This is a book without endnotes. It?s got a few footnotes. About a quarter of the way through, there?s one about Christopher Reeves??the famous actor who played Superman?. What kind of editors thought this was worth its space in a much-awaited memoir by a much-debated American president? What kind of readers did they envision? As someone who has vivid, nightmarish memories of celebrating on the night of November 7, 2000, only to go into mourning for the next eight years, it would be very easy for me to cavil through this review. But Decision Points really seems a sincere attempt to reach out to everyone who just didn?t ?get? George W Bush. There are books that preach to the converted and then there are those that win converts. This one is surely of the latter sort.
Trademark Bushisms have been renounced as the man clearly tries hard to reach out on issues that created the stormiest discords during his presidency?the decision points, as it were. To Superman supporters, Bush explains that on the bitterly divisive stem cell issue, he felt the pull of both science and morality. While the Democratic presidential nominee frequently took him to task for banning embryonic stem cell research in 2004, Bush says he was actually the first president in history to federally fund the same, albeit only for existing stem cell lines wherein the embryos had already been destroyed. Meanwhile, there were no restrictions on privately-funded research. When scientists managed to bypass embryos to get stem cells, he felt vindicated. He had refused to go down the slippery slope of giving government support for ?the destruction of human life?. His intelligence had been rabidly questioned.
But science had proved it could coexist with ?ethics?.
Through the storms, Bush says he found comfort in reading history, in how earlier presidents had endured strident brickbats for standing by principled decisions but been vindicated over time. Take note, all those who totally embraced the caricature of a president who read nothing but the Good Book, and so viewed everything from his education to foreign policy with a very distrustful, wary gaze.
He clarifies that he didn?t believe in a Methodist or a Jewish or a Muslim approach to public policy. He didn?t believe it was the government?s role to promote any religion even if he had admitted in a 1999 presidential debate that Christ was the ?political philosopher or thinker? that he most identified with because,
?He changed my heart?. Bush was learning from lots of sources, including the 14 Lincoln biographies read during his presidency. Abe had also endured masses of rough politics, been called a baboon. Being labelled a Nazi, a war criminal and Satan would be Dubya?s lot. And he was ok with it. Because, ?the Good Lord wouldn?t give a believer a burden he couldn?t handle?.
Because, ?in the presidency, as in life, you have to play the hand you?re dealt?. Because, while all the decisions he made were not popular, he was doing what he ?believed was right?.
Bringing down Saddam Hussein was the right thing to do. Yes, in a 2000 presidential debate with Al Gore, Bush promised he would ?be very careful about using our troops as nation builders?. But 9/11, when he looked at modern-day Pearl Harbour and watched more Americans die than any other president in history, persuaded him to change course. His presidency became focussed on protecting American freedom that had come under attack. ?If we waited for a danger to fully materialise, we would have waited too long.?
His response to the ?Bush Lied, People Died? charge concerning WMDs forms the memoir?s apogee. It?s been pitilessly dissected and found wanting. But Bush points out he had read the same evidence that various members of the Congress and international intelligence agencies had read. (Except, hmm, the UN inspectors never did find those WMDs.) Everyone had concluded Iraq had WMDs. Everyone would be proved wrong. ?If I wanted to mislead the country into war, why would I pick an allegation that was certain to be disproven publicly shortly after we invaded?? Bush admits there were mistakes made in the ?war on terror?. Yet, in the final analysis, he holds that making America accept the responsibility to put pressure on ?the world?s tyrants? was one of his ?most consequential decisions as president?. Not one he regrets. One that he thinks only history will properly judge. And long after he is gone.
One of the most salacious rumours that endured among Democratic voters through Bush?s presidency was that he didn?t even have a passport till running the big race. Decision Points refers to Bush?s pre-presidency travels to places like China and Gambia, so his belief in the value of freedom and America?s role in promoting it appears as rooted in direct observation as in faith. Joe Klein and others have pointed out that because the memoir reflects real emotions, the unwary reader is duped into a suspension of disbelief that, nevertheless, cannot endure sustained scrutiny. Perhaps. But for those of us who only saw him as Machiavellian, it?s hugely comforting to feel that he acted in good faith, at least.
Bush also makes the case that, contrary to Democratic propaganda, he was actually a good fiscal steward?see graph. Much of the massive surplus that he allegedly squandered was an illusion. Still, Decision Points genteelly holds back expected potshots against Bill Clinton or Barack Obama. It ends by acknowledging how the latter?s campaign gave hope to so many Americans. As that hope gets sapped, Obama may look to the Bush memoir to revive it, insofar as taking hard decisions powered by conviction is concerned.
