The Bush Betrayal [Paperback]

James Bovard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 25, 2005

His hard-hitting critiques of Democrat and Republican administrations in The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Newsweek, and other national publications have made him a "bipartisan scourge." Now in this paperback edition, James Bovard launches a blistering attack on the Bush administration that will add new fuel to the fires of Bush opponents while giving presidential supporters much to think about. In a series of cogently argued allegations, Bovard shows how the campaign promises of 2000 and 2004 have betrayed not only the electorate, but the Constitution itself: from the erosion of civil liberties, massive debt, and the arrogance of federal agencies, to economic policies that favor the wealthy, and the deceptive maneuvers that led to war in Iraq and the alienation of former allies. For every American, The Bush Betrayal will be required reading as Bush continues his second term.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Writing from a libertarian perspective, Bovard (Terrorism and Tyranny, etc.) offers a fierce critique of the presidency of George W. Bush , focusing on restrictions on liberty and expansion of government. After 9/11, he writes, "[t]he simple solution was to increase the power of good—i.e., government—to vanquish evil." By the fourth chapter, Bovard has moved on to Bush's gyrations on free trade, notably steel tariffs. By the fifth, he's on to No Child Left Behind, arguing that home schooling surpasses government schooling. Bovard takes swipes at AmeriCorps (a wasteful way for Bush to invoke virtue, he says), subsidies for sugar (an industry that gives huge political contributions), the Medicare bill (far more expensive than advertised), the prison industry and the drug war. He asserts that Attorney General John Ashcroft has "effectively encouraged agencies to deny FOIA [Freedom of Information Act] requests" and points out abuses of 9/11 detainees in New York. Americans, Bovard concludes, should cease looking to a president as a savior and instead view him as a hired hand—though he doesn't exactly sketch out the boundaries of such limited government. The book, based on secondary sources, does not break much new ground. It is notable as a comprehensive attack on the administration from a less-often-heard place on the political spectrum.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Bovard was a winner of the Lysander Spooner Award for Advancing the Literature of Liberty

"A comprehensive attack on the administration from a less-often-heard place on the political spectrum."--Publishers Weekly

"Jim Bovard is a one-man policy think tank, or, rather, a one-man version of what a policy think tank ought to be. Instead of cozying up to the state, the Beltwayites ought to be trying to copy Bovard: doing meticulous and meticulously documented analysis of the crimes of government. Who ever looks, really looks, with the right attitude, at the budget and programs of a federal agency? Or records, with great wit, all the felonies against freedom of the Clinton and Bush administrations? Not that they could copy Bovard, but they ought to try. [The Bush Betrayal] is the handbook of our revolution."--Lew Rockwell, www.lewrockwell.com

"Ahhh, life is so good lately. Happy times. Today, the Postmaster General delived to my door an early copy of The Bush Betrayal, sent to me by Jim Bovard. It's not quite available yet for the masses, but will be soon. So quit wasting time and go order it. A quick glance at this book immediately indicates two things: this book is going to kick some Bush-loving a**, and, cracking open this irresistable cover is going to keep me up til 2am again tonight."
--Karen De Coster, www.karendecoster.com

"One American – a true patriot in my opinion – who has not been hoodwinked or bamboozled by Bush Administration propaganda is James Bovard.... The Bush Betrayal is the best book for an introductory course on what patriotism really means, and it will certainly help awake a comatose public before all its rights are trampled by future 'Bush’s'."
--Jim Grichar, www.lewrockwell.com

"This book is bound to be banned. It obviously violates several federal statutes. It's rapid-fire, high-capacity, equipped with bayonet-sharp wit, and loaded with politician-piercing ammo. Never mind that the ammo is merely words. We already know how terrified the Bush administration is of opponents who fire verbs and nouns.... If you already believed the Bush administration was a bit scary, perhaps even a bit mad, you'll have more evidence than you ever imagined after finishing The Bush Betrayal. If (like me) you believe you already know everything you need to know about the administration's ways, I can assure you that you'll learn more and - this is the kicker - enjoy the process of discovering the facts."--Claire Wolfe, www.clairewolfe.com

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (August 25, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1403968519
• ISBN-13: 978-1403968517
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,271,600 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

James Bovard is the author of Attention Deficit Democracy (St. Martin's/Palgrave, 2006), and eight other books. He has written for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, New Republic, Reader's Digest, and many other publications. His books have been translated into Spanish, Arabic, Japanese, and Korean. He is a contributing editor for the American Conservative and a frequent contributor to Freedom Daily.

The Wall Street Journal called Bovard 'the roving inspector general of the modern state,' and Washington Post columnist George Will called him a 'one-man truth squad.' His 1994 book Lost Rights: The Destruction of American Liberty received the Free Press Association's Mencken Award as Book of the Year. His Terrorism and Tyranny won the Lysander Spooner Award for the Best Book on Liberty in 2003. He received the Thomas Szasz Award for Civil Liberties work, awarded by the Center for Independent Thought, and the Freedom Fund Award from the Firearms Civil Rights Defense Fund of the National Rifle Association.

His writings have been been publicly denounced by the chief of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the Postmaster General, and the chiefs of the U.S. International Trade Commission, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, as well as by many congressmen and other malcontents.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

72 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Infuriating but, Sadly Enough, True, July 24, 2004

By 

D. Buxman "A Seeker of Truth" (Pueblo, CO United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Bush Betrayal (Hardcover)

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.

53 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bush and the right to lie, August 22, 2004

By 

R. Hutchinson "autonomeus" (a world ruled by fossil fuels and fossil minds) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Bush Betrayal (Hardcover)

James Bovard is a libertarian, and he focuses his scorn on the Bush Administration with laser-like intensity. Here is Bovard in his own words:

"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" (p. 1).

Of course as a libertarian, Bovard doesn't see the Democrats as a viable alternative. But he's not as mad at them, because he didn't expect anything from them to begin with. As the title indicates, he took Bush at his word, and feels betrayed. Here's more of Bovard's own inimitable scorn:

"For Bush, the right to rule apparently includes the right to lie. Bush has never shown a speck of contrition for his false prewar statements. Instead, he acts like a clumsy magician who assumes his audience is too feebleminded to recognize the elaborate trick that fell into pieces in front of their eyes" (p. 5).

I'm not a libertarian, and while I agree with Bovard's harsh critique of the so-called "Patriot Act" (more like the imminent fascism act), I don't agree with his minimalist "watchman" view of government. But my message to libertarians is -- don't reward Bush's lies with another four years! Regime change in November!

26 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Ugly Truth About America, and the path it is headed down, August 29, 2004

By 

Philip Mayor "Phil Mayor" (Blasdell, New York USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Bush Betrayal (Hardcover)

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.