The Usa Patriot Act

A User's Guide to the USA PATRIOT Act and Beyond examines the controversial USA PATRIOT Act, passed by Congress six weeks after the horrific events of September 11, 2001. The book summarizes other programs put into operation to severely curtail the civil liberties of Americans, including a second, more intrusive PATRIOT Act, and other proposed programs and laws that attack privacy, probably cause, due process, and free speech.

In this short book, Etzioni, the well-known and respected public intellectual and communitarian thinker, charts a middle course, or third way 'between those who are committed to shore up our liberties but blind to the needs of public security, as well as those who never met a right they are not willing to curtail to give authorities an even freer hand.' This book will prove a useful guide for citizens looking for a thought provoking, well-reasoned and sober analysis of one of the hot button issues of our time.

Referred to as the best source for a truly fair and balanced debate on the USA PATRIOT Act, this book summarizes the provisions of the Act that are due to expire at the end of 2005 as well as several other issues that are likely to be part of the renewal debate. Gathering some of the brightest minds in national security and privacy laws, (21 authors) this book provides a series of point and counter-point essay exchanges devoted to civil and informed debate on these provisions. Stuart Taylor of the National Journal calls the book the best imaginable introduction to the PATRIOT Act. It explains the more important and contentious provisions and juxtaposes the best arguments for and against them, presented by opposing experts in a readable and civil fashion. The book focuses attention on the sometimes difficult tradeoffs between liberty and security that Congress should weigh in the balance as it considers possible amendments.

Glenn Greenwald was not a political man — neither liberal nor conservative. To him, the U.S. was generally on track and would remain forever centrist. But all that has changed. Over the past five years, a creeping extremism has taken hold of our federal government, which threatens to alter our system of governing ourselves and our national character. This extremism is neither liberal nor conservative, but is driven by the Bush administration's radical theories of executive power. Greenwald writes that we cannot abide these unlimited and unchecked presidential powers if we are to remain a constitutional republic. Because when you answer to no one, you're not a president — you're a despot. This is one man's story of being galvanized into action to defend his country, and his concise and penetrating analysis of what is at stake for America when its president has secretly bestowed upon himself the powers of a king. From 9/11 to the question of nuclear war in Iran, Greenwald shows how Bush's claims of unlimited power play out. In the spirit of the colonists who once mustered the strength to denounce a king, Greenwald asks: how would a patriot act today?

Examines six controversial essays that debate the issue of the Patriot Act, and includes model essays, sidebar notes and guided exercises.