| OPINION
| SEPTEMBER 28, 2005
Qualifying Expertise
Those who feel undeserving, unqualified
should be a ‘Bush-sympathizer’
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| The Shorthorn: Alex Pierce |
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It is no secret that the recent turn of
events in the world has caused serious disturbance in my inner tranquility.
Burdened with the knowledge that the theoretical America I believe
in is light-years away from the actual America I be livin’
in, and to feel better about myself, I’ve shifted my focus
onto someone I feel sympathy for: George W. Bush.
Anyone who has ever had a job that they are completely undeserving
of and unqualified for should be a Bush-sympathizer.
Prior to being president of the U.S., Bush spent his time as governor
of Texas. And as anyone familiar with Texas government knows, the
real power rests with the lieutenant governor. The governor of Texas
has about as much power as San Francisco during a brownout.
Since some of the key job qualifications to being president are
the ability to maintain a full head of hair and the ability to read
a teleprompter, not being qualified to hold the office is an accomplishment
in and of itself. Lincoln and Jefferson’s days of presidential
importance have long gone. Now the position of president is akin
to that of a quarterback recruited to a successful college football
program. He is not brought in to make any revolutionary changes,
just to implement the system given to him by the people behind the
scenes.
The president of the U.S. is “the leader of the free world”
in the same manner in which Dr. Dre is a “doctor,” just
because that’s what everybody calls him.
My sympathy extends past Bush, the man, to Bush, the administration.
In order to deal with a figurehead who has the political experience
of Mayor McCheese, the brains behind the Bush administration obviously
felt a strong obligation to surround Junior with colleagues equally
inept in order to play down his lack of experience. Even though
this current administration didn’t invent cronyism —
favoritism shown to old friends without regard for their qualifications,
as in political appointments to office — it certainly has
turned the practice into an art form.
A prime example is Michael Brown, former Federal Emergency Management
Agency director. Even though Brown had virtually no disaster-relief
experience, he received a high-ranking position as director because
of his ties to the 2000 presidential election campaign. Thankfully,
he stepped down before there were any horrible, apocalyptic disasters
in which his department was slow to respond to the needs of tens
of thousands of disaster victims. Oh, wait a minute, scratch that
last sentence.
While it is a lot easier to vent criticism than to show compassion,
we must not give into that animalistic nature. Rather than blame
the people who are undoubtedly responsible for the current climate
of distrust and lack of confidence some have in our governing body,
we should show our compassion by continuing to turn a blind eye
to a political system ripe with incompetence and corruption.
— Demond Reid is a graduate student and a staff columnist
for The Shorthorn
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