that he is a Republican, asked me "Hey Dirk, why do you hate Bush so much?"

Now, I could have launched into a thousand reasons why Bush is bad for the country, bad for the world, bad for the environment, bad for the future, etc... But the thought occured to me that the question that my friend asked me presupposes a few important things that we should unpack.

First, it assumes that by critizing Bush I harbor an anger that immediately dismisses what I have to say. Just because I feel strongly... no that is not enough... just because I believe fervently that Bush is bad for this country and the world, that does not mean that my ideas, thoughts, points, arguments, and more are inherently irrational.

In fact, politics in this country have become endowed with intense emotional fervor. The emotions -- both felt and expressed -- are real and often are tied to lengthy considerations of what this country should be and will become in the future; that my friends is not irrational. That is the expression of care and concern and we need more of it, not less. The fact that I feel and believe strongly is not on the face of it enough to discount my concerns.

Second, strong disagreement does not equate to hatred. I do not hate Bush. I completely disagree on almost everything the politician does and supports; but that does not equal hate. One has to wonder why the Republicans are so eager to color the rest of us with this word "hate".

Apparently we "hate" Prissy Owens, we "hate" Dick Cheney, we "hate" Bush's policies on this and that... by using the word hate it seems to me that the Republicans are engaged in an Ad Hominem attack of the first order. Before we can discuss what is wrong in this country, say the so-called war against terror (you know it as the war without end, the supposed yet wrong reason we invaded Iraq), we have to defend ourselves. We do not hate, we criticize isn't that absolutely an American value? At least it used to be.

Third, the Republicans don't care. Ann Coulter, Michael Savage, Sean Hannity... they do not care if you think they hate. Believe me they really truly do not care if you think that. They will keep shouting and ignoring points and arguments that do not fit their narrow preconceived (thanks Karl Rove) talking points. If you accuse them of hatred, they ignore it and keep pushing "the message."

Therefore, I have to wonder what it is about progressives and liberals that we feel this need to show that we do not hate. The foes of freedom and liberty such as the Republican party do not care if we tell them that they are hating. How many Republicans are shut down when we say "you hated Bill Clinton." Come on, they could care less! They have a point to make thank you very much and they are going to make it regardless of what we say or think about them.

Maybe we should do the same. Of course, that means that we will have to have a clear, concise, and consistent series of points. And we will have to ignore them if they say we "hate".

Oh by the way, I told my friend that I hate no one but Bush is "going straight to hell" for his war crimes, destruction of the environment, lies to the American public, and attack on the most vulnerable Americans. Sigh.... I guess, I could not help myself.