Family of Secrets-a book report

By Russ Baker
The Bush Dynasty, America’s Invisible Government, and the hidden history of the last fifty years
This is another difficult book to read. To start with it contains 494 small print pages. It includes comments about many people who were not familiar to me nor will they be to you either. Trying to keep the names in mind as you are reading is very difficult. Since the book covers fifty years of history, events a long time ago which were not generally known added to my problem? Having said all the above, the sum total of the information presented is not favorable to the Bush family. It shows an obsession with money and power. Their network of friends includes the rich and famous, many of whom were granted favors without regard to the best interest of neither America nor the world in general.
The author even questions the heroism of George H. W. Bush when he bailed out during the war in the Pacific. Could he have saved the lives of his two crewmen by making a sea landing? He weaves in many suggestions about culpability in the death of President Kennedy. He proves that “poppy”, as he refers to the first Bush President, was in Dallas the night before the assassination and that a close friend had been an advisor to Oswald suggesting an involvement in the events leading to Kennedy’s death. He devotes many pages to give food for thought about many people in Dallas at the time that were filled with hatred towards the president.
All thru the book “poppy” is shown to have been involved with the CIA, not just when he became Director but many years before. He makes his case that the first Gulf war was for oil and no other reason. Saddam had been assured that invading Kuwait would not be objectionable to America, but when he did, President Bush immediately organized a coalition of nations including Arab nations to drive Iraq out of Kuwait.
Many years before the Bush family cultivated a friendship with the Saudi rulers who provided financial support for any number of the projects of benefit to the family.
Of particular interest to me was the life of George Bush. He lived the life of privilege. A party animal, he enjoyed drinking and womanizing and is accused of getting two women pregnant both of whom had abortions. That possibility was particularly heinous to me with his ranting about “Pro Life” during his years as President. As the son of a sitting president he was given financial support for a number of efforts such a acquiring the Texas Ranger Baseball team. I never gave this man credit for smarts but the author does. George was a great salesman who could convince many to invest in risky ventures.
During his years as President he was known for giving quick responses to issues rather than exploring in depth. He was quoted as saying that a president needed a war to accomplish his agenda. He was proved right. After 9/11 and his two wars the Congress gave him whatever he requested. As president he had a total disregard to the efficient operation of government agencies by staffing them with people opposed to the mandate of those agencies. Any and all who resisted were removed. The ineffectiveness of FEMA during Katrina was a glaring example of the result of his efforts.
The author believes that G. Bush was allowed to join the Texas Air National Guard thru the influence of “poppy”, ahead of many who were more qualified. This of course kept him out of Vietnam. After two years he mysteriously missed taking a mandatory physical necessary to continue flying and was taken out of flying service. He then somehow transferred to Alabama. No one seems to have ever seen him on base and his military records were conveniently lost. He was granted an honorable discharge somehow. The hypocrisy of all this was his campaign to discredit Senator Kerry’s patriotism while serving in Vietnam. Somehow with the help of the “Swift Boat” campaign, Kerry’s lead in the polls evaporated leading to victory for Bush.
There is much, much more. You need to read for yourself.
Jack B. Walters
January 5, 2011