The four freedoms under siege : the clear and present danger from our national security state

Author(s)

Bibliographic Information

The four freedoms under siege : the clear and present danger from our national security state

Marcus Raskin and Robert Spero ; foreword by Barbara Ehrenreich

Praeger, 2007

Available at  / 3 libraries

Search this Book/Journal

Note

Includes bibliographical references (p. [285]-322) and index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

The authors address the hard questions of individual freedom versus national security that are on the minds of Americans of all political stripes. They bring together the pivotal events, leaders, policies, and fateful decisions-often path-breaking, more often ending in folly-that have subverted our constitutional government from its founding. You reach the inescapable conclusion, the authors write, that the United States is a warrior nation, has been addicted to war from the start, and is able to sustain its warfare habit only by mugging American taxpayers, and believing in its mission as God's chosen. FDR's Four Freedoms-Freedom of Speech, Freedom to Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear-were presented to the American people in his 1941 State of the Union address, and they became the inspiration for a second bill of rights, extending the New Deal and guaranteeing work, housing, medical care, and education. Although the bill never was adopted in a legal sense in this country, its principles pervaded the political landscape for an entire generation, including the War on Poverty and the Great Society reforms of the 1960s. Furthermore, the ideas expressed in the Four Freedoms speech inspired the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. But since the late 1970s and early 1980s, these freedoms have been under assault, from presidential administrations of both parties, economic pressures, and finally, the alleged requirements of national security. After 9/11, this process accelerated even more rapidly.

Table of Contents

What is Past is Prologue: The Clear and Present Danger to Our Freedoms from Our National Security State Freedom of Speech How Free Is Our Speech? The U.S.A. Patriot Act Vs. the U.S. Constitution September 11: A Golden Opportunity for Conservatives Lessons about Terrorism the Government Never Learns When Is Danger Clear and Present? Can the Homeland Ever Be Secure? The Right to Vote, The Right to Have It Count Do You Already Live In An Authoritarian State? Escape from Authoritarianism Freedom to Worship Our Religious Sea Change Holier than Thou Religious War without End How Silent Must Prayer Be? Faith, Science, and Rationality Freedom from Want The Business of Hunger FDR's Economic Bill of Rights The Haves and the Have-Nots The National Health Who Decides Who Gets Freedom from Want? Freedom from Fear The United States Goes to War for Power, Peace, and Profit. Subverts Constitutional Government. And Makes Americans Fearful Can You Sign a Separate Peace? Last Things First: How Come This Liberal Think Tank Has Never Been Wrong? Marcus Raskin and the Institute for Policy Studies

by "Nielsen BookData"

Details

Page Top