I think that the results we've seen over the last six years are unequivocally the result of a leadership deeply in the grip of ideology and willfully blind to reality that contradicts it. The pattern has been one of unjustified optimism based on an expectation that the world's a simpler place than it really is; a place composed of linear relationships and not the chaotic system it really is.

"Expect the unexpected" is an intuitive expression of the perception of a chaotic reality. Actions have unintended consequences, which is a surprise only if you don't recognize the chaotic nature of the human system and understand how the butterfly flapping its wings can produce huge effects. Ideologues are perpetually surprised by reality, which makes ideologues a poor choice in positions of leadership. We can't afford leaders who are constantly being blindsided by the world, any more than the Titanic could afford a captain who refused to believe in icebergs in the shipping lanes.

Two years to go under Captain Clueless. I hope to God we can limp safely into port before the worst of the storm breaks.