New Yorker trashes Bush memoir, over and over again: ‘Was Bush this incurious all his life?’

[kpete]

http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/books/2010/11/29/101129crbo_books_packer#ixzz16Iu1QJ74

For Bush, decisions happened without the weighing of evidence and options. He merely had to ask himself, “Who am I?”

In a sprawling, multi-thousand word review of Bush's new memoir, Decision Points, Packer is generous with aquiline, laser-like criticism. He begins by predicting the book's rapid demise (“Decision Points” will not endure) and concludes equally as sharp.

"During his years in office, two wars turned into needless disasters, and the freedom agenda created such deep cynicism around the world that the word itself was spoiled," Packer writes. "In America, the gap between the rich few and the vast majority widened dramatically, contributing to a historic financial crisis and an ongoing recession; the poisoning of the atmosphere continued unabated; and the Constitution had less and less say over the exercise of executive power. Whatever the judgments of historians, these will remain foregone conclusions."

Packer is quick to catch Bush's lies -- one of which he refers to as "historical revision."

"Even the story of Bush’s admission to Harvard Business School, in early 1973, is an occasion for historical revision. Bush describes a dinner at a Houston restaurant with his father and his brother Jeb: 'Dad and I were having a discussion about my future. Jeb blurted out, ‘George got into Harvard.’ After some thought, Dad said, ‘Son, you ought to seriously consider going. It would be a good way to broaden your horizons.’' According to many accounts, including Bill Minutaglio’s well-regarded biography 'First Son,' the conversation took place in the Washington, D.C., study of George, Sr., after a thoroughly plastered George, Jr., had driven his car and a neighbor’s garbage can onto his parents’ driveway, staggered into the house, and challenged his disgusted father, 'You wanna go mano a mano right here?'"

The reporter also says Bush admits part of his motivation for authorizing waterboarding -- simulated drowning which most have described as torture -- was revenge.

"By Bush’s own account, revenge was among his chief motives in sanctioning torture,"

MORE:
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/11/yorker-trashes-bush-memoir/
and:
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/11/non-decision_points.php?ref=fpblg
and the whole thing here:
http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/books/2010/11/29/101129crbo_books_packer#ixzz16Iu1QJ74

[mdmc]

1. thanks for the links

kr

[aquart]

2. And yet, he was not impeached nor will ever spend a day in jail.

Why should anyone respect us when we allow this?

[formercia]

3. No bad deed goes unrewarded.

As long as bad behavior continues to be rewarded, it will continue. The US pursues the Roman model with predictable results.

[elocs]

5. Congratulations on being in touch with reality, because he never was going to jail,

and impeachment without even the remote possibility of conviction wouldn't have done anymore to Bush than it did to Clinton.

[Overseas]

4. Yes he was. That's why he was appointed to the Presidency,

he liked to pretend he was "The Decider Guy." heh heh. Consequences be damned.

[lunatica]

6. With reviews like that Bush will be judged even more harshly by history

Because history will show exactly how crippled his policies leave this country. It will show that he precipitated it's decent into third world status and it's fall from being a superpower.

[CrispyQ]

8. He should have just gone back to removing brush & kept his trap shut.

The man can't do anything right.

[femrap]

12. He lives to destroy, kill, and maim.

As a child he blew up frogs with firecrackers stuck up their butts.

He's an evil sadist.

[MannyGoldstein]

7. Meh. He'll have a Medal of Freedom by 1/20/2013.

Only getting caught sacrificing babies or espousing Liberal positions can derail this now.

[catzies]

9. Ilove the New Yorker. I won't read this because I'll get in next week's mail

:thumbsup: Long-time subscriber. They give me Malcolm Gladwell and Seymour Hersh.

[Froward69]

10. Still a moronic Idiot.

[alterfurz]

11. each page oozes arrogance, ignorance, or incompetence

and sometimes all three: the Bush trifecta!

[old mark]

13. Call it "incurious" - I call it stupid and arrogant. nt

[chervilant]

14. Please

exercise your courage and conviction by visiting your local book stores and 'reshelving' this piece of revisionist crap in "True Crime" or "Famous Serial Killers" or any more appropriate categories. Be sure to take pics and post them.

[bongbong]

15. His biggest daily decision from 2001 to 2009

"Should I open this new bottle of Jack Daniels, or finish off yesterday's almost-gone bottle of Wild Turkey?"

With breaks for Easter (some years, anyway)

[tpsbmam]

16. "Its prose aims for tough-minded simplicity but keeps landing on simpleminded sententiousness."

One of my favorite lines from the review. :rofl:

[molly77]

17. kpete

I like the way that you write a lot!

[rasputin1952]

18. Worst president ever...

he rivals Caligula as a "leader", but lacks Caligula's self restraint...what a disaster, not just as a president, but as a human being...

[Swamp Rat]

19. Pretzeldent Evil