Arianna Huffington has just posted a wonderful piece in which she compares George W. Bush with the 15th century English King Henry V, as portrayed in Shakespeare's play. The parallels are striking. Ex-frat boy ruler engages in a war of choice, in part for revenge ("tennis balls"), in part for reasons of domestic politics:
The dying Henry IV had told his son to engage in foreign wars to distract the people from domestic crises: “busy giddy minds with foreign quarrels.” The invasion of France is supposed to turn frivolous Hal into a strong leader — his youthful indiscretions a thing of the past.
Both men surrounded themselves with those in favor of going to war: Bush with his neocons, and Henry with the churchmen my fellow debater David Brooks dubbed the “theocons.”
Highly recommended.
[Update 2004-06-05 11:32:00] As a writer to Salon commented, there was one big difference between Henry V and George Bush: Henry actually led his troops into battle. He may have been irresponsible, but he was no chicken-hawk.
Posted by geoff2 at June 4, 2004 11:56 AM