|
|
|
|
|
|
by Lucia Wilkes Smith, W A M M
|
United States v. George W. Bush et al.
by Elizabeth de la Vega
There’s something about meeting the author in person. She asked us to call her “Betsy,” and I found her to be smart, funny, and very serious when she came to a lunch hosted by WAMM’s book club in February and stayed to talk about U.S. v. Bush with about 30 readers. Betsy is a former federal prosecutor, and I’m fascinated by the book’s hypothetical premise—indictment before a grand jury of key leaders in the Bush administration, charged with conspiracy to defraud the American people as they impelled us into war against Iraq.
There’s something about a book that fits so easily into the hands, that’s so light to hold and turns out to be so compelling. A blurb on the back cover calls the book “the intersection between political fantasy and legal reality.” I’m interested in the legal system as a parallel to real life, an alternate reality with a language of its own and some peculiar definitions of words we laypeople mistakenly assume we grasp. The book spells out the historical facts on the road to war interspersed with bits of humor (really!) and bursts of legal education. For example, “conspiracy” is simply “an agreement” in legal language, and “fraud” is “a course of conduct.” The book takes a uniquely civil approach, avoiding the nastiness of accusing anyone of deliberate lies. This isn’t “Bush-bashing”!
The indictment is spelled out in 20 gray-tinted pages at the beginning of the book. The dates, cast of characters, and topics are enumerated for a fictional grand jury. Now, all of these facts have been free-floating in my brain and yours for several years. However, when they are laid out with precision and clarity, as they would be in federal court, the effect is stunning. There it is—damning information in black and white. Wrapped in a cover of red, white, and blue.
March 3 the WAMM Book Club met to discuss Overthrow: America’s Century of Regime Changes from Hawaii to Iraq by Steven Kinzer. On April 7, we meet to discuss Conservatives Without Conscience by John Dean. Join in the conversation! |
|
|
Word UP!
Another nation is made out to be utterly depraved and fiendish, while one’s own nation stands for everything that is good and noble. Every action of the enemy is judged by one standard—every action of oneself by another. Even good deeds by the enemy are considered a sign of particular devilishness, meant to deceive us and the world, while our bad deeds are necessary and justified by our noble goals, which they serve.
—Eric Fromm
Love of my country does not demand that I shall hate and slay those noble and faithful souls who also love theirs.
—Romain Rolland
|
|
|
|
|
© 2007 Women Against Military Madness. All rights reserved.
|
 |
|
Complete March 2007 Index - click here
|
|
 |
|
|
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
|
|
|
|
|
|
