Last book read, "Takeover: The Return of the Imperial Presidency and the Subversion of American Democracy" by Charlie Savage.
This is a very angry-making book. It takes all of those news stories that were of concern during the last eight years and sets them into a context. Really, just putting them all together is enough cause for anger, but some of the additional details that did not get much publicity the first time around are also very disturbing. The controversies around torture and wire-tapping were well-known, and the issues in the Justice Department had been getting more publicity recently, but I had not known about the attacks on the JAG corps or Posse Comitatus. Even with torture, I knew the basic controversy, and the common assertion that it doesn't work, but this gives the background on the history of the techniques and how they were developed, as well as some of the fall out from the faulty information that came through enhanced interrogation techniques.
While I feel the information is vital, and accurate, I must warn that it is not as accessible as it could me. The book is long, with dense prose and tons of detail that can be a bit overwhelming. I could have finished it faster than I did, but it still takes serious time regardless. Not a beach read.
I hope to re-read it later, after I have read Schlesinger's original book on the Imperial Presidency, Frank's books on this presidency, and maybe a few others to fill in the gaps, and see if it is an easier read with more background.
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