The Forgotten Homeland: A Century Foundation Task Force Report [Paperback]

Richard A. Clarke (Editor), Rand Beers (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2006

"The Forgotten Homeland" gathers some of the leading homeland security experts to analyze the United States' most significant vulnerabilities and to propose strategies to reduce them. The report addresses terrorist as well as non-terrorist threats, and offers ideas for strengthening all aspects of emergency response - including the ability to respond to natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina.

Product Details

• Paperback: 315 pages
• Publisher: Century Foundation Press (July 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0870784986
• ISBN-13: 978-0870784989
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,924,642 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I started writing books after a thirty year career in government writing bureaucratic papers. It was quite a shift. Cyber War is my fifth book and my third non-fiction. People often ask which genre do you prefer to write, fiction or non-fiction? They are both a challenge and both are exciting to attempt. Fiction may be the greater challenge, because of the need for imagination, characterization, dialogue, and plot twists. Non-fiction may actually have some real world effects. I've posted excerpts and other information on my web page; www.richardaclarke.net.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A timely, if chilling appraisal of measures America needs to take for its own protection, July 8, 2007

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Forgotten Homeland: A Century Foundation Task Force Report (Paperback)

The Forgotten Homeland: A Century Foundation Task Force Report is a report on the state of American security by The Century Foundation, a not-for-profit and nonpartisan organization devoted to analyzing economic policy, foreign affairs, and domestic political issues. The verdict of The Forgotten Homeland is unfortunately negative - there are far too many ways in which America has failed to learn the lessons of 9/11 and taken appropriate safeguards against future threats, from gaps in cybersecurity to chemical plant security to restoring discarded federal emergency response strategies that worked and keeping focus on aviation security, and putting the American nuclear house in order. A timely, if chilling appraisal of measures America needs to take for its own protection, strongly recommended especially for anyone involved in politics or matters of state.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars forgotten homeland, September 21, 2007

By 

Yossarian (Richmond, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Forgotten Homeland: A Century Foundation Task Force Report (Paperback)

a interesting book with valid recommendations. however, there is a distinct bias in it and most if not all of the recommendations lead to our current BIG (federal) government becoming not only much much larger, but also extremely expensive. in addition, many of the recommendations are only plausible in a perfect, politics-free government...which we unfortunately do not have. still, its main theme of a "forgotten homeland" is something that the US needs to refocus on.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Freedom and security, November 6, 2008

By 

William P. MacMonagle "wmpmacm" (Charlotte, North Carolina United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Forgotten Homeland: A Century Foundation Task Force Report (Paperback)

I found a quote from Rand Beers that says that the precondition for freedom is security. I disagree with that observation because the country Mr. Rand wants to secure was founded amidst a great deal of insecurity and difficulty. The U.S.A. did not institute freedom of action and conscience only after it was secure. It is exactly the other way around. We gained our security in the world as a result of of our liberty and a constitution that made (makes) it possible for government to arbitrate on behalf of the citizen.

All this talk about subduing others in order to make it safe for America is backwards and is a result of the faulty logic that we must continually be at war with others in order to "protect" ourselves. Only militarists think this way so they can get more military action and a "peace" (read cease fire, here) based on authoritarian principles.

Ben Franklin said it best right at the beginning, "Those who are willing to give up their freedoms for a little bit of security deserve neither." Right now, here today, we are trapped into thinking that security must be fought for, and we create enemies to perpetuate that line of thought. This only breeds more enemies and fear of enemies and leaves us at the mercy of a fearful and insecure group of politicos who would have us believe that living in fear of others, instead of confidence in ourselves is the road to peace and freedom. Very very faulty logic.