It is a tenet of psychotherapy that understanding leads to compassion, and compassion leads to a kinder, gentler, more peaceful world through the process of forgiveness--of self and others. [Everyone ought to tell their story, write it down - even if only for themselves.] In Decision Points, George W. Bush explains why he did what he did. Throughout the book he insists that history will judge him a great leader and president. He compares himself, first to Moses, then presidents Washington, Lincoln, and Truman; and that the "Bush Doctrine," and more importantly his "Freedom Agenda" (see pages 23 & 396) will be something that is looked upon as transforming the world from the grip of repressive regimes, tyranny and oppression, to one of democracies - where personal and political freedoms thrive, and the health and well-being of the world's population took giant leaps forward.
That is his version. Here is mine.
When Bush was six years old, his baby sister, three years younger, died suddenly of Leukemia, shocking his world. His parents had not told him how sick she was. His domineering mother, Barbara, went into an almost catatonic depression. His father, George Herbert Walker was absent--losing himself in his work. Little-boy George took over the care and nurturing of his once all-powerful mother. (p. 6-7.) According to Lorna Smith Benjamin in Interpersonal Diagnosis and Treatment of Personality Disorders (1996) this exact situation is the "crucial element" in the acquisition of an antisocial personality disorder--characterized by an obsession with personal freedom and dominance over others, and a phobic fear of control by others.
In Decision Points, Bush takes the reader from that event quickly to his decision to quit drinking at age forty. We are left to wonder ... however, Bush does acknowledge how his character was shaped by the first forty years of his life (p.3). But his interpretation is, as so often the case with him, way off the mark. [More on this later.] His only admissions are that he was a "boozy kid" (p. 21) [Today, Bush might well have been referred at Yale to mental health counselors for his alcohol abuse. (p. 13,14, 25) How might the world be different today had that been the case?] And that he had a "habitual personality." (p.1 & 34) He attributes his decision to quit drinking to the grace and power of the Christian God. (p.3) As the old saw goes: The rest is history. I think Bush struggled unconsciously with the role reversal of parent and child, was confused and conflicted, which led him into the escapist and delusional world of alcohol intoxication. At age forty, he traded one delusional world for another, replacing alcoholic fantasies for fantasies of an all powerful god directing him to save the world. He refers often to being "called." (p.36, 60, 129, 155.) He was driven by a desire to protect and free powerless people, especially women and children [His mother and himself. He clearly was enmeshed with her.] from evil, with guidance from God. He interpreted his Freedom Agenda as ordained by "The Almighty God." Bush's political platform centered around education, health, and the free market. He would partner with faith-based organizations and private enterprise to accomplish his agenda. And then Osama bin Laden attacked.
Ironically, the terrorist agenda and belief is similar to Bush's. According to T. Goertzel (2002) in Terrorist beliefs and lives, The psychology of terrorism, "Terrorists think rationally but they think within the limits of belief systems that may be irrational. They have strongly held beliefs that they defend with great emotional fever ... they see themselves as fighters of freedom who are protecting their religion." [And] "they perceive themselves as different from and superior to others because they belong to a group with intense ideological, cultural, and political beliefs. They view [their] actions as a revolutionary struggle of the oppressed ... unable to see themselves as others see them, unable to see the horrors they are causing others. ... men whose wills [are] absolutely pure." (In Craving for Ecstasy and Natural highs (2010) Milkman & Sunderwirth).
Whose god and belief is the "true" one?
I cannot argue against Bush's desires to bring education, health, and well-being to women and children. Nor to protect them from evil men--dictators, terrorists, and corrupt politicians and systems. It is, though, a case of him not being up to the task. He was misguided; and emotionally and intellectually bereft of the capability. As stated earlier, his interpretation of events is often at odds with reality - clouded, no doubt, by his twisted sense of self and purpose.
There is a pattern that emerges throughout the book. A crisis occurs and Bush applies his leadership style--one of assembling a team, gathering information, delegating responsibility, and then making a decision. However, his decision is based, not on intellectual analysis, but on feeling (warped), faith (delusional), and "instinct" (primitive). And then ... things go from bad to worse--be it the "War on Terror,' education, health and well-being, natural disasters, or economic collapse. He picks his team based on friendships, the information is erroneous, responses are inadequate, and then he struggles to adjust. Things always get worse before they get better. People die and lives are ruined. At one point in the book he acknowledges this, " ... no one who endured Katrina will ever fully recover." (p. 330) What about all the others? Bush usually responds at the moment of failure by shrugging, laughing, smirking, getting angry, and then blames others and tells himself it wasn't his fault. Then he gathers himself and responds by throwing obscene amounts of (borrowed) money at the problem, (which usually winds up in his friends' pockets) prays ... and then goes to bed to sleep. He tells the reader, over and over again just how bad he feels about things. He is desperate that the world know how mush he cares; and how much he reads, and how curious he is. (Page citations too numerous to list.) Dr. Freud, methinks the man doth protest too much.
In all seriousness, I cannot blame him for the disaster his presidency was. He did the best he could. It wasn't his fault! He was a victim of circumstance, bad parenting, neglect, incompetence, and misinformation due to ignorance--things he tried to combat and change. What was he supposed to do? He truly believes God saved his life, changed his heart, and then called on him to save the world. [A heroic narrative worthy of myth status.] Once in office, Bush was a victim of bad intelligence, bad information, and distorted thinking - over and over again - a sequential pattern that tends to repeat itself.
The question is not how history will judge him, but: Did the people who elected him, the persuadable voters in the middle, learn anything? [Barack Obama appears to be his opposite in many regards.]
I appreciate George W. Bush telling the world why and how he did what he did. I understand it all better now. He did the world a fine service by telling his story. Ironically, the takeaway will [hopefully] be quite different than he envisioned; and his case history will be studied and written about, by mental health professionals, novelists, and screenwriters.
[I voted for Gore and Kerry, and wrote a book highly critical of Bush: Attachment: A novel of war and peace. (2006) [...]
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. Learn more
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle Cloud Reader.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Flip to back Flip to front
Follow the Author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
| Price | New from | Used from |
|
Audible Audiobook, Unabridged
"Please retry" |
$0.00
| Free with your Audible trial | |
|
Multimedia CD, Audiobook
"Please retry" |
—
| $6.59 | $6.47 |
Frequently bought together
- +
- +
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Choose items to buy together.
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Limited-Time Offer
Join Audible Premium Plus for 60% off. Get this deal
About the author
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Customer reviews
Audio CD Review: Lousy Foreign Policy slightly redeemed by Domestic Achievements
Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2010
First thing to state is that I am fairly Anti-Bush.I'm not a rabid militant, but I think Bush was a sloppy President who greatly impoverished the US (America is now 40% poorer than it was in 2000 due to the deficits & debts built up under him) and had not a clue about foreign policy.That established, I'm not here to review Bush but his book and it actually makes for compelling listening. George Bush himself narrates the CD & you can easily see how he won 2 terms as his easy charm and Texas accent comes across well, in a similar way to how Stephen Fry does in his works (e.g. Fry's English Delight).The book is also written in an interesting way, whereby each different stage of his Presidency is explored in detail (e.g. Stem Cells, Katrina & a large section on 9/11). Unfortunately, each decision isn't really explored scientifically (as the title implies), but exploring individual decisions makes a refreshing change from the self-aggrandizement of some other political biographies.What is also interesting is to learn about his domestic policies. Whereas his father had sound foreign policy judgement (and was poor domestically), Bush seemed to have the opposite. 'No Child Left Behind', for instance was apparently a great success & went a long way to improving the awful US public school system.Similarly, Medicare benefitted substantially from the reforms of his administration proving, yet again, that Private systems with public money do better than state monopolies.Although such things are insightful, I did find that Bush seems almost immune to criticism. It seems from the book that he rarely listened to any of the criticism (he certainly mentions little except Katrina) and I hear that (in the full book) he sees the angry crowds at his inauguration 'as if in a dream', which shows a bit of a sociopathic mindset that would explain his poorer decisions.Overall though, this book is a treat to listen to and certainly not as annoyingly long-winded and affectatious as Blair's Memoirs were at times.Ultimately, I still think he was a bad President, though I can now see how he lasted as long as he did - partly charm, partly luck, but mostly because he was a success in his own country, if a total disaster with the rest of the world...P.S. An interesting detail I noted when I opened the 6CD case was a picture of Bush with the numbers '666' around the rim of the CD (See pictures in Image Gallery). Maybe he wasn't such a good President after all!
Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2010
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
Mrs. T. L. Brown
He changed my mind
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 11, 2013
Mr. Allan P. Gay
An interesting and substantial memoir
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 31, 2011
Stuart Parkinson, Eliffile
Wonderfully written, but is it therefore to good to be true?
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 30, 2017
