Pages 254-283 Summary and Analysis

Thompson notes at the beginning of "Ollie's Choice" that Congress has not been as harsh on the people brought to testify about Iran-Contra as it had to people during Watergate, but Thompson is confident that is about to change. Thompson believes the central figure of the hearings will be Oliver North, and North will have to make a choice about how he will handle the hearings. If North wants to avoid prison, Thompson writes, he must turn on either Reagan or Bush.

In "The Trickle-Down Theory," Thompson predicts that Reagan will not finish his term and possibly even be impeached. Thompson is convinced that Reagan's legacy will be worse than any of the other living presidents, including Richard Nixon. Thompson essentially blames Reagan for a legacy of acid rain and AIDS and ultimately the collapse of the American Dream...