American Dynasty
I’ve spent almost two month reading this book bite by bite, page by page. “American Dynasty: Aristocracy, Fortune, and the Politics of Deceit in the House of Bush” is a 400-page bestseller book written by Kevin Phillips, also known for other political-related books such as Wealth and Democracy. The book covers everything there is to know about the Bush family, their history, their administration and how they reached the top of the political ladder. Phillips talks about an “American dynasty” starting from the late 19th century up till nowadays. He even compares the Bushes to the Stuarts in Great Britain and the Bourbons in France, focusing on how the power is transferred from father to son. The book is both historical and documentary as it also exposes numerous conspiracy theories.
Some of the conspiracies I particularly appreciated reading:
- Prescott Bush (governor and father of the 41st president and grandfather of the 43rd president) being a commercial partner to Nazi Germany. According to the author and based on reliable documents, a big part of Nazi Germany’s military arsenal was American made. Up to the beginning of World War II, Prescott Bush and his partners at W.I. Harriman ran several offshore corporations in Europe and mainly in Germany (where the economical development more remarkable than anywhere else in Europe). During WWII, the same Prescott Bush was working for the American government on the Armament Board in order to provide heavy armory to American soldiers fighting against the Nazi occupation in Europe.
- “Iran-Contra” and “October Surprise” during the George H.W. Bush (the 41st president) C.I.A. directorship. The Iran hostage crisis in 1979 is believed to be the crucial element that caused Democrat President Candidate Jimmy Carter to lose the elections against Republican Candidate Ronald Reagan. It is mentioned that the democrats struck a deal with the Iranians, during a meeting in Paris in October 1979, in order for them not to release the hostages before the end of the presidential elections. The multiple hostage rescue missions are also though to have been sabotaged in order for the mission to fail and consequently the popularity of Jimmy Carter to stay low is the polls.
- George W. Bush’s (the 43rd president) privileged relation with Texan oil corporations such as Exxon and Enron preceding and during his presidency. This matter is related to the different wars on Iraq conducted by the Bushes and how the oil corporation were made entire partner to the military industry in the U.S.A. and privileged businesses in America and “colonized” countries such as Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries.
Another interesting part of the book, which Kevin Phillips himself was surprised in writing, is the political relation of George W. Bush with religion. Bush is described as being though by himself and his supporters as a savior coming to deliver the world from the famous “Axis of Evil” he talks about. A notable religious figure the author talks about is Billy Graham.
American Dynasty is a good book; you should read it – if you like reading that is. I must admit that at some point, the book started getting boring just stating facts, dates and names that didn’t seem to have any relation with each other, too many details. This is what probably makes the book a bestseller: no side stories or exempted passages, you’ll find everything related to the Bushes in it, and not just everything you need to know about.
American Dynasty Official Web Site