what hell must be like

I had this thought tonight while watching President Obama's State of the Union address: what former president George W. Bush must be going through must be similar to hell, or at least how classic mythology and Dante made it seem. The idea of being punished eternally for things you did wrong during your lifetime...even though you realize what you've done wrong, you're made to suffer for it forever. It's terrifying.

I just figured that must be what it feels like. That must be what it feels like to see the repercussions of poor decisions, ignorance, hasty statements pan out. I know people sometimes say that George W. Bush "is/was a bad person" or "is/was evil", but I like to think that he genuinely had a thought that he wanted to lead the American people to being a successful, prosperous nation. He just wasn't smart enough to do it and he wasn't humble or smart enough to recognize the things he had done wrong or consult smarter people to make the right moves or at least advise him in making the right ones. And so now he gets to see the whole country, the American people, suffer the consequences, and hear over and over and over and over again about how the last decade and "for eight years" the country was tumbling downhill...with him at the steering wheel. Over and over and over and over again. And to know that you'll be remembered for making mistakes. That must be torture.

I'm not writing about this to sound snarky, spiteful, or like a die-hard left-wing, "I hate him" pundit. It's more just a speculation, a thought. This is why I can't be a politician. I'm too emotional to be able to hide behind a mask. Too empathetic, perhaps, and to my severe detriment. I almost feel bad for the guy.