The Bush Agenda: Invading the World, One Economy at a Time – A Brilliant Investigation into Oil, Corporations, and Iraq

by Antonia Juhasz

In The Bush Agenda , Antonia Juhasz exposes a radical corporate globalization agenda that has been refined by leading members and allies of the Bush administration over decades and reached its fullest, most aggressive implementation under George W. Bush—and Bush Agenda adherents plan for it to outlast him. Juhasz uncovers the history and key role of U.S. corporations in the creation of this agenda—focusing on Bechtel, Lockheed Martin, Chevron, and Halliburton—then presents the Iraq War as its most brutal application to date. Expertly revealing the oil timeline driving the war, Juhasz charts exactly how the administration has fundamentally transformed Iraq's economy, locked in sweeping advantages to its corporate allies, and expanded its target to the whole Middle East. The results of these same corporate globalization policies—dislocation, extreme poverty, and increased violence and terrorism—have been demonstrated in regions from South America to Africa to the Middle East and Asia, and in the United States. Extensively researched and now updated with a new afterword, The Bush Agenda is a brilliant, informative analysis, revealing the hard truths about where the Bush administration and its corporate allies are leading the modern world—and what we can do about it.

Genres: Politics, Economics, Nonfiction, History, Business

416 pages, Paperback

First published December 30, 2008

Reviews

[James Steele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t let the title fool you. This has been America’s foreign policy for a century. Collecting all the pieces of information I’ve heard over the years, this exposé of the real reason for the war in Iraq should be called definitive.

After the fall of Soviet Union, certain people decided this was the opportunity to rebuild the Roman Empire. The only way to ensure peace on Earth was for America to become so dominant no other nation will dare try to rise up and challenge it.

Using outright military force is too obvious in these modern times, so economic submission is the weapon of choice. Part and parcel of this goal are free trade agreements and IMF and World Bank loans. The terms on member states force nations to cut government spending, divert those resources to loan repayment; privatization of public sector services, opening them to foreign investment; allowing foreign companies to come; removing tariffs on foreign goods. All of this combines to destroy local economies and impoverish native peoples. It turns entire nations into serfs working for factories created by multinational corporations. This money does not go back to the local economies, or help the nation in any way. The devastation of the economy under these terms makes the nation dependent on IMF and World Bank loans.

Iraq was one such nation the US was trying to get to agree to such terms. US companies wanted in, Hussein would not allow it, so the US tried to overthrow him and replace him with a more US-friendly leader. This failed, so invasion was necessary, but packaged as anti-terrorism.

The 2003 invasion of Iraq did not happen in a vacuum. Bush 41 did not remove Hussein from power at the end of the Gulf War for no reason. He thought with this show of force Hussein would be more open to negotiation. All of this was a continuation of international corporate efforts to enter the country for oil profits, among other enterprises. Hussein would not play ball. Corporate America worked its way into the government and took the US to war, all so corporate America could gain access to new markets.

It was never about terrorism. Iraq was no threat. It was all about business interests. Corporate America has profited off the war in Iraq, leaving the people decimated. Iraqis are fighting back not because they’re terrorists, but because we invaded them. The USA is the aggressor. US companies are taking their oil and giving them nothing in return. US companies are privatizing their public services, making them worse, reaping huge profits and hurting the Iraqi people. The people are fighting back, and we label them “terrorists.”

The US replaced Hussein with another dictator and rewrote the laws to favor US corporations. It has dismantled the public infrastructure and allowed private corporations to come in and profit from them. It has done this exact same thing in many sub-Saharan African nations: propping up corrupt regimes to keep public utilities in disrepair, or nonexistent, so private firms can move in and fill the gap, all to open new markets to exploit. The US used Iraq as a warning to other nations in the region who refuse to play ball with free trade agreements. The message is clear: do business with the USA, or we will replace you with someone who will.

The war on terror has increased terrorism. It has done exactly what its corporate authors intended: huge profits at the expense of human lives.

[Donovon Ceaser · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned the details of how bush uses Economic imperialism to take over other countries. And I learned about the IMF and the World bank too. Evil motherfuckers!

[Jenika · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was blithly unaware of what was going on on the political stage most of my life till Bush came on board. This book gave me a historical, systematic approach to how we as a country have intertwined politically and militarily in a nefarious tradition that goes back farther than I can trace my "tree." In short we have been/are used to financially support rampant globilization for corporate profit by controlling other countries in very sick ways. Our armies are fighting and dying for corporate America all along.
Juhasz has broken down complex concepts and speaks at "my level". She is truly an educator and this book is worthy of any Library.

[Luis Murillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're interested of exactly why and how you experienced pain at the pump during early 2003 through the present, this book exposes the 'oil time-line' . The author goes on to describe the methods used by the Bush Administration in collaboration with American corporatocracy for the 'intelligent sacking' of natural resources in middle-east countries such as Iraq.

[Marlo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything you thought you knew is wrong. A must read.

[Jonathan Jasinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does a really solid job of explaining the US corporate empire in the first half of the book, id highly recommend reading that part. The second half gets a bit boggy in specifics about Iraq, because once the historical examples are summarized, the facts laid out regarding iraq- the writing gets just a bit long winded, nonspecific, meandering- just a bit. Very good overall though, important info shared in a clear way.

[Bess · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's unfortunate that more average-reader types won't read this because of how textbooky it is. People want more flash & trash in a book about Bush's policies -- they don't want to sit down and have to page through white papers. Even official white papers are presented more sensationally than this nowadays.

The author means well -- and this book is full of at-times fascinating, relevant, disgustingly factual information -- and I respect her integrity in not wanting to be a total sellout... but it just seems like there could have been a happier medium reached in which maybe some of the material could have been catered just a little toward non-Economist subscribers.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this around a year ago and found it to be one of the best books about Bush and the Iraq war amongst the many I've devoured since the March '03, the month that will live in infamy.

Juhasz is a smart, tough analyst with a progressive activist background who left the world of Congressional staffers after working for John Conyers on trade and related matters for several years and growing tired of being patronized by arrogant white guys in expensive suits.

Her analysis gets comes from years of activism focusing on nuts and bolts analysis of the Naderite school. Every library should have this book.

As Neil Young sings in his superhit "The Restless Consumer," "Don't need no more lies!"

[Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This woman just help co-author with John Perkins the sequal of 'Confessions of an Economic Hitman'...'The Bush Agenda' does not reveal any monumental cover-ups, but a good read nonetheless.