The End of America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: defense authorization bill, fascist shift, secret prison system, United States, White House, Espionage Act (more...)

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing; 1st edition (September 5, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933392797
• ISBN-13: 978-1933392790
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (218 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #17,136 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #4 in	Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Political Science > Rights
  #4 in	Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Political Science > Political Doctrines > Democracy
  #11 in	Books > Nonfiction > Current Events > Civil Rights & Liberties

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

184 of 195 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The book is worth a read, October 26, 2007

By	Phix - See all my reviews

President Bush has carried on a century-long trend to its next step (which happens to be an horrendous one). My complaint about Naomi Wolfe is that she seems focused on President Bush, when really he is merely the latest figurehead in a generation-spanning agenda. Also, she ignores the complicity (and therefore the guilt) of Congress. Additionally, she claims that we are a democracy, and we are not: this is a constitutional republic. This is not merely semantics - a democracy does not have a rule book, just runs by the whims of the majority (in an ideal setting). A Constitutional Republic has a rule book, called the Constitution, and being a republic keeps the original rules somewhat intact unless a true majority is willing to work to change the rules (make amendments). On the other hand, she describes the realities of what happens to the relationship between the government and its people as a country or nation goes downhill. Those steps described were not made up by Ms. Wolfe. Many of those steps have been implemented in our country today. She is also inspiring to her listeners for she at least tells them that they can reverse this trend back toward freedom, which she is absolutely right when she says we are losing it faster than you can say "statism".

99 of 107 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Time to Panic Yet?, October 12, 2007

By	Gary Schroeder "GS23" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Not quite yet, but perhaps we're close. Naomi Wolf has written a book that fills a significant need at this point in our history. She sounds the call to warn American citizens...warn us that we may be slowly metamorphosing into that which we despise most: a country that bullies its citizens and is unaccountable to any recognized authority.

While some will see this book as alarmist --and reasonable people could debate this-- one of her points is undoubtedly true. That is, the decent into a repressive regime is slow and quiet. It usually does not come as an overnight announcement of martial law or suspension of elections. Instead, it happens over the course of years, so quietly that most may never notice until it's a fait accompli. Only then will people ask "how did this happen?".

Wolf compares and contrasts recent events in American history with those in Communist Russia, fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. This will undoubtedly put some readers off as any one of these references is a hot button that, once pushed, inflames blinding emotion. However, if you can get past that, the parallels are disquieting...even when read with a skeptical eye.

I hope that when I re-read this review in two years that I will be able to say that my concerns about torture, secret prisons, warrantless eavesdropping, a cowed media, and all the rest have faded away. If not, I'll have to acknowledge the prescience of Wolf's thesis.

249 of 278 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative, troubling message, September 17, 2007

By	D. T. - See all my reviews

I was thoroughly frightened by the content of this book, and truly hope others are as well. The path we are headed down in this country should be concerning to both Democrats and Republicans. Loss of our liberties will, after all, affect all of us. I would urge anyone who reads this to keep an open mind, and not immediately discard the message she is conveying simply because it focuses on troubling things being done by the current administration. These things would be troubling no matter which party the president belonged to. Being able to take a step back from blind party allegiance to actually see when there is a problem is a key factor in maintaining a healthy democracy. No leader deserves our blind allegiance, regardless of their political party affiliation. Our elected leaders should be accountable to us, not the other way around.