Eventually, people outgrow their hubris. Nuance and humility supplant dogmatism as virtues to live by. If we're lucky, we're able to admit to ourselves and others that we don't know everything, and that we may be ignorant about most things. As we grow older, most of us bristle at being considered evil.
There is one notable exception, though.
While watching President Bush's news conference yesterday, I was struck by his unwavering support for policies that have proven to be unmitigated disasters for the United States.
When asked by a reporter why Americans should consider the Bush White House a credible source about al-Qaida's plots, given its lousy track record on intelligence, Mr. Bush answered with a tautology: "I'm credible because I read the intelligence."
It was a moment that crystallized everything wrong about the Bush administration -- from its overweening arrogance to its inflexibility in the face of mounting failure.
Mr. Bush may be the first president to be regarded by future generations as both evil and stupid.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07145/789000-153.stm
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I wonder if Bush even knows what hubris is. Oh, what was I thinking? Our education president -- who last summer read "the three Shakespeares" -- must be well-versed in Grecian Tragics.
