It is apparently often forgotten that a - if not
the - primary characteristic of Evil is imitation. Indeed, some medieval thinkers referred to Satan as the "ape of God" - a figure akin to the gnostic Demiurge, who fashions a material Cosmos in imitation of Reality. I think it helps to keep this figure in mind when considering the likes of George W Bush.
Consider, for example, the President's recent transformation - aided by a variety of living props - into the leader of a compassionate disaster relief effort, after a chorus of commentators spelled out what sort of behavior they expect of him. Clearly the Administration spares no expense in trying to make W
seem good; but does this seeming do anything to make him good in reality?
Likewise, is there any real value in working with the President in the way that Kargo X suggests to Senator Landrieu? Can the imitating power be forced into doing what's right; or do such efforts only help to fashion a more perfect immitation of good government? Remember that doing what's right - take the example of a genuine investigation - would involve the Devil in unmasking himself. Is such a thing truly possible?
There is an old maxim among revolutionaries: the worse the better. This approach aims exactly at the immitative nature of evil; reasoning that the best way to arouse its overthrow lies in depriving it of instruction in how to appear goodn. At this point that is frankly a terrifying prospect.
Nope, no conclusions here... just exploring a perspective that I very well may not agree with.