Crimes Against Nature: How George W. Bush and His Corporate Pals Are Plundering the Country and Hijacking Our Democracy

by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

In this powerful indictment of George W. Bush's White House, environmental attorney Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., charges that the administration has taken corporate favoritism to unprecedented heights -- threatening our health, our national security, and our democracy.

Kennedy lifts the veil on how the administration, in order to enrich its corporate paymasters, has eviscerated the laws that protect our nation's air, water, public lands, and wildlife. He describes the White House doling out lavish subsidies and tax breaks to energy barons while allowing the corporations to profit by poisoning the public and eliminating security at the more than 15,000 nuclear and chemical facilities that are prime targets for terrorist attacks. He shows how right-wing White House ideologues have taken the "conserve" out of conservatism and trampled the free-market democracy in favor of a kind of corporate-crony capitalism that is as antithetical to democracy, efficiency, and prosperity in America as it is in Nigeria.

Crimes Against Nature is a book for both Democrats and Republicans, people like the traditionally conservative farmers and fishermen whom Kennedy represents in lawsuits against polluters. "Without exception," he writes, "these people see the current administration as the greatest threat not just to their livelihoods but to their values, their sense of community, and their idea of what it means to be American."

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Environment, Science, History, American, Justice

279 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Robert Francis Kennedy Jr. is an American activist, environmental attorney, and author. Kennedy serves as president of the board of Waterkeeper Alliance, a non-profit environmental group that he helped found in 1999.

He is the third of eleven children of Senator and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Kennedy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_....

Reviews

[Brett Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Costs of ignorance

RFK lists the names, corporations and how many millions changed hands to get laws written by lobbyists from the very companies Congress is meant to regulate. Masters of spin, these corporate-congress lawmakers title their initiatives to suit the media and opposition, such as the “Clean Skies Program” (to relieve toxic emission standards), the “Healthy Forest Initiative” (to clear cut old growth forests), or “Wise Use” resources (land use polices to reward political contributions). RFK lists operatives hired from oil, gas and coal appointed to control EPA, Interior, the Forest Service and any organization once meant to insure the health and future of our landscape. (Claims can be verified outside the text.) Instead all is to be razed as quickly as possible before the next administration, which might not be so reckless. RFK reports how opposition has been silenced, transferred, their offices ransacked and forced to acquiesce or else. Nixon-like break-ins, once riveting the nation, aren’t noticed as our media, now owned by corporate giants (NBC/GE, ABC/Disney, CBS/previously Westinghouse) resist reporting anything implicating their paymasters. Instead, citizens pay for it though elevations in mercury, arsenic, higher asthma rates and loss of streams, landscapes and forests. One wonders about fundamental differences between the Bush/Cheney plutocracy and that of totalitarian Communist China. By comparison, sleaze of the Clinton Administration now seems innocent.

The loathing our Bush/Cheney Administration and its corporate powers have for law, the Constitution, or a future beyond foreseeable profits is extraordinary. One leaves this book realizing that just such corruption is as old as time, repeated on so many occasions throughout history as to be passé, but few if any have done it so well as Cheney and Bush. Perhaps these two will be remembered for something after all.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

The subtitle to this book is "How George W Bush and His Corporate Pals are Plundering the Country and Hijacking Our Democracy." There's not really much more that needs to be said about what this book is about. Kennedy has a tremendous amount of data to back up this statement, and his writing lets you know that he feels pretty strongly about it. I would say he's pissed, as we should all be. I already knew vaguely of some instances where Bush's appointments for various government positions allowed corporate interests to basically take over, but Kennedy brings to light many many more perversions of power. This is an incredibly well-researched book, Kennedy obviously went to great lengths to make sure that he had the facts to back up what he knows was happening in our government.
It would be really interesting to see what has changed in the four years since this book was written. Parts of it have an almost mournful tone: Kennedy is telling us about what the Bush administration has done so far, and he is concerned about what is going to be affected in the future. It will also be interesting to see what will change with the new administration - most of Obama's environmental and scientific appointments seem to be people who can make the necessary changes. But there is still a big connection with the corporations, and in today's politics, that seems hard to change. This is an interesting factual read, although much has probably changed since the book first was published.

[Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provided an in-depth look at how big-business corporations are not only destroying our environment, but also our country, our democracy, by turning it into a fascist society in which the corporations are running our government, not the people. It is frightening to see how far corporate businesses are allowed to pollute legally, destroying our land, water, and our health. I realize that this book is a few years old and represents what a past administration allowed to happen, but it depicts how easy it is for laws like the Clean Air Act, and regulating bodies like the EPA to be overturned or blatantly ignored. President Obama has had too much else on his plate to effectively address these issues, nor was the environment a part of his campaign. Our country and its precious resources are being exploited and destroyed, all in the name of big business. It makes me fear greatly for our future generations.

[Ronald Wise · Rating 4 out of 5]

A straightforward attack on the administration of George W. Bush for its attempt to dismantle the regulation of polluters in the United States. Kennedy, an attorney for an environmental group in New York State, gives first-hand accounts of his frustrations in trying to have existing environmental laws enforced, only to find that the current government and polluting corporations can make end-runs around the law through the courts and enforcement agencies. Recent election results made the information in this book only slightly more bearable, and left me with a more focused hope that the incoming Congress will investigate, investigate, investigate regarding these issues. I learned of this book from an appearance by the Kennedy on the Diane Rheam Show.

[Gaialy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took my time with this book. It needed it. Published 16 years ago, but still relevant for the very obvious reason - things are far worse. Governments have not learnt anything. Control of the media is even more problematic, but at least small independent online media outlets are trying to cover the news that corporation owned media cannot cover. Having been raised by a journalist mother, I have from the sidelines seen the frustration when a public interest news gets killed because it would cause problems for the owners of the newspaper.

"Free-market, when allowed to function, properly value raw materials and encourage producers to eliminate waste -pollution- by reducing, reusing and recycling".

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear, concise and convincing - George W. Bush and his corporate pals really DID plunder the country and hijack our democracy. In 2011 it was just Robert Kennedy's opinion. Now the whole WORLD knows about the bald LIES that took us into the Iraqi War. Now we KNOW that his lack of preparedness let us be attacked on 9/11 (while he was reading a children's book). Now we see that pals in the corporations, in their blind greed, actually DID plunder the country throwing millions of Americans out of their homes and our country into the greatest financial disaster of our lifetimes. I will throw in the illegal and immoral prisons at Abu Gharaib and Guantanamo just to emphasize the hijacking of our morals as well. WE ARE LUCKY TO HAVE SURVIVED those eight years - and now the Republicans want to give us DONALD TRUMP - "to make America Great again." Well, I think I know what "GREAT" means to the Republicans - and I want NO PART OF IT.

[Thalhah Fakhrizal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knowing the fact that US people were being cheated by Multinational Company through US government to maximize the profit. If they could spoil their homeland environment,they could do it also in other countries.

[Veronique Perrot · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a review I wrote of this book in 2007. Although my perspective, as a Vegan, has changed the way I see this book a little (I am not a big fan of calling fishing - which is cruelty to animals - a recreation or even calling a family farm "humane" when animals have to die and still get mutilated), this is still a pretty good look at the Bush Administration's devastating impact on the enviroment.


"In this fascinating book by Natural Resources Defense Council’s Senior Attorney Robert Kennedy Jr, we learn about the full extent of the Bush administration’s anti-environmental agenda starting with the dismantling of every bit of Bill Clinton era’s environmental laws like, for example, anti-mercury laws.

I couldn’t help but feel more and more anger at each page as the author describes the most destructive policies Bush an his cronies have put in place to favor their big industry buddies and pocket millions of dollars in return. But the author doesn’t stop there and also makes the case against the role of the corporate media and its power to distort important news about our environment and our health and shows how much in bed with government it has become.

Robert Kennedy Jr. goes as far as comparing the current administration’s policies with fascist Italy (Mussolini) and Nazi Germany (Herman Goering’s propaganda machine) and he is not alone. Thom Hartmann of Air America Radio has also been doing a very convincing parallel on his show and his books (see “What would Jefferson Do?”).

This is a very important book which must be read in order to appreciate how we are losing our democracy and the beauty of our environment by wasting time on “American Idol” instead of getting involved with our democracy. If we continue on this path, the right-wingers/polluters will always win."

[Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well put together case, June 11, 2006


From his pedigree and the title alone there is no doubt where the author's political sympathies lie but this book is more than just a partisan rant against the other side of the aisle. By documenting incident after incident of malfeasance, high-handedness and outright lying, Kennedy goes straight after the people who are causing harm to our nation's resources and planet's life support system for the sake of grabbing personal gain.

I don't believe that he attacks what is best in Conservative values or necessarily asks us to buy wholesale his Liberal agenda. Throughout the book, by documenting the opinions and experiences of career government scientists and stifled voices of dissent from within the administration, or people in the Republican party like McCain and Sununu who opposed egregious excesses, Kennedy makes the case for a non-partisan spirit of stewardship for the nation's well-being. There is plenty of room for honest people to disagree on what level of regulation is appropriate and what restraint on private activity balances best with the public good. Kennedy paints a compelling picture of the current administration's actions as falling well outside the bounds of that type of debate - indeed they represent a concerted attempt to sabotage and circumvent the dialogue itself. After reading the argument and digesting the facts, it's hard to find much to say to refute the charge that there is massive corruption and plunder under GWB's watch. Unless there's just something huge I'm missing, you'd have to be a fanatic, a crook in on the take or completely ignorant to not have a problem with the current leaders and their environmental policies - this book takes away the excuse of ignorance.

[Will Byrnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a must read for an excellent overview of what the Bush administration has been up to re the environment. There is much specificity that shows how they go about their evil deeds. I found his discussion of "The Commons" compelling. Kennedy has been involved with eco-issues in New York for quite a while and much of what he has learned is in this book. It should be must-reading for eco-activists.

[Alaina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not for Republicans

[Armand · Rating 3 out of 5]

My free-reading choice for Houck's Natural Resource's class, this book collects RFK Jr.'s frustrations with the state of environmental law during GWB's first term. While the book does a good job of compiling overwhelming and depressing evidence of the cronyism that permeates Bush's EPA, it feels a bit disjointed at times and doesn't read like a clearly conceptualized account of a particular problem. Rather, Crimes Against Nature is more of a catalogue of all the ways in which GWB has weakened environmental protection in this country through largely non-legislative measures such as funding, permitting requirements, appointments, and rule changes. Kennedy's frustration is contagious, and while the research is exhaustive and the writing fine, reading this in the middle of Bush's second term just left me depressed.

I have to note, however, that Kennedy concludes with one of my favorite observations about environmental law, which I first encountered in Houck's class: The free market might be the best thing to ever happen to the environment. Our current system spreads the cost of pollution to every American, with the government picking up the tab of reclamation (often after selling the land below cost to the polluter in the first place!), rather than forcing polluters to internalize their environmental impacts as part of the cost of doing business. We rarely pay the true market price for natural resources because so many of the costs are hidden. Kennedy has particular expertise in the commercial meat industry, but everything from timber and gold, to coal and oil, are viable only in this fake market that GWB has spent two terms propping up.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slighty outdated now (published in 04 i think), but well worth reading. For some reason i bought this and it sat in my book drawer at the bottom until i was forced to pull everything out. I am an avid environmentalist and even i learned many things while reading this book. Although the title sounds swayed against a particular individual, the author also includes democrats on his lists of who fails to protect the environement. Most of ths stuff in here makes you critically examine how we do things. I would like to see a book written like this for every president and congress so we can review their environmental record and hopefully start getting more involved to ensure a healthy environment for our kids. FYI - dont read while pregnant. too scary and upsetting.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is well-written, and while it told me a lot of what I already know, I also learned a lot more details. The most lasting impression this book made on me was the section on meat production--the stories about the horrible pollution caused by meat production and processing, and the sneaky politics of the guys in charge, have led me to drastically reduce my meat intake. And I love meat. I now try to only eat organically raised meat, or antibiotic/hormone free at the very least. I do slip up occasionally, because you can only tolerate so many portobello sandwiches and quesadillas when eating out, but I feel terribly guilty about it now after reading this.

[Nora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since I Read The First Couple of Pages on AMAZON I had To Have It. I Can't Put The Book Down and Not only Have a Learned A ton Of Things From This Book But I Have Passed On the Knowledge to my Family, Friends and even Strangers. It's a deep look inside every angle of the Bush Administration, it's supporters, it's faculty/staff, It's officers and departments...etc...Details run rampant in these pages and I highly recommend EVERYONE READ IT! You'll Be Surprised On How Much The Government Hides and Wants To Hide When Everything revolves around money, Power and you the consumer.

READ IT NOW! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!

[Karen Roth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is NOT THE BOOK I read, I read his brand new AMERICAN VALUES, but Goodreads does not show it as yet.
It was just published and available as of midnight last night.
Excellent read and fabulous book all about his father RFK, from birth to assassination.
I had no idea he had such an impact on Africans after speaking there during Apartied. For years after he was praised and the same can be said of Native Americans and his campaigning he promised to fight for them and they too honored him. But he earned many an corrupt enemy during his time as US AG fighting union thugs and the Mafia.
Excellent read! Go get a copy!!!

[alise · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book made me so angry and sad that i had to read it in stages. i drove my boyfriend nuts because i would read a chapter, swear loudly and vent for 15 minutes. despite the throbbing in my temples i'm glad i read this book. ia truly disturbing indictment of the bush administration and the impact their environmental policies have had (and will continue to have) on the quality of life of every citizen.

[Gaedwyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

George W. Bush is being hailed as our worst environmental president in our nation's history. This book talks about what the current administration is doing to undermine the quality of our environment to make Bush's corporate polluter friends more money. I say we impeach the dork, just because he's killing the polar bears.

[Evad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Certainly told from the point of view of an environmentalist and a lawyer, this book is not only educational and an interesting read, it is about as scathing an attack on the Bush administration as any you will see anywhere else. This book goes beyond Kennedy's specialization in Environmental law and covers the broad spectrum of abuses of power that have occurred under the Bush administration.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a sad depiction of the politics for the current environmental policy. I heard RFK jr at ALA last year and was struck by how much of an orator he was and also how much he had invested into environmental law. The storytelling in this book is reminiscent of 'A Civil Action' and 'The Pelican Brief'.

[Perri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert F. Kennedy offers up a convincing case against George W. Bush and his administration's deceitful sabotage of Federal environmental legislation. This is a sickening wake-up call for ALL who call themselves environmentalists on what's been happening in the D.C. environmental arena over the past eight years.

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an excellent history book that lays out the crimes Against nature. It incenses people like myself but makes me appreciate the fact we can read books like this in America. Too bad the stuff discussed in the book, it's even worse that far too many out there don't care about things like this happening :(

[Cliff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book clearly shows how George W. Bush and his cronies committed TREASON, THEFT, and thousands of other crimes against the state for personal gain.

Bush was a war criminal, mass murderer, and deregulated the banks and war machine to create instability world wide and threaten the American Way of Life.

Nice work George.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do agree with some of the views of Mr. Kennedy on the Environment and the fact we should take care of it better then we really do. What I do disagree with is the assassination of one party without sharing some of the dirt his own party has done to the Environment. I think Bush was a Corporate puppet though so are some in Mr. Kennedy's own party. If you will bad mouth one you should include all.

[Alexander Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book confirms my suspicions about how corrupt and seedy the govenment really is. It is a book that will make you angry and sad that we as citizens are not as active politically as we should be. Great political read.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

About what you would expect. If the subtitle sounds like something that you would like to read about, then you'll enjoy it. I did appreciate reading details of the defunding of superfund and the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine. All in all, it was worth my while.

[Anupama · Rating 2 out of 5]

I learned a lot about the underhanded way in which the Bush administration and their cronies have sabotaged efforts to preserve the environment. But, the author's style with using just lots of dry facts, kept me from giving a higher rating to this book.

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good overview of the way the current administration is destroying our environment - the title says it all. If you care about nature and future generations, this book will make you spitting mad.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I am interested in the subject matter, I just had to give up on this book b/c it was so technical (names, dates, places over and over). I would have enjoyed it more if it had been written as more of a summary with pertinent examples. This seemed like a term paper to me:)

[Rod · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book for understanding how recently (last 8 years) enacted legislation has undone many of the environmental advances of the last 4 decades. With the pending appt. of Salazar to Dept of the Interiror we may be in for much of the same.