The Cult of Loyalty

In the course of a discussion about Bush's consideration of Just War doctrine in the ramp up to the war, one of my readers points out that JPII had, in fact, taken the extraordinary step of reproving Bush by pointing out the fact that he had discussed attacking Iraq in *July* 2001 and the Pope had told him then it was a bad idea. Another reader then writes:

Just because President Bush decided to go to war anyway doesn't mean he didn't take Pope John Paul II's counsel and consider it strongly in his decision.

To which I replied:

Do we have any indication--any indication at all--the Dubya has ever considered strongly *anyone's* counsel if it does not agree with what he has already decided to do? Does the picture of the White House that has emerged over the past few years suggest to you a place which prizes open consideration of ideas or a place that prizes loyalty and adherence to What the Leader Wants first last and always? Does Bush strike you as an active and engaged intellect or as perhaps the most insular and incurious man to occupy the White House in all of American history? I'm afraid I have to go with the latter assessment in both cases. There's a reason Bush prefers people like Michael Brown, Alberto Gonzales and Harriet Miers: Because loyalty matter far more than competence to him.

As if to illustrate this point, Jonathan Last describes yet another example of the Bush Administration preference for loyalty over facts or competence.

Rod Dreher remarks:

You know how we conservatives are supposed to be all about elitism -- the good, meritocratic kind, in which the best and brightest are rewarded for their skills, their education and their talent by being given lots of responsibility? That doesn't exist in this administration, whose affirmative action for hacks has pretty much destroyed the conservative party's claim to competence.

I do remember a far off time when the conservative position had to do with merit. But then I also remember a far off time when "prudential judgments" had to do with "prudence" and not with stampeding somewhere in a panic. The more time that passes, the more it begins to be obvious that Bush's mind was made up and that facts were merely things to be mined for their utility, not examined for the sake of prudence.