The Silencing Of Political Dissent: How the USA Patriot Act Undermines the Constitution

(Paperback)

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Foreword by Howard Zinn Just six weeks after 11 September, a jittery Congress overwhelmingly approved the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act, better known as The USA PATRIOT Act. This hastily drafted and far-reaching legislation, despite vigorous objections from civil liberties organisations, was passed with virtually no public hearing or debate. In this concise text, Chang explains how the new law erodes civil liberties and privacy, and severely impacts immigration.

Reviews

Take a little of your time to read Nancy Chang'sSilencing Political Dissent. If this incisive explanation of the government's current assault on America's constitutional freedoms and due process doesn't motivate you toward the defense of democracy, it is likely that you either don't use your rights or care enough about their protection for others. Ralph Nader

A tightly argued book. Los Angeles Times

An invaluable primer Everyone living in America should read Chang's concise and clarifying book, and use it as the foundation for a new habit of vigilance. Freedom is not a natural, consistent, or inevitable state of being; it's a construct, a cooperative effort, an ongoing work of art that we must all contribute to and safeguard, lest it be dismantled and erased. Donna Seaman,Speakeasy Magazine

In a crude exploitation of the anguish and concern over the terrorist atrocities of Sept. 11, the Bush administration has sought to implement favored programs that have no relation to terrorism and would be sure to arouse protest if it could not cynically wield the weapon of "patriotism" to silence opposition. That includes steps to strengthen unaccountable executive power and curb independent thought and expression. Chang's study expertly reviews these threats, which should be understood and resisted by those who value their freedom and democratic rights. Noam Chomsky

Silencing Political Dissentis the stuff of sleepless nights. Read it, and be warned. Eleanor J. Bader,The Progressive

Silencing Political Dissentoffers a compelling primer in the ways that responding to fear can endangerand has already endangeredthe freedoms and liberties that define us as a nation. Nancy Chang explains in clear, concise, and jargon-free language why the government's response to September 11 poses the greatest threat to civil liberties that most of us have experienced in our lifetime, and illustrates with historical examples why so much of what we have done is a mistake. A must-read for anyone concerned about just what kind of freedom will actually survive Operation Enduring Freedom. Professor David Cole, Georgetown University Law Center

Nancy Chang was among the first to analyze the Ashcroft/Bush assault on human rights. This is an indispensable book for anyone who wants to understand the current crisis. Michael Tigar

This is an essential book for anyone who wants to make the Bill of Rights entirely relevant in the age of Bush-Ashcroft. Nat Hentoff

This analysis by Nancy Chang should be read by everyone concerned with a free society. Howard Zinn, from the foreword

Author Bio

Nancy Chang is the Senior Litigation Attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York City. Nancy's work at CCR has focused on protecting the First Amendment rights of political activists against government efforts to silence dissent, safeguarding civil liberties against measures taken in the name of national security, protecting the constitutional rights of immigrants and combating racial profiling. Howard Zinn, a famed historian and activist, is the author of the best-selling and critically acclaimed A People's History of the United States and ten other books including the Zinn Reader (also available from Turnaround) and Against War (available soon from Turnaround). He has received the Eugene V. Debs and Lannan Foundation Awards for his work.