Buy used:
$6.38
FREE delivery Tuesday, November 19. Details
Used: Good | Details
Sold by onceuponatimebooks
Condition: Used: Good
Comment: This is a used book in good condition and may show some signs of use or wear .
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

James Bovard
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Terrorism and Tyranny: Trampling Freedom, Justice, and Peace to Rid the World of Evil Paperback – September 18, 2004

by James Bovard (Author)
3.7 3.7 out of 5 stars 17 ratings
See all formats and editions
"The war on terrorism is the first political growth industry of the new Millennium." So begins Jim Bovard's newest and, in some ways, most provocative book as he casts yet another jaundiced eye on Washington and the motives behind protecting "the homeland" and prosecuting a wildly unpopular war with Iraq. For James Bovard, as always, it all comes down to a trampling of personal liberty and an end to privacy as we know it. From airport security follies that protect no one to increased surveillance of individuals and skyrocketing numbers of detainees, the war on terrorism is taking a toll on individual liberty and no one tells the whole grisly story better than Bovard.
Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    448 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Palgrave Macmillan
  4. Publication date
    September 18, 2004
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 1 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1403966826
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1403966827
  8. See all details
Next slide of product details
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Editorial Reviews

Review


"Terrorism and Tyranny is a scathing account of the war on terrorism...Bovard is a bipartisan scourge...His lively fury at government incompetence keeps the pages turning quickly...Most riveting." -- Edmund Carlevale, The Boston Globe

"[Bovard] has synthesized and organized a vast amount of information, yet he presents it in an acessible, reader-friendly way.... A timely, troubling book, exhaustively and impeccably researched and documented.... an important, indeed essential, guide to the complex issues with which we must now grapple." -- Martin Sieff, The Washington Times

"No one is spared in Bovard's merciless review of our spectacularly unsuccessful war on terrorism."--Justin Raimondo, The American Conservative

"Invaluable....the best one-stop source I've seen for what various officials actually said at various times, suffused with intelligent
analysis." --Alan Bock, Orange County Register

"...a concise and accurate chronicle of what happened and what could happen to our freedom as a result of excessive federal government power."-Jim Grichar, LewRockwell.com

"If you want to know what is really going on in President Bush's War on Terror, read Terrorism and Tyranny."--Charley Reese online

"Meticulously documented from contemporary news accounts, this rant against Bush's 'aura of righteousness' may well leave readers as angry as its author."--Publishers Weekly

"Bovard's take is ... a far more detailed and wide-ranging assault on the Patriot Act and the Bush administration, dense with example after example of governmental oppression, folly, and ineptitude in the wake of 9/11.
Bovard is a superb reporter.... He has apparently read just about everything
cf0published, in both the traditional and alternative media, about the egregious conduct of government officials, investigators, airport screeners, and bureaucrats everywhere in the last two years . His parade of horribles is sourced with exceptional attention to detail [in 67 pages of fine-print footnotes]...
Bovard offers far more than an infuriating record of government misconduct. His is a libertarian critique of any government's-including ours-inherent tendency to aggrandize and abuse its power." -- Michael Stern, The American Lawyer


"Meticulously documented¿this rant against Bush's 'aura of righteousness' may well leave readers as angry as its author." (Publishers Weekly)

"[Bovard] has synthesized and organized a vast amount of information, yet he presents it in an acessible, reader-friendly way.... A timely, troubling book, exhaustively and impeccably researched and documented.... an important, indeed essential, guide to the complex issues with which we must now grapple." (Martin Sieff The Washington Times)

"[A] scathing account of the war on terrorism...Bovard is a bipartisan scourge...His lively fury at government incompetence keeps the pages turning quickly...most riveting." (Edmund Carlevale The Boston Globe)

"Bovard offers far more than an infuriating record of government misconduct. His is a libertarian critique of any government's -- including ours -- inherent tendency to aggarandize and abuse its power." (Michael Stern The American Lawyer)

About the Author

James Bovard has written for The Wall Street Journal, Playboy, the American Spectator, The New York Times, Reader's Digest, The New Republic, The Washington Post and Newsweek. He is one of Washington's most controversial journalists.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Palgrave Macmillan; First Edition (September 18, 2004)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 448 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1403966826
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1403966827
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.7 3.7 out of 5 stars 17 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
James Bovard

James Bovard

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

James Bovard is the author of Last Rights: The Death of American Liberty (2023) Public Policy Hooligan (2012), Attention Deficit Democracy (2006), and eight other books. He is a member of the USA Today Board of Contributors, a frequent contributor to the New York Post, and has written for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Playboy, and the Washington Post, and is a fellow with the Libertarian Institute. His books have been translated into Spanish, Arabic, Japanese, and Korean.

The Wall Street Journal called Bovard 'the roving inspector general of the modern state,' and Washington Post columnist George Will called him a 'one-man truth squad.' His 1994 book Lost Rights: The Destruction of American Liberty received the Free Press Association's Mencken Award as Book of the Year. His book Terrorism and Tyranny won the Lysander Spooner Award for the Best Book on Liberty in 2003. He received the Thomas Szasz Award for Civil Liberties work, awarded by the Center for Independent Thought, and the Freedom Fund Award from the National Rifle Association.

His writings have been been publicly denounced by the chief of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the Postmaster General, and the chiefs of the Transportation Security Administration, U.S. International Trade Commission, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In 2015, the Justice Department sought to suppress his articles in USA Today.

Customer reviews

3.7 out of 5 stars
17 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Kindle Customerjoan
4.0 out of 5 stars Research excellent but some sources of "wisdom" questionable
Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2005
Verified Purchase
James Bovard is a bestselling libertarian author and lecturer, whose political commentary targets examples of governmental waste, failures, and abuses of power.

His Books:

The Fair Trade Fraud (1992)

Lost Rights (1995)

Shakedown (1996)

FREEDOM IN CHAINS: THE RISE OF THE STATE AND THE DEMISE OF THE CITIZEN (2000) Just finished this book and it is filled with examples of the "Statist" (politicians and bureaucrats) extorting money to facilitate their appetite for power and thus controlling as many aspects of life in these "United States"(separation into red and blue states does not make much difference). The research is excellent and the sources of "wisdom" are unrivaled. The EEOC and EPA appear to be the most outrageous of bureaus but closely followed by HUD and others; however, the Supreme Court clearly wins the "stuck on stupid" award between the three branches and the Senate is a clear choice in the Congress. Much of what Mr. Bovard relates is probably well known by the average political savvy reader, but his ability to back up his message with research, i.e. facts and sagacious quotes makes for an excellent read. Still, as one other reader stated, "What exactly can be done with the current apathy and addiction to the Welfare State by so many voters?". An excellent 5 star book.

FEELING YOUR PAIN: THE EXPLOSION AND ABUSE OF GOVERNMENT IN THE CLINTON-GORE YEARS(2001) An excellent recap of what the pervert, his enabler wife and a cast of spinners cum sycophants "got away with" during a low point for the country rivalled only by the Johnson and Carter year. The Nixon years were not that great either as the 60s crowd, along with their "start, cut and run" Democrat friends, began to take over the country, after Watergate. Clinton and Hillary certainly lived up to their ''60s elite lawyer promise after practicing crooked law/politics in Arkansas. As Bovard tells the story in his book, the Clintons set new records in corruption while conning their enemies and receiving unwavering support from their Democrat allies and the media! A 5 star for the details of the crimes already known.

****TERRORISM AND TYRANNY: TRAMPLING FREEDOM, JUSTICE, AND PEACE TO RID THE WORLD OF EVIL(2003) Anyone who read the two books above is bound to be a bit disappointed with this one;however, it is well written but seems to emphasize Bovard's libertarian roots too much for my taste. The topic is also a bit tough for a libertarian as they are creatures of "no government". National defense is not their bag and especially dealing with a threat on home turf. Civil rights and street radical will love to find out they were mistreated by their government even more than they thought. Bovard pull out all the stops in relating the excesses of big government spying and some of his sources such as Vermont Senator (who leaks intelligence), the ACLU and other "acronyms" appear to border on conjecture at times. Probably a 4 star mostly for the facts among too much philosophy,questionable sources of "wisdom" and "privacy" nonsense.

The Bush Betrayal (2004)

Quotes:

"Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner." (1994). This is my favorite and another version could be a jackass (Dems) and an elephant (Republicans) fighting over "hay" (tax receipts) that does not belong to them. They then give some back to the "original owners" (taxpayers) after eating their "fill" (outrageous retirements, perks, etc.) and providing some to their "herd" (special interests). THIS ITEM WAS EDITED--From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia--LOG ON [...]
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Jim Davies
3.0 out of 5 stars Well-Counted Trees, but Forest Not Visible
Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2004
Here's a magnificent expose' of the trees, which sadly
stops just a little short of portraying the forest.
Bovard reveals a story of incompetence, mendacity and
power, a deadly mix. Whereas the government should
supposedly have protected Americans from foreign
attack, after failing in that duty it rushed immediately
to enact a whole raft of new laws to curtail the freedoms
of everyone; so obeying the command in the old song:
"Shut the door! - they're coming in the window!"
Airport security (one key factor) was a sick joke before
9/11 and has been a sick joke since 9/11; except that if
a traveller laughs, he will now be arrested.
Bovard's detail is magnificent; but his big picture was
missing. Here's why the book is less than well-rounded.

ONE: On page 1, Bovard asserts that "the United States
[government] had the right and duty to retaliate
against the perpetrators"; ie, he believes that the
Feds should provide defense services to Americans.
That opinion, although ludicrous on its face (there is
no way a few hundred people on Capitol Hill can defend
a society of 280 million, without first confiscating
from it the resources needed) is of course nearly
universally held, and the statement will reassure those
potential readers who hold it; they will not be
deterred from purchase by any perception that the
author is some kind of a nut. The trouble is that -
like everyone else, I think - he neither qualifies nor
justifies it.
For example he might have written that he "used to"
hold such a belief, but now after reviewing the mass of
evidence he himself uncovered he is no longer able to
suppose that an organization that incompetent and
power-crazed is fitted to such an important task; but
he doesn't. Nor does he leave such a statement until
the end of the book, to a chapter on "conclusions"; he
just lays it down as an article of naked faith and then
proceeds brilliantly to take away any rationale upon
which it might have rested. This is a basic, logical
contradiction; his conclusion, stated at the beginning,
not only fails to follow from the facts he uncovers,
but stands in flagrant conflict with them all. That
apparent failure to think clearly tends to undermine
trust in everything else he writes - and that's a pity,
for I think it's sound.
TWO: readers may anticipate that in a 350-page book
about 9/11, there would be at least a concise account
of why the disaster occurred. The "Why" of 9/11 is the
most relevant, and least asked, question of all. Alas,
Bovard gives us very little.
On page 206 comes the single sentence: "It would also
be helpful [to achieving safety for air travellers] to
amend US foreign policy to reduce the number of
foreigners willing to kill themselves to slaughter
Americans." Oh, really?! Almost as an aside, Bovard
tosses out that explanation for it all. He is right, of
course; but why hide it so well?
Further, towards book's end he does expose the role
played by Israel and the Jewish lobby in D.C. - and
very well; I learned much from what he showed. But he
still seems loth to connect the dots; he still doesn't
come out loud and clear and say 9/11 WAS PROVOKED BY A
PRO-ISRAEL US FOREIGN POLICY, even after producing
massive evidence to show that indeed it was. Why not;
is he shy, for some reason? Nor does he examine that
finding logically; there is no mention in this book of
what might have happened if, for 6 or 7 decades, the
Feds had pursued an ANTI-Israel policy (had it done so,
the attack would have come sooner and harder - from the
Mossad.) One has to suppose that the reason for this
reticence is that the next step of logic requires one
to ask whether it is possible for any government to
exist, yet to have no foreign policy at all (so that no
foreign interest is either favored or scorned.) That
alone would have prevented any such attack, for nobody
would then have had the motive; but is it feasible in
real life?
I don't think so, and therefore I think government
itself should not exist - but perhaps a case can be
made that it is feasible. Then it should have been
made, or else that anarchist view should have been
acknowledged correct. But none of that is discussed at
all.
THREE: at book's end he prescribes a solution, a set of
suggestions for the policies that ought now to be
followed, to heal the wounds of 9/11 and to prevent any
kind of recurrence. They are attractive: "Finish off Al
Q'eda and then end the war on terrorism" is his
summary.
Trouble is, by the time he offers them Bovard has just
finished proving conclusively the Feds do not act
rationally or even efficiently - or not, at least, to
perform the task of defending Americans. What can it
possibly be, readers will want to know, that persuades
Bovard that now all of a sudden the Feds will undergo
such a change of heart that they start to do the right
thing; to eliminate danger to Americans and then wind
down their own power? If nothing, then is not his
prescription Utopian?
That key question is left unanswered, but I'd follow it
with another: is that seemingly reasonable suggestion
the best one available anyway? - for, if we take
Bovard's own reluctantly- revealed view about the
origin of 9/11 (Muslim retaliation for a long-term
pro-Israel US foreign policy) then the logical course
now to follow is to abandon that policy. Why, I wonder,
does Bovard not suggest it?
Perhaps the reason is that, in the teeth of the massive
contrary evidence that he himself presents, Bovard
believes, irrationally but immovably, in government;
see "ONE" above.
It seems likely, therefore, that despite all the very
many merits of this book, James Bovard comes with his
key opinions pre-formed, and not subject to amendment
by observed reality - not even when he does the
observing himself. Like my mother used occasionally to
say, "Don't confuse me with facts."
24 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report