"Managing" Dissent
or
The 'W' is for 'Weenie'

You've seen this at the Post on the White House manual for "deterring potential protesters" at Bush's appearances.

Presumably no comment on this is needed, but I will just say that among the relatively few things I've actually learned in my life is this: that one of the best indicators of intellectual and moral corruption is an inability to admit when you're wrong. A whole order of magnitude beyond that is the inability to even tolerate disagreement.

Now, think about how astonishing it is that the man who is allegedly the president of all of us, the leader of the free world has these vices. It's his freakin' job to tolerate and consider dissenting opinions. In fact, it's his duty.

In any case of complex and difficult disagreement, you probably ought to have at least some degree of doubt about whether or not you are right. But here's a non-trivial indicator of corruption in your opponent: he won't even listen to the opposition. (This is one reason to cling for dear life to your willingness to consider opposing arguments: it at least keeps you out of the lowest circle of logical hell.)

Jesus this guy is an embarrassment to the nation.