R
Raymond
Guest
On Dec 24, 2:55�pm, middle class warrior <eelder...@verizon.net>
wrote:
> Raymond wrote:
> > Chemtrail Central :: View topic - Bush Crime Family Drugging...
>
> > Secret Service, U.S. intel say Bush uses cocaine, Prozac, alcohol
>
> > Federal agents question out-of-control White House operating "under
> > the influence" while continuing historical pattern of untested drug
> > usage at highest levels places presidents above the law, jeopardizing
> > the safety of all Americans
>
> > by Tom Flocco
>
> > "It is not for kings, O Lemuel--not for kings to drink wine, not for
> > rulers to crave beer, lest they drink and forget what the law decrees,
> > and deprive all the oppressed of their rights." Proverbs 31: 4-5
>
> > Washington, TomFlocco.com--Secret Service members attached to White
> > House domestic security, FBI and CIA agents, and written national
> > security field reports all confirm that President Bush has been using
> > drugs which could be affecting his performance as the nation's war-
> > time commander-in-chief.
>
> > Multiple federal agents having direct knowledge and access to Bush's
> > medical records say the President has switched from using Ritalin to
> > taking Prozac while also succumbing to periodic alcoholic binges which
> > have led to tirades and explosive personal conduct among White House
> > aides, absent required random drug testing of all public employees and
> > elected officials.
>
> > Federal law enforcement agents have at different times witnessed
> > President Bush doing lines of cocaine in the early morning hours at
> > the White House and drinking straight shots of whiskey in the evening
> > hours on other occasions, according to U.S. intelligence sources who
> > confirm multiple stories appearing in the tabloid press which say the
> > First Lady is assigned to "keep an eye on him."
>
> > Bush's alleged conduct raises serious questions as to what effect the
> > chemicals are having on his oval office decision-making, and why
> > Democrats and Republicans facing coming voter backlash--while
> > undoubtedly having heard the whispers--are failing to call for the
> > release of Bush's medical records for bipartisan congressional
> > scrutiny
> > Cont'd:
> >http://tomflocco.com/fs/SecretServIntelSay.htm
>
> If Bush is using Ritalin, he probably has Attention Deficit disorder
> (ADD). The latest findings on ADD indicate that these peoples brains
> develop slower and the brains never really mature. This could explains
> his academic problems at Andover and in college at Harvard and Yale.
>
> Many of these people succeed in business, sport and the entertainment
> industry, but they would probably lack the judgment and high order
> reasoning that a President needs. This could explain also why Bush
> invaded Iraq. I have suspected that many conservatives have ADD which
> explains their simplistic views of the world.
>
> I would suspect Rush Limbaugh also has ADD and well as some other
> conservative spokes people like Ann Coulter who is �hardly rationale.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
Bush also has "Dry Drunk Syndrome."
The point here is that, based on Bush's recent behavior, he could very
well be a "dry drunk." This is a Serious, Not Just a Provocative
Question. Clearly, George W. Bush still has a problem with alcohol.
The "pretzel incident" was alcohol out of control. George W. Bush has
to be watched and not left alone to drink alcohol. He could do
something irrational as commander in chief.
Dry drunk is a term used, often disparagingly, by members of
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and by substance abuse counselors
Addiction, Brain Damage and the President
"Dry Drunk" Syndrome and
George W. Bush
Dry Drunk Confirmed
by KATHERINE van WORMER
Ordinarily I would not use this term. But when I came across the
article "Dry Drunk" - - Is Bush Making a Cry for Help? in American
Politics Journal by Alan Bisbort, I was ready to concede, in the case
of George W. Bush, the phrase may be quite apt.
Dry drunk is a slang term used by members and supporters of Alcoholics
Anonymous and substance abuse counselors to describe the recovering
alcoholic who is no longer drinking, one who is dry, but whose
thinking is clouded. Such an individual is said to be dry but not
truly sober. Such an individual tends to go to extremes.
It was when I started noticing the extreme language that colored
President Bush's speeches that I began to wonder. First there were the
terms-- "crusade" and "infinite justice" that were later withdrawn.
Next came "evil doers," "axis of evil," and "regime change", terms
that have almost become clich�s in the mass media. Something about the
polarized thinking and the obsessive repetition reminded me of many of
the recovering alcoholics/addicts I had treated. (A point worth noting
is that because of the connection between addiction and "stinking
thinking," relapse prevention usually consists of work in the
cognitive area). Having worked with recovering alcoholics for years, I
flinched at the single-mindedness and ego- and ethnocentricity in the
President's speeches. (My husband likened his phraseology to the
gardener character played by Peter Sellers in the movie, Being There).
Since words are the tools, the representations, of thought, I wondered
what Bush's choice of words said about where he was coming from. Or
where we would be going.
First, in this essay, we will look at the characteristics of the so-
called "dry drunk;" then we will see if they apply to this individual,
our president; and then we will review his drinking history for the
record. What is the dry drunk syndrome? "Dry drunk" traits consist of:
Exaggerated self-importance and pomposity
Grandiose behavior
A rigid, judgmental outlook
Impatience
Childish behavior
Irresponsible behavior
Irrational rationalization
Projection
Overreaction
Clearly, George W. Bush has all these traits except exaggerated self
importance. He may be pompous, especially with regard to international
dealings, but his actual importance hardly can be exaggerated. His
power, in fact, is such that if he collapses into paranoia, a large
part of the world will collapse with him. Unfortunately, there are
some indications of paranoia in statements such as the following: "We
must be prepared to stop rogue states and their terrorist clients
before they are able to threaten or use weapons of mass destruction
against the United States and our allies and friends." The trait of
projection is evidenced here as well, projection of the fact that we
are ready to attack onto another nation which may not be so inclined.
Bush's rigid, judgmental outlook comes across in virtually all his
speeches. To fight evil, Bush is ready to take on the world, in almost
a Biblical sense. Consider his statement with reference to Israel:
"Look my job isn't to try to nuance. I think moral clarity is
important... this is evil versus good."
Bush's tendency to dichotomize reality is not on the Internet list
above, but it should be, as this tendency to polarize is symptomatic
of the classic addictive thinking pattern. I describe this thinking
distortion in Addiction Treatment: A Strengths Perspective as either/
or reasoning-- "either you are with us or against us." Oddly, Bush
used those very words in his dealings with other nations. All-or-
nothing thinking is a related mode of thinking commonly found in newly
recovering alcoholics/addicts. Such a worldview traps people in a
pattern of destructive behavior.
Obsessive thought patterns are also pronounced in persons prone to
addiction. There are organic reasons for this due to brain chemistry
irregularities; messages in one part of the brain become stuck there.
This leads to maddening repetition of thoughts. President Bush seems
unduly focused on getting revenge on Saddam Hussein ("he tried to kill
my Dad") leading the country and the world into war, accordingly.
Grandiosity enters the picture as well. What Bush is proposing to
Congress is not the right to attack on one country but a total shift
in military policy: America would now have the right to take military
action before the adversary even has the capacity to attack. This is
in violation, of course, of international law as well as national
precedent. How to explain this grandiose request? Jane Bryant Quinn
provides the most commonly offered explanation in a recent Newsweek
editorial, "Iraq: It's the Oil, Stupid." Many other opponents of the
Bush doctrine similarly seek a rational motive behind the obsession
over first, the war on terror and now, Iraq. I believe the explanation
goes deeper than oil, that Bush's logic is being given too much
credit; I believe his obsession is far more visceral.
On this very day, a peace protestor in Portland held up the sign,
"Drunk on Power." This, I believe, is closer to the truth. The drive
for power can be an unquenchable thirst, addictive in itself. Senator
William Fulbright, in his popular bestseller of the 1960s, The
Arrogance of Power, masterfully described the essence of power-hungry
politics as the pursuit of power; this he conceived as an end in
itself. "The causes and consequences of war may have more to do with
pathology than with politics," he wrote, "more to do with irrational
pressures of pride and pain than with rational calculation of
advantage and profit."
Another "dry drunk" trait is impatience. Bush is far from a patient
man: "If we wait for threats to fully materialize," he said in a
speech he gave at West Point, "we will have waited too long."
Significantly, Bush only waited for the United Nations and for
Congress to take up the matter of Iraq's disarmament with extreme
reluctance.
Alan Bisbort argues that Bush possesses the characteristics of the
"dry drunk" in terms of: his incoherence while speaking away from the
script; his irritability with anyone (for example, Germany's Schr�der)
who dares disagree with him; and his dangerous obsessing about only
one thing (Iraq) to the exclusion of all other things.
In short, George W. Bush seems to possess the traits characteristic of
addictive persons who still have the thought patterns that accompany
substance abuse. If we consult the latest scientific findings, we will
discover that scientists can now observe changes that occur in the
brain as a result of heavy alcohol and other drug abuse. Some of these
changes may be permanent. Except in extreme cases, however, these
cognitive impairments would not be obvious to most observers.
To reach any conclusions we need of course to know Bush's personal
history relevant to drinking/drug use. To this end I consulted several
biographies. Yes, there was much drunkenness, years of binge drinking
starting in college, at least one conviction for DUI in 1976 in Maine,
and one arrest before that for a drunken episode involving theft of a
Christmas wreath. According to J.D. Hatfield's book, Fortunate Son,
Bush later explained:
"[A]lcohol began to compete with my energies....I'd lose focus."
Although he once said he couldn't remember a day he hadn't had a
drink, he added that he didn't believe he was "clinically alcoholic."
Even his father, who had known for years that his son had a serious
drinking problem, publicly proclaimed: "He was never an alcoholic.
It's just he knows he can't hold his liquor."
Bush drank heavily for over 20 years until he made the decision to
abstain at age 40. About this time he became a "born again Christian,"
going as usual from one extreme to the other. During an Oprah
interview, Bush acknowledged that his wife had told him he needed to
think about what he was doing. When asked in another interview about
his reported drug use, he answered honestly, "I'm not going to talk
about what I did 20 to 30 years ago."
That there might be a tendency toward addiction in Bush's family is
indicated in the recent arrests or criticism of his daughters for
underage drinking and his niece for cocaine possession. Bush, of
course, deserves credit for his realization that he can't drink
moderately, and his decision today to abstain. The fact that he
doesn't drink moderately, may be suggestive of an inability to handle
alcohol. In any case, Bush has clearly gotten his life in order and is
in good physical condition, careful to exercise and rest when he needs
to do so. The fact that some residual effects from his earlier
substance abuse, however slight, might cloud the U.S. President's
thinking and judgment is frightening, however, in the context of the
current global crisis.
One final consideration that might come into play in the foreign
policy realm relates to Bush's history relevant to his father. The
Bush biography reveals the story of a boy named for his father, sent
to the exclusive private school in the East where his father's
reputation as star athlete and later war hero were still remembered.
The younger George's achievements were dwarfed in the school's memory
of his father. Athletically he could not achieve his father's laurels,
being smaller and perhaps less strong. His drinking bouts and lack of
intellectual gifts held him back as well. He was popular and well
liked, however. His military record was mediocre as compared to his
father's as well. Bush entered the Texas National Guard. What he did
there remains largely a mystery. There are reports of a lot of
barhopping during this period. It would be only natural that Bush
would want to prove himself today, that he would feel somewhat
uncomfortable following, as before, in his father's footsteps. I
mention these things because when you follow his speeches, Bush seems
bent on a personal crusade. One motive is to avenge his father.
Another seems to be to prove himself to his father. In fact, Bush
seems to be trying somehow to achieve what his father failed to do - -
to finish the job of the Gulf War, to get the "evildoer" Saddam.
To summarize, George W. Bush manifests all the classic patterns of
what alcoholics in recovery call "the dry drunk." His behavior is
consistent with barely noticeable but meaningful brain damage brought
on by years of heavy drinking and possible cocaine use. All the
classic patterns of addictive thinking that are spelled out in my book
are here:
the tendency to go to extremes (leading America into a massive 100
billion dollar strike-first war);
a "kill or be killed mentality;" the tunnel vision;
"I" as opposed to "we" thinking;
the black and white polarized thought processes (good versus evil, all
or nothing thinking).
His drive to finish his father's battles is of no small significance,
psychologically.
If the public (and politicians) could only see what Fulbright noted as
the pathology in the politics. One day, sadly, they will.
Katherine van Wormer is a Professor of Social Work at the University
of Northern Iowa Co-author of Addiction Treatment: A Strengths
Perspective (2002). She can be reached at: Katherine.VanWormer@uni.edu
wrote:
> Raymond wrote:
> > Chemtrail Central :: View topic - Bush Crime Family Drugging...
>
> > Secret Service, U.S. intel say Bush uses cocaine, Prozac, alcohol
>
> > Federal agents question out-of-control White House operating "under
> > the influence" while continuing historical pattern of untested drug
> > usage at highest levels places presidents above the law, jeopardizing
> > the safety of all Americans
>
> > by Tom Flocco
>
> > "It is not for kings, O Lemuel--not for kings to drink wine, not for
> > rulers to crave beer, lest they drink and forget what the law decrees,
> > and deprive all the oppressed of their rights." Proverbs 31: 4-5
>
> > Washington, TomFlocco.com--Secret Service members attached to White
> > House domestic security, FBI and CIA agents, and written national
> > security field reports all confirm that President Bush has been using
> > drugs which could be affecting his performance as the nation's war-
> > time commander-in-chief.
>
> > Multiple federal agents having direct knowledge and access to Bush's
> > medical records say the President has switched from using Ritalin to
> > taking Prozac while also succumbing to periodic alcoholic binges which
> > have led to tirades and explosive personal conduct among White House
> > aides, absent required random drug testing of all public employees and
> > elected officials.
>
> > Federal law enforcement agents have at different times witnessed
> > President Bush doing lines of cocaine in the early morning hours at
> > the White House and drinking straight shots of whiskey in the evening
> > hours on other occasions, according to U.S. intelligence sources who
> > confirm multiple stories appearing in the tabloid press which say the
> > First Lady is assigned to "keep an eye on him."
>
> > Bush's alleged conduct raises serious questions as to what effect the
> > chemicals are having on his oval office decision-making, and why
> > Democrats and Republicans facing coming voter backlash--while
> > undoubtedly having heard the whispers--are failing to call for the
> > release of Bush's medical records for bipartisan congressional
> > scrutiny
> > Cont'd:
> >http://tomflocco.com/fs/SecretServIntelSay.htm
>
> If Bush is using Ritalin, he probably has Attention Deficit disorder
> (ADD). The latest findings on ADD indicate that these peoples brains
> develop slower and the brains never really mature. This could explains
> his academic problems at Andover and in college at Harvard and Yale.
>
> Many of these people succeed in business, sport and the entertainment
> industry, but they would probably lack the judgment and high order
> reasoning that a President needs. This could explain also why Bush
> invaded Iraq. I have suspected that many conservatives have ADD which
> explains their simplistic views of the world.
>
> I would suspect Rush Limbaugh also has ADD and well as some other
> conservative spokes people like Ann Coulter who is �hardly rationale.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
Bush also has "Dry Drunk Syndrome."
The point here is that, based on Bush's recent behavior, he could very
well be a "dry drunk." This is a Serious, Not Just a Provocative
Question. Clearly, George W. Bush still has a problem with alcohol.
The "pretzel incident" was alcohol out of control. George W. Bush has
to be watched and not left alone to drink alcohol. He could do
something irrational as commander in chief.
Dry drunk is a term used, often disparagingly, by members of
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and by substance abuse counselors
Addiction, Brain Damage and the President
"Dry Drunk" Syndrome and
George W. Bush
Dry Drunk Confirmed
by KATHERINE van WORMER
Ordinarily I would not use this term. But when I came across the
article "Dry Drunk" - - Is Bush Making a Cry for Help? in American
Politics Journal by Alan Bisbort, I was ready to concede, in the case
of George W. Bush, the phrase may be quite apt.
Dry drunk is a slang term used by members and supporters of Alcoholics
Anonymous and substance abuse counselors to describe the recovering
alcoholic who is no longer drinking, one who is dry, but whose
thinking is clouded. Such an individual is said to be dry but not
truly sober. Such an individual tends to go to extremes.
It was when I started noticing the extreme language that colored
President Bush's speeches that I began to wonder. First there were the
terms-- "crusade" and "infinite justice" that were later withdrawn.
Next came "evil doers," "axis of evil," and "regime change", terms
that have almost become clich�s in the mass media. Something about the
polarized thinking and the obsessive repetition reminded me of many of
the recovering alcoholics/addicts I had treated. (A point worth noting
is that because of the connection between addiction and "stinking
thinking," relapse prevention usually consists of work in the
cognitive area). Having worked with recovering alcoholics for years, I
flinched at the single-mindedness and ego- and ethnocentricity in the
President's speeches. (My husband likened his phraseology to the
gardener character played by Peter Sellers in the movie, Being There).
Since words are the tools, the representations, of thought, I wondered
what Bush's choice of words said about where he was coming from. Or
where we would be going.
First, in this essay, we will look at the characteristics of the so-
called "dry drunk;" then we will see if they apply to this individual,
our president; and then we will review his drinking history for the
record. What is the dry drunk syndrome? "Dry drunk" traits consist of:
Exaggerated self-importance and pomposity
Grandiose behavior
A rigid, judgmental outlook
Impatience
Childish behavior
Irresponsible behavior
Irrational rationalization
Projection
Overreaction
Clearly, George W. Bush has all these traits except exaggerated self
importance. He may be pompous, especially with regard to international
dealings, but his actual importance hardly can be exaggerated. His
power, in fact, is such that if he collapses into paranoia, a large
part of the world will collapse with him. Unfortunately, there are
some indications of paranoia in statements such as the following: "We
must be prepared to stop rogue states and their terrorist clients
before they are able to threaten or use weapons of mass destruction
against the United States and our allies and friends." The trait of
projection is evidenced here as well, projection of the fact that we
are ready to attack onto another nation which may not be so inclined.
Bush's rigid, judgmental outlook comes across in virtually all his
speeches. To fight evil, Bush is ready to take on the world, in almost
a Biblical sense. Consider his statement with reference to Israel:
"Look my job isn't to try to nuance. I think moral clarity is
important... this is evil versus good."
Bush's tendency to dichotomize reality is not on the Internet list
above, but it should be, as this tendency to polarize is symptomatic
of the classic addictive thinking pattern. I describe this thinking
distortion in Addiction Treatment: A Strengths Perspective as either/
or reasoning-- "either you are with us or against us." Oddly, Bush
used those very words in his dealings with other nations. All-or-
nothing thinking is a related mode of thinking commonly found in newly
recovering alcoholics/addicts. Such a worldview traps people in a
pattern of destructive behavior.
Obsessive thought patterns are also pronounced in persons prone to
addiction. There are organic reasons for this due to brain chemistry
irregularities; messages in one part of the brain become stuck there.
This leads to maddening repetition of thoughts. President Bush seems
unduly focused on getting revenge on Saddam Hussein ("he tried to kill
my Dad") leading the country and the world into war, accordingly.
Grandiosity enters the picture as well. What Bush is proposing to
Congress is not the right to attack on one country but a total shift
in military policy: America would now have the right to take military
action before the adversary even has the capacity to attack. This is
in violation, of course, of international law as well as national
precedent. How to explain this grandiose request? Jane Bryant Quinn
provides the most commonly offered explanation in a recent Newsweek
editorial, "Iraq: It's the Oil, Stupid." Many other opponents of the
Bush doctrine similarly seek a rational motive behind the obsession
over first, the war on terror and now, Iraq. I believe the explanation
goes deeper than oil, that Bush's logic is being given too much
credit; I believe his obsession is far more visceral.
On this very day, a peace protestor in Portland held up the sign,
"Drunk on Power." This, I believe, is closer to the truth. The drive
for power can be an unquenchable thirst, addictive in itself. Senator
William Fulbright, in his popular bestseller of the 1960s, The
Arrogance of Power, masterfully described the essence of power-hungry
politics as the pursuit of power; this he conceived as an end in
itself. "The causes and consequences of war may have more to do with
pathology than with politics," he wrote, "more to do with irrational
pressures of pride and pain than with rational calculation of
advantage and profit."
Another "dry drunk" trait is impatience. Bush is far from a patient
man: "If we wait for threats to fully materialize," he said in a
speech he gave at West Point, "we will have waited too long."
Significantly, Bush only waited for the United Nations and for
Congress to take up the matter of Iraq's disarmament with extreme
reluctance.
Alan Bisbort argues that Bush possesses the characteristics of the
"dry drunk" in terms of: his incoherence while speaking away from the
script; his irritability with anyone (for example, Germany's Schr�der)
who dares disagree with him; and his dangerous obsessing about only
one thing (Iraq) to the exclusion of all other things.
In short, George W. Bush seems to possess the traits characteristic of
addictive persons who still have the thought patterns that accompany
substance abuse. If we consult the latest scientific findings, we will
discover that scientists can now observe changes that occur in the
brain as a result of heavy alcohol and other drug abuse. Some of these
changes may be permanent. Except in extreme cases, however, these
cognitive impairments would not be obvious to most observers.
To reach any conclusions we need of course to know Bush's personal
history relevant to drinking/drug use. To this end I consulted several
biographies. Yes, there was much drunkenness, years of binge drinking
starting in college, at least one conviction for DUI in 1976 in Maine,
and one arrest before that for a drunken episode involving theft of a
Christmas wreath. According to J.D. Hatfield's book, Fortunate Son,
Bush later explained:
"[A]lcohol began to compete with my energies....I'd lose focus."
Although he once said he couldn't remember a day he hadn't had a
drink, he added that he didn't believe he was "clinically alcoholic."
Even his father, who had known for years that his son had a serious
drinking problem, publicly proclaimed: "He was never an alcoholic.
It's just he knows he can't hold his liquor."
Bush drank heavily for over 20 years until he made the decision to
abstain at age 40. About this time he became a "born again Christian,"
going as usual from one extreme to the other. During an Oprah
interview, Bush acknowledged that his wife had told him he needed to
think about what he was doing. When asked in another interview about
his reported drug use, he answered honestly, "I'm not going to talk
about what I did 20 to 30 years ago."
That there might be a tendency toward addiction in Bush's family is
indicated in the recent arrests or criticism of his daughters for
underage drinking and his niece for cocaine possession. Bush, of
course, deserves credit for his realization that he can't drink
moderately, and his decision today to abstain. The fact that he
doesn't drink moderately, may be suggestive of an inability to handle
alcohol. In any case, Bush has clearly gotten his life in order and is
in good physical condition, careful to exercise and rest when he needs
to do so. The fact that some residual effects from his earlier
substance abuse, however slight, might cloud the U.S. President's
thinking and judgment is frightening, however, in the context of the
current global crisis.
One final consideration that might come into play in the foreign
policy realm relates to Bush's history relevant to his father. The
Bush biography reveals the story of a boy named for his father, sent
to the exclusive private school in the East where his father's
reputation as star athlete and later war hero were still remembered.
The younger George's achievements were dwarfed in the school's memory
of his father. Athletically he could not achieve his father's laurels,
being smaller and perhaps less strong. His drinking bouts and lack of
intellectual gifts held him back as well. He was popular and well
liked, however. His military record was mediocre as compared to his
father's as well. Bush entered the Texas National Guard. What he did
there remains largely a mystery. There are reports of a lot of
barhopping during this period. It would be only natural that Bush
would want to prove himself today, that he would feel somewhat
uncomfortable following, as before, in his father's footsteps. I
mention these things because when you follow his speeches, Bush seems
bent on a personal crusade. One motive is to avenge his father.
Another seems to be to prove himself to his father. In fact, Bush
seems to be trying somehow to achieve what his father failed to do - -
to finish the job of the Gulf War, to get the "evildoer" Saddam.
To summarize, George W. Bush manifests all the classic patterns of
what alcoholics in recovery call "the dry drunk." His behavior is
consistent with barely noticeable but meaningful brain damage brought
on by years of heavy drinking and possible cocaine use. All the
classic patterns of addictive thinking that are spelled out in my book
are here:
the tendency to go to extremes (leading America into a massive 100
billion dollar strike-first war);
a "kill or be killed mentality;" the tunnel vision;
"I" as opposed to "we" thinking;
the black and white polarized thought processes (good versus evil, all
or nothing thinking).
His drive to finish his father's battles is of no small significance,
psychologically.
If the public (and politicians) could only see what Fulbright noted as
the pathology in the politics. One day, sadly, they will.
Katherine van Wormer is a Professor of Social Work at the University
of Northern Iowa Co-author of Addiction Treatment: A Strengths
Perspective (2002). She can be reached at: Katherine.VanWormer@uni.edu