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Article #221: Bush- the Young Adult (Part1 in a short series of the Mismaking of a President)

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Looking at the beginning of Bush's young the war in Vietnam or not. It could be
adult life, there are already important argued that this was perhaps his first
indications of tendencies to "tune out of "realistic" choice. In some reports he
reality.' Bush himself admits to has said that he was opposed to the war
"drinking too much" and described his at the time and it was clearly already
life as the "nomadic" times of an lost. So, with a more than comfortable
"irresponsible youth." professional life awaiting him, the
option of risking his life needlessly, if
BUSH - THE YOUNG ADULTINTRODUCTION it could be avoided, might seem the most
From the beginning of his Presidency realistic thing to do many people.
George W. Bush has been the butt of jokes Evidently, he had luxuries or different
concerning his apparent low intelligence principles which his father and
and cultural narrowness. His infamous grandfather didn't enjoy when they were
"Bushisms," his failure to prepare for expected to fight.
press conferences and interviews; his Bush's wish was immediately granted,
evident lack of knowledge of world although it necessitated some powerful
affairs, his repetitious replies and string-pulling on the part of family
ineptitude at answering journalists connections. He was just 12 days from the
questions on "his feet" have all expiration of his student exemption and
contributed to reinforcing an image of a the waiting list in Texas was one and a
somewhat lower than average intelligence. half years. Nevertheless, he was accepted
This has been compounded by the fact that the day he applied and got a record-time
he himself has purposely cultivated a promotion. Sadly, however, his time in
public persona of the "sleeves-rolled the National Guard was again to be a pale
up," working guy's man of the people.". shadow of the achievements of his father
An image that some would say is also in and grandfather. Again, like Yale, he
line with his own feelings of seemed to spend more staggering around,
intellectual inferiority and antagonism rather than following in their footsteps.
towards his intellectual piers. There is little evidence to suggest that
Bush, however, is nothing of the sort. It his fact-tracking promotion to the 11th
is true that he has narrow, provincial, Fighter Squadron was due to any
cultural horizons, but his IQ is slightly outstanding service record. Of course he
higher than average by normal indicators. learned to fly, but it seems that he was
His SAT results show this, and although able to become a 2nd lieutenant without
he far from excelled at school and going through officer school or earning
college, he did scrape through Yale and the necessary qualifications. Indeed,
acquire an MBA from Harvard Business there is little to show that he worked
School. He's not dumb and he's certainly hard at being a good soldier or respected
no farmer. His upbringing was in the East his obligations and duties to the full.
among the families of the political In fact, he seems to have made every
elite, from which he emanated. And, effort and taken every opportunity to the
although political influence and least possible to stay in the service and
patronage have aided him all of his life to be away from for as long as periods
he has shown some talents for political were possible. Long periods of leave are
strategy and electioneering, shrewdness recorded, such as two month vacations and
and times of talent which were above extended time away working on his
average and which played some roll in father's campaigns. He even tried to get
getting him to the White House. himself transferred to a postal service,
Bush was not simply unequipped for the "ghost" base in Alabama, where there was
job, he was immature for it. To no work and no planes. Although his
understand his outlook and his actions, request was denied, after he had moved
one, therefore, has first to have an there, for some reason he still hung
overview of his personality, which the there, until being called for an annual
times shaped and the contradictions in it physical.
that emerged upon taking office. However, for reasons still unexplained
Therefore, starting with his years as a Bush either failed to turn up for his
student, through National Guard Service, examination or flunked it. His military
business life and political office, we records are sealed, but we know that
will map out the main life events and consequently he was grounded and lost his
experiences which created the current flight status. At the time compulsory
President and which also characterize drug tests had been introduced and it has
much of the collective thinking and been suggested he either didn't turn up
behaviour of those close to him in his for fear of flunking them or failed the
Administration. urine analysis. Moreover, around the time
Student Life in 1972, for some reason Bush registered
Looking at the beginning of Bush's young for community service in an inner city
adult life, there are already important Houston Program for troubled youths
indications of tendencies to "tune out of called P.U.L.L. It has been suggested
reality," as a general pattern of that this was arranged by his father
behaviour. Bush was notorious for his after he caught him drink driving again,
drinking and partying. Rather than it but a new book suggests that Bush was in
being just a matter of occasional student fact busted for cocaine possession and
high-spirited, overindulgence, Bush lived avoided jail or formal charges by
the permanent party life. It became his enrolling on the programme.
main preoccupation at the expense of After all this he just appears to have
studies and more healthy social idled away the rest of his duty time on
recreation. Newsweek magazine reported heavy partying, until he managed to
that he "went to Yale but seems to have wangle himself out of the service a full
majored in beer drinking at the Deke 10 months early, in order to go to
House." He joined the secret societies Harvard Business School.
and was known as the party guy. Like his university life, his state of
Unlike his father or grandfather, he mind in the National Guard seems to have
neither excelled as a scholar or as a been quite out of line with the reality
sportsman. He seemed unable to know when of his situation and unconcerned with
to say stop and to knuckle down to the fulfilling his duties and obligations to
reality of serious college life. All of the best of his abilities. Theoretically
this seems to show that he didn't really he was a member of National Guard, but,
grasp the reality of the exceptionally, in practice, he was physically absent
privileged opportunity presented to him from it for a great deal of the time and
and, instead escaped into the inebriated psychologically divorced from it most of
haze of the social fringes. the time. Yet again, he didn't seem to
Being a good student is not the sole realize how exceptionally lucky he was to
preserve of eggheads. Youthful excess is avoid Vietnam or that he should make the
inevitable. As a one type of right of best of his time there. He showed no
passage, it offers one the chance to ability to adapt to new conditions and
develop social skills, but also tests if exploit the situation for his own
you are capable of balancing between a development. He relied on patronage
healthy social and working life. Being a rather than personal commitment to get
student challenges and develops your head and also to get out of service and,
ability to manage emotions, think clearly indeed, out of trouble whenever he
and behave appropriately. It provides the needed.
temptations and then measures if you are During his time there, there is no hint
up to the task of viewing college as a of the maturation of into man set on
chance to live one big party, or whether making something of himself. Instead, one
you see it realistically as a golden has the impression of a kid with his
opportunity to broaden your knowledge, hands in his head at the end of his bunk
gain good qualifications and prepare a stamping his feet and putting about not
solid future for yourself? Being a wanting to be here. Life in the National
student tests personal powers of Guard appears to have been a continuation
emotional management, self-discipline and of an adolescent attitude to life shown
application, perseverance and structure. in Yale. His rebellion against limits and
To the partial surprise and amusement of rules persisted. Whatever, the emotional
the British public, even the British conflicts and instability that
royal family make a point of sending all underpinned this, he proved incapable of
their princes (and princesses) through "getting real" with his situation and
top public schools, universities and then striving to make the best of it. Doing
on to a period in the Armed Forced before something one doesn't want to do, but
public office, as away of knows one should, is not a question of
character-building and ensuring that they IQ, but EQ. It involves the emotional
don't end up being photographed talking maturity and internal personal skills to
to themselves, naked on the battlements overcome feelings of opposition. Many
of some windy Scottish castle by groups people faced with their tax returns are
of American and Japanese tourists. It intelligent enough to do them on time,
helps to "keep their heads on their but have to wrestle with themselves to
shoulders", giving them a better sense of get themselves to sit down and do them.
reality, when a royal upbringing might The same is true at college when faced
otherwise just them drift off into some with all forms of temptations and even
Shakespearean-like stratosphere. more so in the military, when not doing
Likewise, attending places like Andover so can put your life and that of others
Academy, Yale and Harvard are aimed at at risk. Bush's low emotional
grooming the offspring of the American intelligence - his lack of
elite to continue the dynastic traditions responsibility, duty, commitment,
of their family lineages in business and engagement and perseverance that were
politics. witnessed in college, became even more
Bush did get a pass at Yale and later got striking when measured against the
an MBA from Harvard Business School. But seriousness of his duties as a military
one always wonders how much it helped to man. His record was one of avoiding
tip the balance in your favour, by obligations, shirking responsibilities
stemming from the ranks of the political and escaping from service as often as was
nobility. Even if we were to give Bush possible. Yet again, he appeared
the benefit of the doubt that he did "get tuned-out of the reality of where he was,
real" at some point in his studies, the what was demanded of him and what he need
overall picture of his student life to prove. The stamina, self-discipline
doesn't suggest someone who was well and conscientiousness, which the army
tuned into reality, but rather someone helps to bring to future leaders,
who spent most of his time getting appeared to make no imprint on him.
tuned-out. Bush himself admits to In general, more than college life, it
"drinking too much" and described his seems to be an unhappy period for him.
life as the "nomadic" times of an Although he did like in Yale where he did
"irresponsible youth." His interesting achieve a pass, he did learn to fly, but
use of the term "nomadic" seems to then lost his wings. There are no
confirm a picture of somebody without a indications that he progressed in
clear and realistic view on life - a self-awareness, self-regard and certainly
nomad, a person lost, confused and not in self-actualization. As for his
extremely thirsty! interpersonal skills, this would have
Excessive and habitual consumption of been a time crucial to learning good team
alcohol is obviously indicative of a need building and group skills, especially for
to escape reality. It is a way of running an officer and potential future political
away from the real world and blocking out leader. But, he did set any examples and
reality and its expectations and appeared to be more of a loner,
obligations. Living in a world of preferring to get away from base to
parties, "wine women and song," is a party, vacation or campaign for his
world of fantasies, where the father. Again this points to very poor
responsibilities and demands of the real skills at relating to people and
world are ignored or avoided. situations, building sound relations
Consequently, Bush missed an opportunity based on respect and social ease, and
to learn how to strike a healthy balance most of all a lack of social
between study and fun. He had clearly no responsibility in terms of being able to
appreciation of what an exceptionally co-operate and contribute to one's social
lucky position he had been handed to have group, be socially responsible and accept
a scholarship at such a prestigious seat the norms, rules and regulations as they
of learning. He couldn't put the are.
situation into realistic perspective. In Clearly, both the college and the
truth he squandered the chance. He didn't National Guard experiences don't suggest
learn the importance of self-discipline a person who has begun to set himself
and diligence. He failed to acquire the life goals and set himself benchmarks in
ability to apply himself to the job at terms of behaviours, skills and
hand, train his memory, sharpen his achievements need for him to get there.
aptitudes for analysis, and strength his Instead he doesn't seem to have known who
powers of problem solving. All of which he was and where he was going. If he did
he would need dearly in his later already harbour any aspirations to high
careers. political office at this time, especially
National Guardsman the Presidency, he certainly had no idea
The next step for Bush was military life about how important it was for him to
or, rather, what many say was dodging the practice self-discipline and application,
draft and joining the National Guard. As as well as to strive towards achievements
going to Yale was a done deal, perhaps and self-development, in the knowledge
the first real decision Bush had to make that his performance would be taken into
in his life was whether to sign up for account for the future.






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