Power and Politics – Winnipeg Free Press

Bob Woodward rose to fame 50 years ago when he wrote this statement with Carl Bernstein. All the President’s MenIt shows President Richard Nixon’s involvement in the Watergate burglary. Since then, he has written 22 best-selling books on American government, including three about Donald Trump. His body of work provides a valuable overview of the corruption of power within the American ruling class, but his approach is not without controversy.

These stem from his “deep history” technique, in which he interviews big players on the condition of guaranteed anonymity and often takes them at their word (more on this below). This results in books that offer a fly-on-the-wall perspective, giving us fast-paced chapters filled with often verbatim conversations.

Woodward’s latest book isn’t about Trump, although he has made several appearances — rather, War It’s about President Joe Biden. Woodward describes how Biden and his team tried to manage the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Gaza wars, as well as the American withdrawal from Afghanistan, and concludes that Biden and his closest advisers are decent people making a good faith effort to use presidential power responsibly. national interest.

Ironically, Biden’s problem-solving approach has become a hindrance for him. His 52 years as a Washington legislator gave him a unique understanding of foreign affairs and a strong belief that no matter how dangerous the opponent, there is always a way to make a deal; Especially in the age of nuclear weapons, the existential threat shakes both sides. According to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden believed that he could influence them once he understood what their “output point” might be. What he didn’t realize was that, unlike the Cold Warriors of the past, Putin and Netanyahu had no time for “exits.” Putin had declared that Ukraine was an integral part of Russia, and there was no voluntary retreat from this.

Before the massacre of more than 1,200 Israelis by Hamas on October 7, 2023, Netanyahu’s leadership was distraught; He was facing criminal charges against him as well as widespread demonstrations against his proposed judicial reforms.

After October 7, Netanyahu was able to present himself as a strong wartime leader around whom Israelis could rally. He has brutally declared that he will not stop the war without killing every member of Hamas and has belittled Biden’s calls for moderation.

Woodward’s most chilling statement suggests that Putin is on the verge of unleashing tactical nuclear weapons during the fall 2022 battle in Kherson, Ukraine. The Ukrainian army had launched a crushing attack against the Russian garrison there; Russian policy justifying the use of nuclear weapons to prevent catastrophic loss on the battlefield was well known.

Biden’s response was to call Putin and warn there would be “catastrophic consequences” if he resorted to nuclear weapons. It also prompted Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to open a dialogue with his Russian counterpart. Most importantly, Biden persuaded Chinese President Xi, Russia’s most important supporter, to warn Putin to back off. Biden’s careful, multifaceted approach has worked.

Surprisingly, Woodward quotes Biden as saying privately: “I will not have a nuclear response to battlefield use in Ukraine.” This praise for Biden’s humanity must surely have resonated with Putin.

The big problem with Woodward’s unquestioning acceptance of the reliability of his sources emerges early in the book. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken was in Germany to object to Europe’s demand that Biden send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. Biden participated in a top-secret meeting with Austin, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and General Mark Milley. Over two pages, Woodward quotes the “top secret” call verbatim. If true, it must have been one or more of the source participants, which doesn’t bode well for the integrity of Biden’s closest advisers.

But that might explain why Woodward praised Biden and his team as an example of steady, purposeful leadership.

Winnipegger John K. Collins thinks the poet Yeats predicted today’s world: “The best lack conviction, the worst are filled with passionate intensity.”