Departments
Is Bush a "Dry Drunk"? This is a Serious, Not Just a Provocative Question
by Michael O'McCarthy
November 19, 2003
In a March 7th Bush Commentary, you note:
"Jack Beatty in the Atlantic Monthly: Beatty suggests ... Bush's apparent belief that God has appointed him to lead
a global crusade against evil.
"He writes, 'If this is what Bush believes, if his talk of Armageddon is not just catnip for the religious right,
then he is in a fair way to becoming the American Ayatollah.
"'Bush's belief in God is based on his personal narrative of divine salvation as a recovering alcoholic. He once
told members of the clergy, 'There is only one reason that I am in the Oval Office and not in a bar. I found faith. I found
God.'"
First, I highly suggest that the two previous articles noted in my piece GEORGE W. and ALCOHOLISM as published In
Counterpunch be read. Michael O'McCarthy: Bush and Alcoholism (Counterpunch - October 19, 2002)
There is nothing, absolutely nothing to indicate in the lifestyle of George Bush that he is a "recovered" alcoholic.
(As indicated above, Bush explicitly implies that he is alcoholic.)
Secondly, recovery means more than that Bush is no longer plagued by the gross symptoms of the disease of alcoholism,
i.e., being unable to stop drinking. Nor does it mean simply being relieved of the mental obsession to drink.
Those two effects in the alcoholic can and often are present in what is called "the dry drunk." As indicated in the
mentioned articles the "dry drunk" functions upon "self will," or by "willpower" to resist the inherent urge to use alcohol
(and other mind altering chemicals), in order to cope with day to day life. What often occurs is that the "dry drunk" finds
another obsession.
In some of the more "willful" cases, the dry drunk internalizes a concept of "God's Will" to justify willful
behavior. This mental obsession that the alcoholic now is possessed with the knowledge of God's Will allows the unrecovered
alcoholic to justify ego driven, highly aggressive attitudes and behaviors in the face of opposition of life on life's
terms. Using this God Given mandate, the unrecovered alcoholic is driven by a form of "self will run riot" that becomes not
only dangerous to the alcoholic, but to all those the alcoholic affects in the daily course of life.
The obsessive nature of mental component of the disease of alcoholism is well noted. The alcoholic will go to any
length to get the drugs they need. Conversely, the alcoholic who does not enter a collective program of recovery, (for
example as found in 12 Step Programs), where their attitudes and behaviors are contrasted with, confronted by, or helped by
those of other recovering, become more and more convinced of the righteousness of their behavior and only surround their
lives with those who support, or enable them. Much like the practicing alcoholic who only associates with those that drink
the same or who enable them to drink alcoholically. It is one way of saying: "You are either with me or against me."
President George W. Bush shows every sign of a mental obsession that is rendering him dysfunctional. This obsession
that he alone is right in his view of the world is driven by the complex ingredients of egomania and inferiority
symptomatic to that found in the medical diagnostic description of the illness of alcoholism.
A simple real world analogy would be to see Bush as the Chairman of the Board of an international corporation whose
majority members were opposed to his policies. In like circumstances, should he persist, as he is doing now, he would
either be forced to resign or be fired, and/or, the Human Resources department would be called in to require mental health
counseling.
|
 |
Recent National Issues Articles
Factory Farming Cattle for Profit Speeds the Evolution of Disease December 28, 2003 Sarah Clark
It's time to overrule the Supreme Court December 23, 2003 Jeff Milchen
Diebold email: 'Make vote printouts too costly for MD' December 13, 2003 Eric A. Smith
Is Bush a "Dry Drunk"? This is a Serious, Not Just a Provocative Question November 19, 2003 Michael O'McCarthy
To Hell and Back November 19, 2003 Bob Zimmerman
Coulter's Right-Wing Drag October 29, 2003 Kellie Bean
Senator Byrd, major media spread coverage of Bush-Nazi nexus October 21, 2003 Harvey Wasserman & Bob Fitrakis
George W. and Alcoholism October 20, 2003 Michael O'McCarthy
Emails Show Enron May Have Influenced FERC Probe On Calif Power Crisis, Refunds October 13, 2003 Jason Leopold
So Rush just wanted a “Rush”; Media accept Limbaugh spin on illegal drug buys and use without questions October 12, 2003 James Boyne, OpEdNews.com
George Bush, the Democrats, and Revisionist History October 12, 2003 Gregory R. Weiher
Schwarzenegger's First Role As Governor-Elect of California: The Deregulator October 9, 2003 Jason Leopold
Stay in Bed October 8, 2003 Daniel Patrick Welch
As Bush Implodes, 30 Ways Desperate Right Wingers Will Respond October 8, 2003 Rob Kall
Congressman John Conyers asks Karl Rove to resign October 8, 2003 John Conyers
Siege Heil: the Nazi Nexus* October 6, 2003 Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman
Loyal Opposition, Disloyal Regent October 1, 2003 Daniel Patrick Welch
Time to act September 30, 2003 Paul Rogat Loeb
National Missile Defense: Bad Science and Wasted Taxes September 22, 2003 Jack Byrom
Republicans Seem to Want to Keep Computerized Voting Easily Corruptible September 10, 2003 Rob Kall
How We Lost The Vote - How To Get It Back Again September 10, 2003 Lynn Landes
We Can Win the War in Vietnam and other chestnuts from a not-so-bygone era September 5, 2003 Daniel Patrick Welch
Lootocracy September 2, 2003 Paul Loeb
The Business of E-Voting and How it Can Put the Wrong Candidate in Officee September 1, 2003 Jason Leopold
After the Governor Sells Out On Requiring Electric and Hydrogen Cars in CA The Air Resources Board Reclassifies Gasoline Cars as "Clean" August 29, 2003 Paul Fenn
The Ill-Begotten: Reflections of Unconstitutional Precedence August 24, 2003 Philip J. Rappa
Storm and Strife August 24, 2003 Philip J. Rappa
A New Psychiatric Diagnostic Category; Politician Syndrome; DSM-IV 333.333 August 23, 2003 Pam Ladds, opednews.com
Founding Father of Neocon Philosophy Leo Strauss and Jefferson's Impending Death August 21, 2003 Dr. Gerry Lower, Keystone, South Dakota
Faith-based drug wars: Bush recruits religious youth groups as ground troops August 21, 2003 Bill Berkowitz, WorkingForChange
Voting Machine Fiasco August 20, 2003 Lynn Landes
Blackouts Happen-California Power Crisis Should Have Been A Warning Sign To U.S. August 20, 2003 Jason Leopold
Who is Michigan's Empire Man? Big Ten University President Does Bush's Bidding August 18, 2003 Brian McKenna
Power Failure; Bush Disaster August 15, 2003 Rob Kall
Ahnuld, Ken Lay, George Bush, Dick Cheney and Gray Davis August 15, 2003 Jason Leopold
Our President is a Criminal July 28, 2003 Daniel Patrick Welch
Yo Democrats! Wake Up! June 2, 2003 Jason Leopold
Read National Issues Articles by Year: 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 |