Gov. Mike Huckabee recently predicted that the ever-widening scandal
surrounding what occurred in Benghazi, Libya will prematurely end the
presidency of Barack Obama. Others have opined that the press is so
ridiculously pro-Obama that it simply will not report the defamatory news, and the
president will emerge from the scandal unscathed. Furthermore, Hillary Clinton,
a very major part of those incriminating events, will escape censure as well,
and her march to the presidency in 2016 will continue unimpeded.
I would like to inject another angle into the debate, based on the
ideas of the ancient Talmud. If this were
a book or article, I would cite sources. But because it is a blog I will say
only that in Talmudic thinking, there is
such a thing as “thought habituation.” Continued repetition causes people to
develop habits such as getting angry upon certain provocations, succumbing to
certain bodily temptations, eating a certain amount of food, rising at a
certain time of the day, etc. So, too, people who repeatedly think a certain
way, form a “thought habit” that imbeds itself in the brain and leads one to
always think about that topic in an identical manner. In the case of physical
habits, even when factors conspire to alter the behavior, the habituation
exerts a powerful influence that prevents change. Similarly, once an idea or
impression becomes one’s established thought pattern, it becomes very difficult
to think differently, even when there are glaring reasons for doing so.
An everyday example of this psychodynamic is how people view the
problems looming from the ever-growing ever-unmanageable federal deficits. This
cannot go on forever, and if present patterns continue, the federal debt will
almost certainly sabotage the country’s economy and the U.S. dollar (heaven
forbid). However, people do not seem to even be worried about this in a meaningful
way. They do not recognize and confront this reality, for they are accustomed
to thinking that somehow, the U.S. will always be able to meet its financial
obligations. They somehow imagine that just like the U.S. managed to pay its
bills in the past, it will always be capable of doing so... no matter what.
People are accustomed to thinking that Obama is a good and
honorable president who places the interest of the country above all else. They
also think he has done great things for the economy, notwithstanding so many
indications to the contrary. They have also formed the habit of believing that
Hillary Clinton was an outstanding Secretary of State even though this, too, is
clearly not the case. Has anything significant on the international scene
gotten better because of her four years of service? For sure, much has gotten a
lot worse. North Korea is now openly threating to nuke the U.S., the mighty
countries, Russia and China, have both become far more adversarial. Syria has
become a blood-soaked disaster where poison gas is being used; and the highly
touted Arab Spring brought other dictators into power rather than anything
resembling individual freedom. In Egypt, the most populous of Arab states, a
pro-U.S. dictator was exchanged for one who is anti-U.S. Yet, the widespread conviction
endures that the two of them have been among the United States' greatest public
servants ever.
Let us now revisit Mr. Huckabee’s prediction. Based on the Talmud,
my best guess is that most of the U.S. public will continue its habit of
worshipfully viewing its president and former Secretary of State, regardless of
any damning facts that may emerge. But, then again, no one can predict the
future.
