A Tragic Legacy: How a Good Vs. Evil Mentality Destroyed the Bush Presidency

by Glenn Greenwald

Book Overview

What will be the legacy of President George Walker Bush? In this fascinating, timely book, Glenn Greenwald examines the Bush presidency and its long-term effect on the nation. What began on shaky, uncertain ground and was bolstered and propelled by tragedy, has ultimately faltered and failed on the back of the dichotomous worldview--good versus evil--that once served it so well. In A Tragic Legacy, Greenwald charts the rise and steep fall of the current administration, dissecting the rhetoric and revealing the faulty ideals upon which George W. Bush built his policies. On September 12, 2001, President Bush addressed the nation and presented a very clear view of what was to come--a view that can be said to define his entire presidency: This will be a monumental struggle of good versus evil. Based on his own Christian faith and backed by biblical allusions, Bush's worldview was basic and binary--and everyone was forced to choose a side. Riding high on public support, Bush sailed through the early War on Terror, easily defining our enemies and clearly setting an agenda for defeating them. But once the war became murkier--its target unclear, its combatants no longer seen in black-and-white--support for Bush and his policies dropped precipitously. Glenn Greenwald brilliantly reveals the reasons behind the collapse of Bush's power and approval, and argues that his greatest weakness is the same rhetoric that once propelled him so far forward. Facing issues that could not be turned into simple good versus evil choices--the disasterof Hurricane Katrina, his plans for Social Security reform, and, most ironic, the failed Dubai ports deal--Bush faltered and fell. Now, Greenwald argues, Bush is trapped by his own choices, unable to break out of the mold that once served him so well, and indifferent to the consequences. A Tragic Legacy is the first true character study of one of the most controversial men ever to hold the office of president. Enlightening, powerful, and eye-opening, this is an in-depth look at the man whose incapability and cowboy logic have left America at risk.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0307354199
• ISBN13: 9780307354198
• Release Date: June 2007
• Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY)
• Length: 303 Pages
• Weight: 1.28 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.3" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

A Sad Commentary

President Bush has been the recipient of innate American loyalty to the office he holds, for far too long. Many of us who saw the handwriting on the wall years ago, still found it hard to admit how badly our country was being served by this President. Now the blinders are off and thanks in part to Glenn Greenwald, we can see much more clearly now. In an insightful and dispassionate portrayal of the Bush administration, Greenwald has identified what he sees as one of the core flaws of President Bush's approach to world diplomacy and the governing of our country- good vs. evil and an overly simplistic view of the world. The author describes Mr. Bush's approach to the Presidency, as antiquated and out of touch with the world today. Mr. Bush has fallen back on fundamentalist thinking, and by that I mean, a bleary-eyed black and white view of things. The world isn't that simple, and simple approaches don't work on complex issues. Greenwald outlines some of the ways in which Mr. Bush with his limited thinking and "Quickdraw McGraw" tactics, has irrefutably damaged our country and the world's perception of the US. This author has very fairly critiqued the President's performance, and shares the whys and wherefores that formed his view of "Bushworld" and some suggestions on how the US can regain world respect. This is a must-read book, for those who want to make sure that the next President we elect, represents the US, its policies and its citizens fairly and intelligently. We need an effective intelligent President, to help us to dig out of the hole in which we now find ourselves. This is a great book, and written in such an unbiased way, than even Bush fans will have to acknowledge the truth revealed here.

Changed My Thinking on Politics

I've been blogging for five years or so, working in political organizing to bring change to the country. At a certain point in such a career, you kind of feel like your political framework is basically set, that though there is a lot of new information to learn the basic contours of how to understand our political system are in place. Not so. I read this book, and it helped me understand the danger of dogmatic thinking, the danger of writing off debate, and the importance of humility. It's not that, morally speaking, humility is a nice trait. What Greenwald shows is that the lack of said trait, and the absolute certitude of mind is at the core of how Bush has operated and how this man has destroyed himself, his Presidency, and how we as a country have ruined a great deal of our national fiber. It's an important idea that deserves wide discussion.

Impecable research

As a diehard Republican, I read this book very skeptically. The only reason Greenwald was able to convince me was because of the exhaustive research and sourcing he did. The book drew me in immediately and I couldn't put it down for the whole day. I highly recommend it for anyone who has slight doubts about Bush but is afraid like I was to challenge our GOP leadership. Greenwald has real guts to come out with a politically incorrect reality that we all must deal with.

as good as you'd expect

I had about two hours with an advance copy of this a few days ago and it seems every bit as good as I'd expect. Glenn Greenwald is unique among political observers in terms of his ability to archive information and mold that information into arguments that are very difficult to refute. This may have to do with his past as a constitutional lawyer. Certainly, his arguments are made with a lawyerly meticulousness. I tend to think the premise is right on: while it's easy to see Bush primarily as incompetent or even evil, this book makes the case -- convincingly -- that Bush's greatest weakness is a tendency to view the world in black and white. That is probably most clear with his middle eastern policy but it informs many domestic decisions as well, as Greenwald makes clear. When assessing a presidency -- both its motives and its aims -- it's important to look at the body of evidence and not engage in arm chair psychology. That is where this book's strength lies: the evidence it assembles is overwhelming. This book is in some ways a tough read. It's not jokey or catty the way much political writing is these days. It demands a lot of concentration. But if you want to understand where the Bush presidency went wrong, you need to take a look at this.