The Aging Hipster recently read Bush Betrayal. I’m happy he made it through the book and took the time to put his thoughts on his blog. He gave me permission to repost it – so here it is. The Aging Hipster is a self-described “Georgia Mountain Man” and Pittsburgh Steelers fan. Both those factors mean that, unlike some white-gloved Washingtonians, he is not opposed to hard hitting.
****** From the AGING HIPSTER:
Reading “The Bush Betrayal” was unusual for me because for many years I have considered myself a basic liberal. It is a natural fit for me because of the benefits I have personally received from New Deal liberalism. For example, I was educated partially through Pell Grants and student loans (which I am close to paying back). Having a keen interest in politics from a very early age (Mom and Dad were Yellow Dogs who only bolted the party once- for Nixon in ’72), I knew well and good the obstacles the GOP put up to every thing the Democrats tried to do for poor people and minorities. This was reaffirmed to me by studying history. So, while reading a highly critical book about Bush was nothing new, the source was. The book is written from a definite Libertarian point of view from a clever guy: Jim Bovard.
I found Jim Bovard the same way I found the great Walter Willett, through flipping past the uberboring C-Span one day. I stopped to hear this guy Bovard. He was speaking at some National Review for College Kids affair and discussing the ultimate uselessness of the Bush administration. At the time, I was deeply obsessed with trying to rid the country of the Bush/Cheney menace, and so I stopped and checked him out. I remembered that speech and googled him, reading some of his articles, which pointed out the hypocrisies of: first, Bill Clinton and then the George W. Bush. So, after rediscovering his blog a few weeks back, I decided to get a couple of his books. “The Bush Betrayal” was the first one I read. The second one is an anti-Clinton book called “Feeling Your Pain,” which I haven’t read yet.
Before reading “The Bush Betrayal” I had put away a few anti-Bush treaties, the best of which are Al Franken’s “Lying Liars” and Richard Clarke\pard cf2 ’s “Against All Enemies.” I do think “Bush Betrayal” stacks up well against both of them. Franken’s book is mostly for laughs, though there is a very real burning rage in that book that hasn’t been in his previous books. Bovard is not a professional comedian (at least I don’t think he is) like Franken, but he is just as witty in spots and the sarcasm in the book is perfectly done. Also, there is a seriousness about the book that rivals Clarke, but it is broader, in that Bovard covers Bush’s domestic disasters, whereas Clarke’s book comes from a national security perspective alone.
The book was especially relevant for me because I am disgruntled with the Democratic party right now. Bovard’s writing opened my eyes to a different perspective than the usual Bush bashing (which I happily engage in- as it keeps my moral compass aright) you get from the tiresome Kos fanatics. Believe it or not, there are principled conservative minded people who love their country and constitution enough to know and understand how dangerous Bush is. Bovard, to me, expresses their view like no other.
This is the most useful shredding of Bush I have seen, and will likely serve as the groundwork for future historians to describe this dysfunctional presidency. He makes a clear case about John Ashcroft, and his heavy handed dismemberment of freedoms, you find a full account of the lies and deception behind the attack on Iraq, the fear mongering, warrantless searches, etc..It is a stunning chapter by chapter indictment of the whole sorry state of affairs we have drifted into since 9-11 and before.
In closing the book, Bovard brought home a point I had never mulled over before. In Bush’s eyes, the “War on Terror” is an absolute power struggle between good and evil. There is no neutral ground. Every person who opposes Bush is the equivalent of a hijacker (some of his more gullible minions can be seen writing this kind of drivel all over the internet). If this is so, then Bush must be seen as the ultimate instrument of pure good, and hence, must consider himself the “hand of God.” Bovard has convinced me the man has a messiah complex.
The next challenge for me, one I relish, is reading Bovard’s similar treatment of the Clinton administration, written in 2000, around the time a flood of slanderous FOX network tabloid books were coming out. As I have stated before, I have a small collection of books about Clinton, and this will definitely be a treat.
I’ll be reading more from Jim in the future.
******
Jim, thanks for linking to me over here at your place. I really appreciate a hook up to a schizophrenic blog like mine.
Steve – Thanks for all the effort you put into writing the review. It reads damn well! Now if only some of the mainstream media types would put as much energy into their writing…
Yes, nice review!