The essential nation

摘要

Whatever you think of George Bush, he has created a lot of work for those who, like this newspaper, believe that America can still be a force for great good despite the terrible errors of his presidency. With just over 100 days of that presidency to go, this is an opportune time for Justin Webb and Bronwen Maddox, respectively of the bbc and the Times, to remind the world that America and its current president are not the same thing.rnIn many ways the two volumes, both of them quick and enjoyable reads, could hardly be more different. Mr Webb, as befits a television news reporter, writes very much as he speaks, in a slangy and light-hearted tone that will irritate some people. Ms Maddox is careful and scholarly, much like one of her commentary columns. But the analysis the two journalists offer is broadly similar: those who hate America do so because they concentrate on the worst and blind themselves to the country's great power to correct itself, not to mention the dynamism and opportunity that continue to draw people to it from all over the world.