A couple of weeks ago, after watching the third car in a row cut us off on the freeway *, my wife and I started talking about general rudeness levels in the general population, and the seemingly rising tide of the same.
I'm convinced that assholishness is on the rise, and I place the blame squarely at the feet of George W. Bush. Well, ok: His whole administration. Oh, and the Republicans in Congress. But only because they've been allowing Bush to do whatever the hell he wants.
The President of the United States has spent the last seven years doing whatever the hell he wants, whenever he wants, and when questioned he lies, blames other people, or has Cheney tell the person to fuck off. How dare anyone question him? He's the leader, and you're just a follower. Know your place, you dirty little peasant!
And this attitude, shown every damned day by the leader of our country, is obviously going to spread into the population. How can it not? Bush is saying that it's OK to do anything that it takes to get what you want. Who cares if you lie? Just blame someone else. Preferably, the person calling you on that lie.
Bully your allies to get what you want. If they complain, remind them who's on top. They're not the ones that need to be kept happy, we are.
Did you make a mistake? Never admit it! Apologies are for wimps, and there's nothing worse than looking weak. Just keep doing what you're doing, and people will think that you're Strong and Consistent. Stay the Course, at all costs, including throwing lives and money away for years.
It's all about taking care of yourself. Don't ever let anyone get something that you want, no matter how trivial. You want to get onto the freeway first? Go ahead! What's the other person going to do, honk his horn? Boo-fucking-hoo. Push your way ahead in lines, and dare the other people to say something. They aren't your equals; you have no equals. You're the Big Man, and you deserve to win. Whatever the hell "winning" might be, in any given case.
I'm not alone in noticing this. Pakeha pointed to a friend's blog post about the lovely gentleman who decided that enjoying a trip was worth putting a few hundred people in danger. At the bottom of the post, this person asks:
The more I think about this, the more I wonder, is this a sign of the new America? George Bush's America?
Look out for #1. Lie. Misdirect. Needlessly endager others. Cause international incidences. Ignore the advice of experts. Smirk while doing all of the above.
That's exactly what I'm talking about. Maybe Clinton's behavior led to the famous bout of Irrational Exuberance that we faced in the 1990s, but I'll take that over Smirking Assholery any day.
* No, we weren't slow, or preventing anyone from merging, or doing anything else that would justify such behavior. These people were just determined to get in front of us, instead of facing the shame of driving behind a minivan. Also, I suspect that their penises were extremely tiny.
