What George W. Bush Book Reveals: Joe Klein

TIME:

The presidential memoir is among the more dreadful of literary forms. Most of them are far too long, and suffocating for the heavy woolen tone of false modesty that swaddles the egomania at the heart of the matter. They are defensive, evasive and stiff. Bush's effort is all that, but better than most. It reads well. The anecdotes are occasionally revealing. There is emotion, and it is real. The pace is brisk enough to delude the unwary reader into a suspension of disbelief at first, but gradually the weakness of this chatty strategy becomes clear: Bush breezes through fundamental and earth-shattering decisions without slowing down to acknowledge their moral complexity. At the most important moments of his presidency -- most notably, the decision to go to war in Iraq -- he refuses to honestly consider opposing points of view or see the long-term, ancillary effects of what he is deciding.

Read the whole story: TIME

Comments

[inonoatama]

02:18 PM on 12/08/2010

“In a time of ignorance, one has no doubts even while doing the greatest evils; in an enlightened age, one trembles even while doing the greatest goods.”

– Montesquieu, Preface to The Spirit of the Laws (1748)

[cyeko]

09:05 AM on 11/16/2010

I just threw up a little bit in my mouth.

[getoffmedz]

09:40 AM on 11/15/2010

The Bush/Cheney maladministration was arrogant, out-of-touch and out-of-control from 9/11 and on.

Hmmm?

[catcancook]

08:41 AM on 11/15/2010

George W. Bush never had any "moral complexity" and that is why it was So easy for him to make-up the WMD story, blast Iraq and then go take a nap!

George W. Bush is Not complicated nor moral He isn't apologetic, compassionate, reasonable, sympathetic, smart, honest, caring or courageous and he must have ice water in his veins because he completely destroyed Iraq and the US in 8 short years.

Hopefully, the book will be a big failure just like he is.

[Gneirre]

08:40 AM on 11/15/2010

The Bush Administration did not give full attention to the cells in America, despite being warned several times! Let's thank Condi for that. She thought the information to be of low priority and of no use to the President. She demoted Richard Murphy and told him to only report to her his findings on the cells. In turn, she did absolutely nil when it came to prioritizing this issue. These warnings came way before a memo from the CIA. Still not taking full responsibility I see. Give the public a little of "mea culpa" without making yourself look totally at fault.

This is one book that will not dare grace my shelves and share space with Anatole France, Nabokov, Tolstoy, Hemingway, and other great authors. At the very least it's fireplace material.

[den1953]

08:38 AM on 11/15/2010

I don't know what other Americans thing but i think GW Bush had issues with his father and wanted desperately to show his approval of his father GH Bush he would appease him by taking down Saddam Hussein at all costs even if it meant destroying this once great nation. So focused on Iraq that he forgot about why his father spurred on the horrific attacks of 9/11 by allowing US Soldiers on Saudi Arabian soil which lead to a mad man attacking the United States. How engrossed in Iraq that Katrina was overlooked and by those attacks on 9/11 began the spying on the American people and the building of secret holding camps to imprison innocent Americans if there was decent!

[getoffmedz]

09:43 AM on 11/15/2010

Your memory is very good.

What is the status of those "holding camps," today?

[den1953]

09:57 AM on 11/15/2010

Sadly there are more being built and labeled as prison internment camps and it is something out of a Orwell novel some what surprising!

[dmsdzinr]

08:36 AM on 11/15/2010

I just cannot believe all the complaints thrown out against President Obama by those that were willing to live with George W./Dick Cheney for 8 Years. President Obama is trying to deal with the incredible MESS that Bush/Cheney created, and because he hasn't been able to completely turn around in less than 2 years what took 8 years to create, President Obama is chastised.
Bush/Cheney was the absolute WORST presidency in the history of America. Now all the facts are coming to light that they were also criminal, in many ways.
Americans sure are a FICKLE bunch.

[wisedupdude1]

08:33 AM on 11/15/2010

a man told me the other day, to listen to rush limbaugh, and that GW was a great president.
I sold him the whole state of Texas for only $5,000.

[TC Mits]

08:32 AM on 11/15/2010

Interview after interview confirms to me that this man id dilusional, in denial and simply dumb.

[izzat7]

08:34 AM on 11/15/2010

sosiopath.

[BigFootJesus]

08:31 AM on 11/15/2010

Too bad W wasn't like Nixon and taped his oval office conversations. I would love to hear how easily his handlers manipulated him into being "the deciderer" making him think it was him who made the decisions.

[letmeseeyourOface]

08:27 AM on 11/15/2010

I guess the question is, w t f cares what Joe Klein has to say?

[dmsdzinr]

08:37 AM on 11/15/2010

Care? NO, AGREE YES!!!!

[1088]

08:23 AM on 11/15/2010

He has no regrets for anything he did for 8 years! You know something is wrong with this man, don't you?

[okim5150]

08:29 AM on 11/15/2010

Yes, something is very wrong with him.

[izzat7]

08:31 AM on 11/15/2010

And those that still defend him.

[Bonsailady]

08:35 AM on 11/15/2010

he believes whatever he did was just fine..wheteher the wars with our kids being killed,the waterboarding torture, the Wall Strret bailout all to line his pockets..this is the only time I'd ever said BURN THAT BOOK...nothing but lies to make him look good!!

[NomadicView]

08:22 AM on 11/15/2010

I thought the Son of Sam laws prevented criminals who wrote about their crimes from making money.

[cyeko]

08:21 AM on 11/15/2010

Anyone who voted for this @ouche bag should have their voting rights suspeneded until they grow a brain, and a conscious.

[letmeseeyourOface]

08:27 AM on 11/15/2010

um, that is the majorityof Merica.

[okim5150]

08:32 AM on 11/15/2010

Yep, you just have to look at the results from the midterms to see that. Christine O'Donnell couldn't remember the name of a single SCOTUS decision and she was running for the Senate.

[BigFootJesus]

08:33 AM on 11/15/2010

Wasn't it the majority of the Supreme Court?

[Need To Know Why]

08:27 AM on 11/15/2010

I believe most people know that election was 'stolen' with the aid of his brother, Jeb, the esteemed governor of Florida. That count was undoubtedly fixed. Now the Bush's want another low life in their family to run in 2012, brother Jeb.

[den1953]

08:40 AM on 11/15/2010

#12

[getoffmedz]

09:51 AM on 11/15/2010

But thanks to the Shrub there will never be another Bush infesting OUR White House.

[usna73]

08:20 AM on 11/15/2010

G.W. Bush is a case study in the danger of inherited wealth.

He could not possibly understand the world around him. Moreover, he could "care less."

[okim5150]

08:35 AM on 11/15/2010

LOL, the poster child FOR inheritance tax.