More fun than reading W’s new book may be reading the reviews on Amazon. Five minutes before it went on sale, the dot.com book seller was receiving reader reviews.
I was looking at “Decision Point” by President George W. Bush. I haven’t read it yet and, no, I’m not going to voice an opinion. Not yet anyway.
But it is so obvious that many of those critics who offered their opinions never even cracked the covers.
It is also apparent which side of politics they favor. Those on the right were filled with heavenly praise of everything including the punctuation. Those on the left, who hated the man, absolutely detested his book.
Just skimming through the reviews, I read that Dubya approved the waterboarding of senior al-Qaida terrorist Khalid Sheik Mohammed. Oh my! What a shocker! I mean, c’mon! Is there anyone on this planet who did NOT know this? He admitted it last year when he said he would do it again “to save lives.”
Right now, a newly appointed United Nations torture expert with a big mouth is encouraging the United States to investigate the possibilities of prosecuting the former president. Who is this so-called expert? His name is Juan Mendez, a lawyer from Argentina. To the best that I can find, this man has no children or grandchildren in America. Easy for him to say.
It’s obvious to me that Bush wrote the book to help America form new thoughts about his legacy. Another foreigner, the reviewer for the London Guardian, wrote that his real legacy is how “… he eroded his country’s principles by the way he profoundly ill-served America.” He says that the President admittedly authorized this torture and “the damage he did to America’s image abroad will take a generation to repair.” Isn’t that wonderful?
I’m anxious, no, make that “worried” about the safety of my grandchildren in New York and Florida. This foreigner is telling me how deeply concerned he is with America’s reputation in England. While they are both noteworthy, which matter is more important is a no-brainer. Perhaps Mr. Guardian would feel a bit different if his family lived in Washington.
The American Civil Liberties Union is also weighing in on the issue. The left-wing organization has been encouraging investigations into torture by the Bush Administration for a long time. Nobody is really taking the group seriously. It may not admit it out loud, but everybody knows that the ACLU is not the same organization it once was. It has lost its way. Besides, if you are that serious about “enhanced interrogation” (I love those words), do some research on “rendition” (another great word). You might be surprised when you learn who is doing it now.
The appearances of Gentleman George all over the tube has rekindled the whining and crying about how he “stole” the election. Enough already. Let’s put the sobbing to bed once and for all. Al Gore was given the opportunity to a complete statewide recount which he turned down. After the election his gonifs ordered a recount of the ballots in heavily favored Democrat districts. Bush was still the winner. This was verified and validated by the left wing press, including the award-winning and Gore-supporting Miami Herald.
I am StanGershbein@Bellsouth.net telling my friends on the left to please — give it a rest already.
