American Dynasty: Aristocracy, Fortune, and the Politics of Deceit in the House of Bush [Hardcover]

The Bad: For those of us who would use this book as a club to help knock George W. Bush out of the White House in November 2004, it is a rather unwieldy weapon. Phillips's evident dislike of the two Presidents Bush is muted and hardly undercuts the evidence he brings forth regarding their financial, political, and intelligence activities over the years. But the story is a very complex one, involving many threads that Phillips tries to weave into a coherent storyline. He doesn't always succeed. If you are looking for a book to present to a pro-Bush friend or relative, as I was, as a very obvious "smoking gun" with which to argue against Dubya's re-election, this just ain't it, despite all the valid, sound information Phillips presents.

The real value of this book, which is why I can rate it so highly and recommend it to anyone, is in demonstrating the way that America's corporate/government establishment really works. There is a strong case to be made that the machinations of this establishment over the past one hundred years, however sinister they may seem to some people, have produced a strong and prosperous United States. But one may also question, as Phillips does, whether the secret dealings of a relative handful of powerful men and families are always in the best interest of either Americans as individuals or of America as democratic society. One has only to consider the current war in Iraq: Our president states that we invaded Iraq, essentially, to defend America's security and freedom by overthrowing an evil dictator; but one is led to believe that, in the mind of George W. Bush and his corporate supporters, "security" means the preservation of their own wealth and power, which means preserving the present U.S. economic structure; and that preservation is directly tied to an uninterrupted flow of oil from the wells of the Mideast to the gasoline tanks and power plants of the United States. They see their own interests as the interests of all Americans.

Could they be right? Think of the disruption in the U.S. economy - in the global economy for that matter - if Mideastern oil supplies were suddenly and substantially diminished. Our society and lifestyle have been built upon cheap gasoline and electricity, provided by fossil fuels. The Bushes and their cronies understand this reality with a depth that most Americans can hardly comprehend. And, as Phillips argues, the average American increasingly seems willing to trust his or her rights (and obligations) of citizenship to an imperialistic U.S. government controlled by political and corporate elites. Many of these elites probably mean well in serving all Americans, but is their dominance in our government and in our economy a sign of a decaying democracy?

What Phillips sees at stake is not just the influence of the Bush family and the re-election of George W., but America's democratic legacy itself. He points out that Democrats, too, have their elites and dynasties (Democrat Averill Harriman -- railroad heir, diplomat and New York governor -- was a close business associate of the Bushes; and if you count Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Kennedy dynasty now encompasses both major political parties). Rumors that Hillary Clinton is determined to seek the White House reinforce Phillips's contention that some Americans, at least, find something comforting in such familial continuity holding the reins of power.

This is not a book that is going to dissuade a fervent Bush supporter from voting for his re-election; a "swing" voter who is willing to take the time to read the book might find it influential. But "American Dynasty" is most definitely a book that will enlighten those with the eyes to see just how the establishment works. The Bushes, for better or worse, are definitely a part of that establishment.

Quibble: Lots of source endnotes (and not just from "Vanity Fair!") but no bibliography.