Quintessence

To understand the Bush Administration, a good place to start is the work of Leo Strauss, ideological font of so-called neo-conservativism:

"Strauss asks his readers to consider whether "noble lies" (Plato) have any role at all to play in uniting and guiding the cities of man. Are certain, unprovable "myths" taught by wise leaders needed to give most people meaning and purpose and to ensure a stable society?" (from Wikipedia entry on Strauss).

For Strauss and his ideological heirs, the ability to tell well "noble lies" constitutes the essence of effective political leadership. With Plato and Strauss, the Bushites believe that democracy is doomed to fail because people are too stupid and/or too lazy to handle unvarnished reality. Republican attempts to dumb-down public education can only serve to make this belief a self-fulfilling prophecy. /dps

Listen to an account of neo-con war-on-terror fantasy...