Customer Reviews

Never Again: Securing America and Restoring Justice

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I really enjoyed John Ashcroft's account of what he did, and why. It is an easy, informative, and enjoyable read. In my mind I had rated the book very highly, and told my wife that the mainstream news media had not done him or the Patriot Act justice. But then I decided to look into the Patriot Act for myself -- because Ashcroft's accounting of what the Act does is so different than what the news media has claimed. My conclusion is that the news media was as shallow as usual, worthy of little attention as a source of real information; and John Ashcroft was a bit strong in some of his own assertions. I rated the book down a bit because of this overassertion, but it is still a book well worth reading.

Here is what I found on two key points:

1.) Ashcroft spends considerable time describing the problem of the "wall" between criminal and subversive surveillance operations, which he fought to tear down. However, that this wall even existed was found by the Federal Surveillance Court of Review to have actually been a long-held misinterpretation by government agencies. I don't see this new insight as either pro-Ashcroft or anti-Ashcroft. I was in Government long enough to know that such misinterpretations indeed happen.

It is a bit humorous (or not so humorous from another perspective) that the Attorney General of the United States can't get clear interpretations of the law from his scores of government attorneys!

2.) Ashcroft claimed that the Patriot Act still does not allow any undisclosed surveillance without FISA judicial consent. This claim is so counter to the news media's claims, I paid it special attention. It turns out that Ashcroft's claim is too strong in two particular areas:

a.) The Patriot Act expanded use of National Security Letters, which allows the FBI to search telephone, email and financial records without any court order, and places a national-security gag on the companies holding those records -- so that they may not inform those whose records have been accessed by the FBI. In fairness, Wikipedia provides an example of a National Security Letter demanded email header information from an Internet Service Provider, and the information they demanded specifically excluded the subject line and the text of the email; that is, they were seeking only the routing information -- that is, where the emails were originating and going. You can draw your own conclusions as to whether this is unreasonable governmental data mining; for the record, I personally don't object to this level of surveillance without court oversight.

b.) There seems to be a loophole clause built into the Patriot Act that I've heard nothing about before. The Patriot Act specifies that those who operate or own a "protected computer" can give permission for authorities to intercept communications carried out on their machine. This permission bypasses the requirements of the Wiretap statute. The
definition of a "protected computer" broadly encompasses those computers used in interstate or foreign commerce or communication. In my way of thinking, any email or web server connected to the Internet meets this definition. The Internet allows worldwide communication, so any PC connected to the Internet is used in interstate and foreign communication -- if any packets routed through it are to/from another state or oountry. So, all the government needs to do is find several server owners who will (for free or for a fee?) give them permission to intercept traffic through their servers, and the requirements of the Wiretap statute are bypassed. Some lawyer may prove me wrong on this, but it seems pretty clear to me.

Ashcroft may have been a bit over the top with his zealotry for his particular brand of religion, but he has earned the respect of several liberals for doing what he thought was right, instead of politically expedient. Marty Peretz, in The New Republic (a liberal magazine), says: "I know it's difficult for some people to understand that Ashcroft tried to stand between public liberties and the president's minions. But he did." The truth about Ashcroft's legacy is far more complex than "I hate him because he flaunts his religion" or "I love him because he is a strong Christian."

To me he seems to be a man of high personal integrity -- according to the standards he ascribes to, which are high, if perhaps misguided. He sees the world too much in black and white, without sufficient shades of gray. The world needs protection from terrorism, but the world also needs protection from overzealous governments. You can choose one or the
other (black or white), but you are choosing between Charybdis and Scylla. We need to steer a narrow course between these two monsters. Time will tell if his policies get tweaked to set us on that narrow course, or if the legal loopholes have headed us towards Scylla. But never forget that he did nothing in the Patriot Act that Congress has not okayed. We seem to forget that they are the ones we should hold responsible.

Read the book. It will give you Ashcroft's side of his story. Then, read the Patriot Act for yourself. You'll come away understanding more about the man and the issues, and you won't be able to paint him "all bad" or "all good." As for me, I think he was of about the same caliber as the rest of Bush's staff; well below the best and brightest the Republican Party has offered the country in my lifetime. But he is still a man who believes that personal integrity is a valuable attribute and that there is such a thing as personal honor. He measures up well above Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz in my mind.

I have just finished reading Ascroft's book. I couldn't put it down. It is a real spy thriller. We need more men like Mr. John Ascroft. He comes across as sincere, caring, patriotic, selfless, spiritual, intelligent and a true American. Nobody should have to put up with the kinds of attacks that he suffered through. I say God bless him and his family and give him some peace.

Ashcroft was definitely NOT the most popular AG under definitely NOT the most popular President. Having said that, 9/11 changed everything and threw the Bush cabinet into turmoil and created a situation that would define the Presidency and the performance of the cabinet above everything else.

Ashcroft comes from a super conservative background. Strong Christian faith, down home, on the farm, meat and potatoes kind of upbringing so, in that light he was prime for Bush II to install into his cabinet.

An insight into Ashcroft's thinking comes in the book shortly after his AG appointment. He liked to start the workday by opening up his office to a discretionary RAMP meeting. RAMP is an acronym for Read, Argue, Memorize, Pray. Keyword here is Pray. When Ashcroft was confirmed as AG, part of his confirming questioned his ability to uphold the separation of church and state that is within the constitution. Ashcroft convinced those who questioned him that he knew the difference. Yet, he starts the day with, for want of a better name, prayer meetings. He claimed that those in attendance weren't favored over those who weren't and, conversely, those who weren't in attendance weren't passed over for those who were. He fails to see the symbolic nature of what he was doing by the act of praying in Government offices for all to see. Whether or not he rationalizes his act as discretionary and none favoring, by the very fact that he's using Government offices to hold prayer meetings is, in itself, a moral violation of the constitutional law. Pray at home, meet in the cafe an hour before work but don't blur the lines. It's just common sense.

Also, on that subject, whilst riding in a limo with Bush II, Bush asks him "I hear you're holding those prayer meetings in your office?". Expecting a scolding, Ashcroft sheepishly answers "Yes". Bush replies "Good, Don't stop".

After 9/11 America screamed and demanded better security, domestically, on the borders and internationally. Ashcroft did his best to answer. His tone in the book has a hint of arrogance to it as he explains his reasoning behind many of his most controversial decisions contained within USA PATRIOT act. One has to sympathize with the man to a degree as he was fighting on his back foot with systems that were so piece meal and he had no room for failure. None of the systems in place communicated with each other and, this is highlighted as Ashcroft explains that many of the 9/11 hijackers had, in fact, been stopped by police for driving and other minor infractions prior to 9/11 but let go due to a lack of available information.

The more I read the book, the more I realized I would not like John Ashcroft in real life. Not that that has any bearing on my review of his book but it did sway my enjoyment of the book. He strikes me as the kind of person who has that arrogant smirk on his face that says "you just don't get it".

2/3rds of the way through I was ready to let this one go as I was a little tired of the self aggrandizement and whining sentiment but, I stuck with it. It's not bad but, I could have found a better use for the time I spent. I give Ashcroft his dues, he had a tough job at a very tough time.

Must read for all Americans. Will help you understand
how it is that we were attacked on 911, what prevented
our law enforcement agencies from protecting us & how that
was rectified to a large extent by The Patriot Act
and the efforts of those entrusted with our protection
from future attacks. Even those concerned with our civil
should read this book so they can see that every effort
was made to protect our rights & at the same time, prevent
another such attack.

Please don't wear your political hat when you judge this book. Whether or not you agree with Mr Ashcroft, you must agree this book provides insider details that are intriguing. Ashcroft spends much of the book vigorously defending the PATRIOT act, with numerous success stories of its use in the war on terror. I think many of these stories have escaped the proper attention that the press should have given them. Mr Ashcroft also provides interesting accounts of his interactions with political enemies in the senate. I found it amusing that some senators would be so vicious in front of the TV cameras, yet cordial with Ashcroft off camera. One thing missing in this book is Ashcroft's views on the war in Iraq, although I would be surprised if he isn't 100% behind the President.

One final thought... Mr Ashcroft comes across as an old fashioned gentleman with good character. I suppose he would value that more than any political accomplishment over his lifetime.

My first impression on reading the book is that John Ashcroft is a true American hero. A man of insight, good judgment and integrity.

My second impression is that the book is unusually well written and edited. In just 294 pages (hardbook edition), he tells the story of his time as Attorney General, and makes very powerful points about steps that he took (that were not previously taken) to improve our internal security. Especially impressive (and clear) is his description of the problem of the "wall" between criminal and subversive surveillance operations, which he fought to tear down.

I recommend you read the other reviews here to get a fuller flavor of the book and Mr. Ashcroft (which include less favorable views of both), then I recommend that you buy the book, read it, and decide for yourself.

I enjoyed this book a lot. We have much to be thankful for in John Aschcroft. He held a very difficult job at a very difficult time, serving with grace and dignity under a lot of pressure. Almost all of his critics knew not of which they spoke. We are safer because of his appointment and service.

I was a bit sceptical when I picked this book up. By the way, I voted for Bush in 2004. I think it is an honest book. I agree with Ashcroft on virtually everything he writes, as applied to Islamic terrorists (I personally might even have gone farther than him, too).

What I didn't really agree on was when he equates people with morality with people who "follow rigid moral codes" (i.e. Biblical religion). At more than one point in the book he states, "this is a man who followed an absolute moral code". I really almost laughed, because I thought: well, that is the problem in our world, no ? People who get their morality out of a book and hold it to be "absolute Truth", with zero tolerance for other ways. Doesn't Ashcroft realize that the people we are fighting have also the exact same "absolute moral code" (and no tolerance and no sense of humor ?). No, I am not saying Christians are the same as Islamists, but I just wonder if Ashcroft really thinks about this hard.

I also would have liked a discussion on how Ashcroft tried to make "Verboten" things like marajuana pipes and pornography, which have nothing to do with terrorism and are "lifestyle crimes" (he wanted to make it illegal to own pipes that some FBI agent certifies as being "potentially useful for smoking pot".

I still support Ashcroft, and even though I have those reservations, I think he did a good job post-Sep.11. Like I said, the book is honest, but I wish he was more self-reflective about the above issues.

This is a terribly important book written by a man in the epicenter of the national response to the awful attacks of September 11, 2001. Without rancour or bitterness (despite his vilification at the hands of the predominantly liberal press), John Ashcroft lays out in detail the events following 9/11 and his horrific discoveries of the ineptitude and blindness of the previous administration in combatting terrorism within our borders. It exposes Clinton's "At least I tried" admonition to Chris Wallace for the bald faced lie that it was.....We have recently returned to power in congress the party principally responsible (although certainly not solely so) for the inadequacies so meticulously detailed by the former Attorney General. I hope that this book gives them pause before attempting to turn back the clock.

Courage under fire is a phrase used far too often, however, rarely has it applied more aptly than to John Ashcroft's service as Attorney General. I have just purchased the book and the first few chapters provide insight into a man of principle and conviction whose spiritual values draw repeated fire from critics, if only for how deeply they are held.

As a nation we are fortunate to have leaders of conviction on both sides of the aisle, and as citizens should be grateful for leaders such as Ashcroft who stand on their beliefs and lead in times of crisis.