Okay, if you are a corporation or support corporations not having to pay taxes or to clean up their own toxic messes, this book is not for you, because you are already receiving all the good stuff you paid the President to do for you. Now if you are a concerned American that believes that the people govern and not the corporations, then this book will let you know the error in your ways. Now before I get into the review I should start by telling you that the authors, Molly Ivins & Lou Dubose, wrote a book exposing "Dubya" back when he was Governor of Texas. That book was called "Shrub: The Short but Happy Political Life of George W. Bush." The opening to the book "Bushwhacked" pretty much says If you would have read "Shrub" they wouldn't have to write "Bushwhacked."
The first half of this book is about how big business bought and paid for the presidency. No, It wasn't hanging chads that determined our fate it was Enron, Harken, Baker Botts and many more. Before I go any further I want to point out 2 things: 1.) The authors have cited all their sources and have them listed in the book if you want to check the facts. 2.) Not until this book, and some research of my own, did I realize how Enron's Kenneth Lay and George W. were such good friends. You wouldn't have known it after Enron was exposed.
"Bushwhacked" then goes on to point out how all of what "Dubya" is doing now in the White House, he tried and failed in Texas. Everything from poor environmental policy to destroying children's lives through budget cuts and faith based intitiatives. It's amazing that I even still eat meat after reading this book and the Eric Schlosser book "Fast Food Nation." Yep, "Dubya" even has his hands in the tainted meat industry.
Then we get to the really fun stuff the bait and switch of getting us into Gulf War II. The authors provide a section listing all of the reasons "Dubya" cited when getting us into the war. This section leads to my "favoritist" quote in the book. The quote is from Paul Freundlich: "All right, let me see if I understand the logic of this correctly. We are going to ignore the United Nations in order to make clear to Saddam Hussein that the United Nations cannot be ignored. We're going to wage war to preserve the U.N.'s ability to avert war. The paramount principle is that the U.N.'s word must be taken seriously, and if we have to subvert its word to guarantee that it is, then , by gum, we will. Peace is too important not to take up arms to defend. Am I getting this right?"
So no matter where you stand on the Gulf War II or the Bush Presidency you need to read this book. It will either open up your eyes to let you know what you may be getting screwed out of.
It is hard to read this book, for one reason, I kept having to retreive it from across the room. After many chapters it would go flying.
Let me know what you think of the book...and oh yeah, go out and vote.
Books I am currently reading (and will be reviewing soon):
"Deception Point" by Dan Brown
"No One Here Gets Out Alive" by Danny Sugerman and Jerry Hopkins
"The Frog King" by Adam Davies
recommend this
email
print
link to this page
Comments: 3
Quick aside about Bush supporters - of whom I know a few. Willful amnesia. Some of these folks used to regale people with tales about Bush's tendency to nickname people, especially the recently deceased Lay. But, following the collapse of Enron, these same folks have no idea that Bush ever knew that man at all. Methinks the Fox propaganda network may play a role in this, but I digress.
NAmaste