The Bush Betrayal

James Bovard is a one-man libertarian think tank. He leaves no stone unturned in this scathing account of the Bush administration's train of abuses and usurpations. He destroys of the myth of Bush's leadership on 9/11. He uses Bush's own rhetoric against him to blast his protectionist trade policies. He rips to shreds Bush's claims about success with education policy. He meticulously lists the violations of civil liberties by the Justice Department in fighting the War on Drugs and terrorism. Bovard also takes issue with the secrecy of the administration, especially the Justice Department. He exposes the absurdities of the war in Afghanistan (while still justifying the US right to rid the country of those responsible for harboring the terrorists behind the 9/11 attack). Bovard chronicles the failures of the federalization of airport security. Conservatives can't possibly have any moral justification for the rampant spending of this Republican administration for boondoggles such as foreign aid, Medicare, farm subsidies and paid volunteers. He saves Bush's biggest blunder, the war in Iraq, for the end. Libertarians NEED a book like this to remind them that while the Democrats are generally wrong on most issues, the Republican Party is no friend of liberty either. I would also recommend his previous book, Terrorism and Tyranny, in addition to this book for further analysis of the Bush administration from a libertarian perspective. Heck, I'll recommend all of his books and articles for those concerned with the loss of freedom in this nation.

First let me say that I voted for Bush in 2000. I bought his campaign rhetoric about being for a smaller government and a humble foreign policy. I feel like I was scammed. Aside from the programs aimed at fighting terrorism Bush and the Republicans in Congress have been spending like there is no tomorrow. It's all documented in The Bush Betrayal. They passed the biggest farm welfare bill in history in 2002; increased federal education spending by 50%; and imposed a tariff on steel imports that destroyed roughly 200,000 jobs in the auto industry and related businesses, raised prices for many domestically manufactured products and hurt American competitiveness in world markets. The author is no Bush hater either. His earlier book "Feeling Your Pain" chronicled the Clinton administration's abuses of government power with equal zeal. This year I will be voting a straight Libertarian ticket.

This is by far Mr. Bovards finest work, and his attention to detail to back up and thus make his conclusins as graphic as they are is exceptional even for the master of documentation. While you may not like his conclusions, he leaves no room for any party to call them into question. No one ever said the truth is pretty. In this work Bovard brings together the ideals of Thomas Jefferson as well as Jeffersons' warning about vigelance and government. James Madisons' constitutional concerns which as Bovard points out in stunning fashion were very well founded indeed. The common sense approach to these issues that Thomas Payne would hail. And finally the sarcastic whit and ocassional humor to complete the no holds bared addressing of each topic that would bring a smile and an approving nod from Mark Twain. Not bad company under and conditions. This work should be read by one and all. If you are concerened about this nation but are not quite sure just what is wrong, Mr. Bovard has done all of the leg work and research for you and placed it in one nice easy to read book that moves along at an enjoyable pace. Truly this is a 5 star effort.

From "The Bush Betrayal": "George W. Bush came to the presidency promising prosperity, peace, and humility. Instead, Bush has spawned record federal budget deficits, launched an unnecessary war, and made America the most hated nation in the world. Bush is expanding federal power and stretching prerogatives in almost every area that captures his fancy. Though Bush continually invokes freedom to sanctify himself and his policies, Bush freedom is based on boundless trust in the righteousness of the rulers and all their actions." As with most of Bovard's books you'll want to pick it up every page or so and toss it out the window from frustration or better yet toss a few politicians and bureaucrats out the window. Is Bovard the only one who sees all this? There is nothing in this book that is not public record. Other critics like Michel Moore snipe from the sidelines and mostly rant hysterically, but James Bovard lays out his case like I like my bourbon - straight-up. Using the same seucessful formula as his other works Bovard lays out his case, fills in the background, applies logic and common sense then backs up every statement with an example or several; enough to make his case virtually irrefutable. Bovard explodes the myths surrounding Bush, his war, the USA PATRIOT act, his protectionist schemes to buy votes, expansions of the welfare state worthy of Lyndon Johnson, and Bush's Department of Justice [sic]. The saddest thing about it is that after reading this you'll realize that as a whole, the Democrats are no better. They seem to be chomping at the bit to get a hold of the reins of all these new Federal powers. I'm sure the Dems will come up with even more innovative ways to expand the federal budgets and destroy our liberties - what few remain since Bush and Ashcroft effectively repealed the Bill or Rights with a bipartisan Congress enthusiastically going along. There may be little new ground in this work, but Bovard has done a masterful job in compiling the evidence to support his contentions. His examples and illustrations are such that you are free to draw your own conclusions. Personally I thought "Lost Rights" and "Terrorism and Tyranny" were more complete works as this work centers mainly on the Bush Administration whereas the other works talk about the Federal Government as a whole but together they constitute a wake up call to this nation and show us that we are a crossroads. Do we take the road to fascism and tyranny or is it time to re-evaluate ourselves as nation and a people and consider what made the United States so special. Is our grand experiment in liberty finally over - liberty failed, or can we bring ourselves back from the brink and re-establish the US as a beacon for freedom and prosperity? Remember, every other fascist and socialt nation on Earth either has already self-destructed or is already falling down the black hole. Do we allow the nation to continue along its path and try to start anew after the inevita

I am sorry to say that I voted for George W. in the last presidential election on account of the fact that I bought into his pitch that he would move the country away from Big Government interference. Unfortunatly, as this excellent book details, it was all a fabrication. Mr. Bovard takes the major initiatives of the President and demonstrates with sickening detail that this administration is built upon a foundation of lies, bringing us closer to a totalitarian state than I would have believed possible from a Republican president. The author exposes the "Leave No Child Behind" boondoggle as a blatant attempt to wrest the education of our children from local control in favor of federal control. From the Patriot Act to the War on Drugs, Bovard demonstrates that our civil liberties are in jeopardy like never before. This book is extensively end-noted with references for every damning fact. Lest you think this is a Democratic Party sponsored hatchet job, please note that the author takes great pains to point out the complicity of the Democrats in Bush's march to a police state. The fundamental difference between Democrats and Republicans these days is slight. The results of that fact are frightening.