On September 11 the stars seemed to align themselves in extraordinary ways. Bush got his wish to be the commander-in-chief he had envisioned the presidency to be. The Neoconservatives found the cataclysmic event that could kick off their quest to re-make the Middle East. Fundamentalist Christians could get on with realizing their Apocalyptic visions and the Second Coming of Christ.
However, some things were not exactly copasetic.
Bush’s competence as a leader was questionable, especially on foreign affairs. As vice president, the ever-able Dick Cheney took charge of operations and he not only advised Bush but directed the president’s foreign policy outright.
Cheney served as the “sole framer of key issues for Bush,” said Unger. He likewise ignored all interagency systems and functions and stuck to the Neoconservatives’ empire-building playbook. As a result, Cheney got Bush to commit the United States to two wars in the Middle East while he threatens a third with Iran.
Unger’s book reads like a Shakespearean tragedy. Readers know what is going to happen while Unger’s purpose is to reveal how things happened. The cast of characters is numerous—and seen on TV nearly every day as Bush administration representatives.
This book is extremely well-written and an intriguing eye-opener to the shadow government of Vice President Cheney. It also unveils the motivations of the Neocons and Christian Fundamentalists that allows readers to understand how they are threatening our democracy.
This book review appeared in the March 3, 2008, edition of America magazine.
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