The War on Civil Liberties: How Bush and Ashcroft Have Dismantled the Bill of Rights

From Publishers Weekly
In the wake of 9/11, many Americans have been willing to sacrifice some of their freedoms in exchange for national security. But in this edifying volume, Cassel, a practicing attorney and law professor, contends that the Bush administration has eroded our rights without necessarily making us safer. Offering sharp critiques of the Patriot and Homeland Security Acts, Cassel argues that Bush and Ashcroft have dangerously curtailed Americans’ freedom of speech and religion, their right to a fair trial, and their protection from torture and unreasonable search and seizure. She astutely criticizes the "continued expansion of the word terrorism," which now encompasses, she says, "any opponent of government policy." She also provides numerous examples of the Bush administration’s use of secrecy, declaring that "secret evidence and secret trials are the most dangerous threats to our civil liberties"—the stuff of despotism not democracy. The bulk of the book describes major terrorism trials, including cases against Muslim charities, immigrants, lawyers and "enemy combatants"—both Guantanamo Bay prisoners and U.S. citizens. Readers may find some of these discussions repetitive and outdated; the author herself admits that many of these trials are still "being played out in the courts," and it’s hard to "chronicle a moving target." In her introduction, Cassel cites a speech by the late William Kunstler: "Once fear takes root, then people will say, ‘What does it matter…if he didn’t get his Fifth, or Fourth, or Sixth or Eighth Amendment rights? That doesn’t affect me. I’m not on trial.’" However, the erosion of civil liberties, she says, threatens not only Arabs and Muslims, but also acts as "a harbinger of widespread changes in the legal system for all Americans." Even those who disagree with Cassel may find this book’s facts eye-opening and chilling. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


Book Description
Examining the legal foundations of the war on terror, this book investigates the loss of the civil liberties of American citizens and legal immigrants. In a detailed look at bills such as the 1996 Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act, the USA Patriot Act, and the Homeland Security Act, and executive orders, it provides a comprehensive picture of the war on terror and explores the claimed victories by the Bush administration. Chronicling the major battles with Muslim charities, immigrants, lawyers, and "enemy combatants," this exposé reveals how the values and freedoms of all Americans are at risk or have already been destroyed. Also surveyed is the growing grassroots dissent by groups such as the ACLU and the resistance movement against the policies and major figures of the Bush administration.



About the Author
Elaine Cassel is a practicing attorney in Virginia and the District of Columbia. She is the author of Criminal Behavior, a contributor to legal and psychology publications including Writ, and the host of the Civil Liberties Watch web site. She lives in Alexandria, Virginia.



Buy from Amazon     Compare Prices

"President Bush said that the war on terrorism will be fought in every corner of the globe and on every street corner. But what he didn't tell you is that you and your freedoms became another casualty. Via the USA PATRIOT Act, the Homeland Security Act, and dozens of lesser-known laws and executive orders, Bush, Ashcroft, and a compliant Congress and courts all but dismantled the Bill of Rights." This book chronicles the major battles of this war (addressing all the major "terrorism" trials to date) - against attorneys, Muslim charities, immigrants, and "enemy combatants" (including American citizens and the prisoners in Guantanamo Bay). It surveys the soldiers on the other side of this war - the growing grassroots dissent against the efforts of the Bush Administration. And it considers the damage this war has had on the values that are at the heart of America.


Buy from Barnes & Noble     Compare Prices