Cat Scratch Feeble

In my never-ending quest for understanding of the wingnut mind, I read some strange and horrible things. Ted Nugent gave a long, almost Hunter S. Thompson-esque interview with, of all places the U.K. Independent, which I found and slogged through after seeing that Darryl posted at The General's place offering Nugent some advice about his interviewing skills. (I mean the HST comparison in the sense that Nugent is unbridled and profane and unapologetic, not based on the beliefs espoused. Oh, and the gun thing.)

As absurd and repulsive as he is, Nugent is in fact a rare and valuable thing: a wingnut stripped of code and the veneer of political corrrectness that are the camo usually worn by such Neanderthals in public. He says what millions like him fell but are embarassed to say out loud. His is the inner voice of wingnut everyman.

There is a deeply revealing moment in the interview. As with our clueless Commander Codpiece, his world is resolutely monochromatic. And like Dubya he is convinced he is infallible:

When he says that the US campaign in Iraq is strategically brilliant, I'm not sure even he believes it.

"What makes you think everything's going so well?"

"Well, for one thing, we haven't been attacked again, since 9/11."

"Tell that to commuters in Madrid and London."

"I don't believe those things happened because the Spanish and the Brits were in Iraq."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Are you never plagued by doubt?"

"Never. My confidence level is insane. If there is one thing I am, it's always right. I consider myself a true liberal. I am armed in order to stop good people being destroyed by bad people. Liberalism is assisting quality of life, whatever you may choose. I think that homosexuality is wrong. I think that people who drink, smoke and take drugs are doing wrong.

Bush's poll numbers show that not everyone is still similarly afflicted, but what Nugent expresses is probably the unfiltered version of the core beliefs of tens of millions like him.

I've gone on at length before about the thought processes of folks like him. When data conflicts with belief, they throw the data overboard.

He really is King George's unbridled id. Dubya ducked the Viet Nam war, then played fighter pilot en route to declaring mission accomplished. Nugent ducked the Viet Nam war and played Rambo in Iraq for a few days. Both rigidly hew to a cartoonish view of the world that protects them from ever having to question any of their beliefs.

Bush minus deceit equals Nugent.