Let's begin on the level of personal psychology, of which political psychology is a manifestation. George W. Bush is a power addict and a puppet of the factions he represents. Like many power addicts, he has a history of alcoholism (as well as cocaine abuse). He is what is called a "dry alcoholic"-he may not drink, but he cannot face reality either, and therefore behaves with the same denial as one who does drink. Alcoholics have a compulsive need to be in control of others, since they are unable to control their own impulses and drives. They attempt to assert control by falsely inflating themselves and their causes. Everyone succumbs, on occasion, to denial when their pain becomes too great, but addicts have a particularly flagrant disregard for the truth. They cannot tolerate feelings of vulnerability and when their recovery is not going well, they replace one addiction with another.
Having given up substance abuse, George Bush has adopted fanaticism as a false means of control over his feelings of vulnerability. This is a typical response of people seeking to escape the shame of their past and their disorganized, chaotic experience. Constricting themselves within the bounds of a rigid, fundamentalist, ideological framework allows such people to shelter themselves from the potentially overwhelming levels of anxiety that may be experienced during the process healthy recovery. It allows them to substitute authoritative quick fixes for actually having to think (rather than drink). They fail to develop common sense and reasoning powers to heal the disorganization and panic they experience. They are driven by a philosophy which compels them to react first and (try not to) think later.
Grandiosity is a hallmark of addicts and alcoholics because the most difficult thing for them to cope with is powerlessness. "It doesn't matter whether or not you believe in a higher power," author John Bradshaw tells people in recovery, "just that you know that you aren't it." When in power, these people deal with their feelings of powerlessness by continually attempting to convince themselves and anyone opposed to them that they are all right and others are all wrong. Their sense of loss and defeat are so strong that they need to believe, like children needing their parents' divine approval, that they have "God" on their side.
Polarized, black-and-white thinking is the hallmark of mental illness. Bush and his carefully chosen, like-minded mob represent a huge faction of similar-minded fanatics who project their rigid, fear-based internal structures upon others within a black-and-white, good-versus-evil framework of thinking. Bradshaw writes that alcoholics don’t have relationships, but instead "take hostages." We citizens are expected to observe the unspoken but classic rules that protect the alcoholic head of the family: "Don't talk, don't think, don't feel."
Such "addictive scripts" help maintain the power and façade of alcoholics and addicts. And the amazing part is that we, as citizens, may unknowingly play our parts as enablers, just like children of alcoholics. Sadly, many of us, acting as virtual children of alcoholics, play our parts in maintaining what we hope to be some measure of stability in our systems. As loyal children in an alcoholic family, many people will rigidly deny the extent to which our "parental" powers will go to manipulate and control us with fear. The defenses we may employ in our denials arise in infancy and are only finally uprooted through therapy or through insight that is willing to upset the systems we internalized.
Denial is a primitive defense; children understandably don't acknowledge the alcoholic father's insanity-after all he's the only father they've got. The Bush administration depends upon our continued fear and isolation from like-minded others to keep us bonded to it in ignorance of what it does. Inflated patriotism is but a misguided defense of a system that has the will and means to destroy us for power, just like an alcoholic parent will sacrifice all for drink. As long as we feel overwhelmed and disempowered, we won't investigate our intuitions or connect the dots.
It certainly helps the agendas of those in power if we are chronically too tired, broke and scared to think, feel, and talk. Otherwise, we might find the energy to contemplate the truth, to have insights and inspirations, and to organize. The George Bushes of our country are absolutely terrified of the power of the masses.
