Watergate: The Corruption of American Politics and the fall of President Richard M. Nixon
By: Shain E. Thomas
Tags: American History, History, Education, Politics, Book Reviews

Former executive editor of The Times Fred Emery, author of Watergate: The Corruption of American Politics and the Fall of Richard Nixon,[1] served as the London-based newspaper’s Washington Bureau chief for much of the 1970s.

Born Thursday, 19 October 1933, Emery is possibly best known in the British Isles for his work on the BBC news documentary series Panorama. In addition to Panorama, Emery is also well-known for his work on the BBC series which the book Watergate ties in with.

Published in 1994, Watergate: The Corruption of American Politics and the Fall of Richard Nixon is challenging preconceived notions of American politics. Political systems, regardless of which country we are discussing, have a certain degree of corruption embedded within them. This is no less true for these United States as it is for African or European counties.

The French, for example, have come to expect a certain level of corruption from their elected officials. It is what it is. Americans have a holier than thou attitude when it comes to electing people to public office and then seem bent out of shape when those said elected officials fail to meet with the standards the electorate feel is owed to them.

The American electorate often fails to realise that when you place anyone on a pedestal, more often than not, the likelihood of that person falling off is virtually guaranteed. It is just a matter of time. Emery’s work with both the BBC series and the book which sprang from that work clearly illustrates this phenomenon.

Emery’s work, meticulous in the depth of his research, delves deeply into the backstory of both the Watergate Scandal and President Richard Nixon himself. The research Emery conducted for both the BBC series and his writing of the book highlighted significant details which the general public had not been previously privy to.

In an authoritative tone, the author presents information garnered from interviewing senior officials from Nixon’s administration. The interviews, whilst being a clear indication of corruption, established there was a disturbing trend of concealing vital information. This was apparently done in the name of protecting the people, possibly from themselves. It was afteral the people that elected Nixon to the highest American governmental office.

The writing Emery presents to his audience, in a step-by-step approach, exposes crucial documents which show the Nixon administration how it actually was rather than how they presented it. Emery points to Leon Jaworski as a key authority on the Nixon administration.

Jaworski, appointed to the Watergate Scandal on Thursday, 1 November 1973, was the second predecessor.[2] The prosecutor, according to Emery’s findings, describes Nixon’s political system as one that had transformed the oval office into a den of schemes where perjury had become the way of life.

Emery, not exactly known for pulling his punches, delivers blow after meticulous blow with a concise clarity even two-time world heavyweight champion George Foreman would be proud of.

The work Emery presents in his book reveals in great detail underlying themes within the Nixon administration which, whilst they were in plain sight, were either not fully acknowledged by the electorate or completely ignored. Evidence of certain themes, especially the placement of particular loyal figures in key influential roles, was apparent as early as Nixon’s second year. The 37th President of these United States evidentially needed his most loyal colleagues close at hand.[3]

On further reading, Emery discusses the Nixon administration’s manipulation of IRS (Internal Revenue Service), FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) and the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency).[4]

Based on the information Emery uncovered, these governmental agencies were tightly controlled by the Nixon administration. This might sound like cloak and dagger nefarious underhanded backroom dealing; however, it was more cloak than it was a dagger. The evidence speaks for itself.

In much the same way he details other aspects of the Nixon administration, Emery explains how the prosecution of opposition leaders and activist groups was accomplished. These people invariably came under the closely observed scrutiny of the law. The reason for this, not that there is any real need to paint an overly detailed picture, is that the previously mentioned governmental institutions presented overwhelmingly credible evidence which essentially sealed cases before they had even begun. The evidence against opposition leaders and activist groups was so tight, it was watertight.

Emery ultimately provides his audience with the kind of reading material which capitulates the very essence of what it is investigative journalism is all about. The way in which the author presents his work, with a clear logical framework, anyone can follow. Emery lays it out perfectly. These are the players and this is what happened. What could be more straightforward? The book is a helpful masterpiece that would enable one to judge and understand a similar situation as it played out.

Endnotes…

[1] Emery, Fred. Watergate: the corruption of American politics and the Fall of Richard Nixon (New York, NY: Times Books, 1994), 39.

[2] Ibid., 60–70.

[3] Ibid., 76

[4] Ibid., 76

Bibliography…

Emery, Fred. Watergate: The Corruption of American Politics and the Fall of Richard Nixon. New York: Times Books, 1994.