Legacy: Paying the Price for the Clinton Years

Introduction
"Legacy: Paying the Price for the Clinton Years" is a 2003 book authored by Rich Lowry, the editor of the National Review, a conservative magazine. The book takes an important look at the presidency of Bill Clinton and argues that his administration triggered lasting damage to the United States in numerous major locations, such as nationwide security, politics, and the economy. Lowry's main contention is that the Clinton administration is primarily kept in mind for its outrageous nature, but its bad policy options had a lot more significant consequences.

National Security
Lowry emphasizes that the Clinton administration's actions and inactions in the realm of national security made the United States more susceptible to terrorist attacks, eventually culminating in the awful occasions of September 11, 2001. He mentions that, in spite of numerous terrorist attacks during the 1990s-- consisting of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing, and the 1998 U.S. embassy attacks in Kenya and Tanzania-- the Clinton administration failed to prioritize the fight versus terrorism.

Lowry also criticizes the administration's policies that scaled down the U.S. military, arguing that these policies left the U.S. ill-equipped to handle rising risks. He alleges that, in the face of global crises such as ethnic cleansing in Kosovo or nuclear threats from North Korea, the Clinton administration frequently went with inaction or inadequate diplomatic efforts. Lowry's argument is that this approach ultimately deteriorated U.S. global leadership and influence.

Domestic Politics
Relating to politics, Lowry argues that Clinton's political pragmatism and desire to change his stance based upon surveys developed a tarnished legacy for the Democratic Party. He thinks Clinton accepted a centrist, "New Democrat" method to appease citizens, just to desert these concepts when politically practical. Lowry claims that this approach left the Democratic Party without a stable core, which added to their loses in future elections.

Furthermore, Lowry talks about the various scandals that plagued the Clinton administration, notably Clinton's extramarital affairs and the impeachment procedures that developed from the Monica Lewinsky scandal. He argues that, by prioritizing their political survival and engaging in an aggressive method to neutralize partisan and media attacks, Bill and Hillary Clinton turned U.S. politics into an even more hostile, divided environment. Lowry competes that this divisive environment led to the polarization and dysfunction we experience in today's politics.

The Economy
On the economic front, Lowry contends that the extensively applauded economic boom of the 1990s can not be totally credited to Clinton's policies. Rather, he recommends that this growth was primarily due to factors beyond the administration's control, such as technological advancements and globalization. Lowry also critiques Clinton's economic policies such as tax hikes and extreme government guideline, arguing that these policies did not really benefit the American individuals in the long run.

The book likewise points to the Clinton administration's handling of the innovation bubble that eventually break in the early 2000s. Lowry implicates Clinton and his economic advisers of sustaining this financial bubble by promoting speculative financial investments in technology business. He declares that their negligence played a role in the economic downturn that followed and deteriorated the reliability of the monetary markets.

Conclusion
"Legacy: Paying the Price for the Clinton Years" by Rich Lowry works as an important evaluation of the presidency of Bill Clinton and its long-lasting consequences. Lowry's primary argument is that the Clinton administration's mishandling of national security issues, political pragmatism, and flawed financial policies contributed to ongoing problems for the United States. While the book remains a part of the bigger conservative review of the Clinton years, it nonetheless supplies a thought-provoking perspective on the impact and tradition of the Clinton administration.