The exploits of King Henry VIII have long fascinated me. Even in a time of lesser knowledge, one has to be pretty damn full of themselves to pull even half of the idiocy that he mustered. And yet, as I sit here trying to come to terms with knowing that my government attempted to torture human beings to ret-con the Iraq war to Al-Qaeda and 9/11, the parallels are startling. Maybe it's time to move beyond "Worst President Ever" and expand our scope. Maybe George W. Bush was the worst leader since Henry VIII.
More venting after the fold
Where to begin. Torture. King Henry famously tortured five men (and later executed them all) just so he could frame his wife and execute her as well. Reprehensible.
But what of George W Bush? We still do not know exactly how many were tortured. We know shocking exact numbers for a couple of shocking piles of human trash...but we still don't know the collateral damage yet. Let alone how many innocent people were tortured to try to turn 9/11 into Iraq.
Which is worse? At least Henry was thinking with a head of some sort. He wanted a new beautiful girl and did what he had to do to get her. Inexcusable, but at least you can make sense of it in your brain.
What was Bush fighting for? Why was attacking Iraq worth so much to him? Beyond settling a decade long family annoyance...what exactly did he gain?
Then just look at the two men themselves. Few others in human history have thought themselves so right yet been used by underlings so much. You have to imagine that neither man think/thought their feces smelt the least bit repugnant.
Both enjoyed pretending to be things they weren't. Bush wanted to be a fighter pilot. So he flunked out of the national guard and wound up living his dream for a photo op. Henry...jousted. For real.
And I could go on and on, but you get the point I hope. A man who just months ago was the President of the United States can be compared to King Henry VIII in the same breath with a completely straight face.
There's no need to debate who was worse. The fact that there is a comparison at all is the greatest condemnation of all.
Thankfully, America will not be ruled by Bush offspring. At least the similarities end there.
So, please, a full investigation into the torture matter is a must. Because when you participate in travesty that tosses our nations moral standing back to the 14th Century...heads must roll.