Courage, "resoluteness", a foolish consistency, and the Daddy state

Digby points us to this graven image of the god that is not Jehovah which the wingnuts worship, many of them the same ones who want the Ten Commandments posted everywhere.

Here's the rationale for purchasing this graven image:

President Bush is a Leader who has the courage to lead. It is political courage. It is not poll driven it is conviction driven. It is consistent and does not change because of pressure or threats of political survival. It is reconfirmed every day. It differs from combat courage in that it is thought oriented not reaction oriented. Combat courage does not necessarily translate into political courage. Combat courage is admirable and you only know if you have it when you are in combat. President Bush has demonstrated that he has political courage and this is why he was re-elected. By owning a bust of President Bush, Commander in Chief you will be making a statement and in a politically charged environment, it takes courage.

The other night I was at the home of a friend, her ardent and staunch Republican mother in attendance. The mother said that she likes George W. Bush because "he's honest." Her feeling was that Bush is honest because he's too stupid to be anything else, which is hardly a ringing endorsement, but when you talk to Bush supporters, the same themes keep coming to the forefront -- honesty, straightforwardness, resoluteness. These have largely replaced the "He's a guy you'd want to have a beer with" meme, which I suppose is fortunate, for while Barney Gumble is a funny character on The Simpsons, I'm not sure that hanging out at the corner bar is a qualification for the presidency.

This theme of constancy, though, is something we see in childrearing guides, particularly when dealing with children after trauma. The National Association for the Education of Young Children, in an article written after the tsunami in the south Pacific earlier this year, states:

it is important to remember that young children may be especially affected by disasters. Families and others who care for young children need to provide comfort, reassurance, and stability.

The most important thing families and other adults can do is make sure children aren't over-exposed to media coverage of the disaster. More than any other action, avoiding media coverage will protect children from confusing and disturbing images.

When young children witness troubling events, directly or on television, they are likely to feel afraid and confused. Images of destruction and suffering can cause high anxiety and even panic. Young children are most fearful when they do not understand what is happening around them. Their strong feelings and reactions are natural and should be expected.

[snip]

Offer reassurance through physical closeness.
Holding children brings comfort and a sense of security. Children may need extra hugs, smiles and hand-holding. If they seem worried, tell them they are safe and that there is someone there to take care of them. Hearing a family member or a teacher say, "I will take care of you," helps children feel safe. Young children have great faith in the competence of adults and respond to adult reassurances.

Maintain structure.
Children need consistency and security in their day, especially when the world around them seems confusing or unpredictable, or when adults are preoccupied or upset. Provide a framework that stays the same from day to day. Emphasize familiar routines at playtime, clean-up, naptime, meals, and bedtime. Make sure children get appropriate sleep, exercise, and nutrition. Children may find it difficult to accept routines and limits, but persevere by being firm, calm, and supportive. Make decisions for children when they cannot cope with choice.

In the nearly four years since 9/11, Americans have been like the young children who are the subject of the above article, and they have responded to the President's "consistent" message the way a child would -- as a sign that everything's going to be OK, instead of as an adult should -- by comparing the message to the reality and realizing that this president isn't "resolute", he's delusional.

Changing one's mind and one's approach in light of new evidence is what an adult does. Only a child continues to insist that Santa Claus is real even after catching Mommy and Daddy putting the presents under the tree and eating the cookies. But this insistence on believing everything George Bush says is a symptom of the persistent juvenile state in which American adults have wallowed since 9/11. His "consistency" and the petulant way he has of continuing to insist that the Iraq war ws the right thing to do are reassuring to adults who are still unable to accept that there's nothing special about our status as Americans that is going to keep us safe in this current world. It's that reassurance that keeps them from facing the lies that he told about why he wanted to go to war in Iraq. Because if Daddy doesn't know what he's talking about, it feels to many people as if the rug was pulled out from under them.

In view of the evidence that has come to light that the war was entered under false pretenses, with information they cooked up themselves, and that they haven't got a clue where to go next, other than to continue the failed tactics we're currently using, Bush supporters are like children after the tornado hits, crouched in the corner in a fetal position, sucking their thumbs and waiting for Daddy's reassurance that the danger is past and everything is OK.

In a child, a need for a Daddy who knows everything and who makes them "feel safe" is important and necessary. In an adult, it's pathetic.