Clashing Cliches

Children rebel against the father; children become their dad.

Two tests of the dichotomy are Bushes 43 and 41 and (variously spelled) Gadaffis 1 and (maybe) 2. In Washington, 43 appears intent on aggressively avoiding every mistake (i.e., anything that made him look like a wimp) of 41 during his presidency — staying in Iraq, cutting taxes on the wealthy at every turn, governing with a [my] America only first mindset.

Across the Atlantic in Tripoli, via a wild southeastern tailwind, G2 (not officially a Libyan government official) is talking the talk of his papa — the visionary who promises people's utopias, not the international blackguard one who bombed innocents or tortured citizens or outside health workers.

And in this cynical age more questions. The American ponder: does 41 now wish son Jeb had emerged as 43? The Libyan wonder: Is the more temperate front all about keeping power and if G2 gets too far out in front of G1 will he get the axe so to speak?

Finally, do a son and father think of themselves a team, with a joint legacy? And in these cases will history?

** Yeah, it was messy, but Oedipus and Laios never had it this compex. **