Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
In the aftermath of 9/11, in collusion with booming technological advancements, a new and more authoritarian form of governance is supplanting liberal democracy. The creation of the Security Industrial Complex an internal security state-within-the-state fueled by tech companies, private security firms, and the Intelligence Community to the tune of $120 billion a year is intruding on civil liberties to an extent never before seen in our history. Politicians tolerate it; the average citizen at times welcomes it, thinking it is the way to keep the America safe in a time of uncertainty and terrorism. But how real is the terrorist threat, and is it worth the loss of our individual privacy?
As a society, the author maintains, we have yet to comprehend the meaning of universal digital connection, its impact on our psychology, and its transformation of our government and society. America is at a crossroads in contending with our overreaction to terrorism, allowing the beginnings of a police state, and the erosion of our country from a liberal democracy to a secure democracy one where government overreaches, tramples on civil liberties, and uses great advancements in technology to spy on the populace.
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Synopsis
A vital and important look at the rise of a security state that is transforming the nature of our democracy In the aftermath of 9/11, in lockstep with booming technological advancements, a new and more authoritarian form of governance is supplanting liberal democracy. The creation of the Security Industrial Complex -- an "internal security state-within-the-state" fueled by tech companies, private security firms, and the Intelligence Community to the tune of $120 billion a year -- is intruding on civil liberties to an unprecedented extent. Politicians tolerate it; some citizens welcome it, thinking it may be the way to keep America safe in a time of uncertainty and terrorism. But how real is this threat, and is it worth the loss of our individual privacy?
As a society, we have yet to comprehend the meaning of universal digital interconnection, its impact on our psychology, and its transformation of our government and society. America is at a crossroads in contending with a security goliath; it i innings of a police state, and the conversion of our of our "liberal democracy" to a "secure democracy"-- one where government overreaches, tramples on civil liberties, and harnesses great advancements in technology to spy on the populace. Keller walks us through what these changes can mean to our society and, more importantly, what we can do to halt our march toward intrusive and widespread surveillance.
An urgent wakeup call for a country in crisis, Democracy Betrayed is a timely and deeply important book about the future of America.