Terrorism and War
Interviews with Radical Historian, Howard Zinn
by Anthony Arnove

In this short, often inspiring collection of interviews, the author of A People's History of the United States masterfully articulates the past, present and possible future relationship between militarism and freedom. Zinn challenges the legitimacy of the "Just War" theory on the grounds that modern technological warfare is too destructive and leads inevitably—and predictably—to the killing of innocent people, and demonstrates with great force the inevitable—and predictable—inverse relationship between war and freedom.

Always a rich source of eye-opening historical asides and footnotes, Zinn doesn't disappoint here. Highlights include the parallels between the U.S.'s new military tribunals and the 1952 McCarran-Walter Immigration Act, which allowed for the deportation of immigrants without trial, as well as the myriad of disturbing similarities between Anti-communism and the "War on Terrorism."

If there's any criticism to be made of the book, it's that some of Arnove's questions seem a bit too leading, a bit too friendly. As invaluable as this book is, one has to wonder if a more challenging line of questioning might have been better suited to drawing a larger, more ideologically diverse audience to Zinn's analysis.

Still, Zinn's importance as an historian is amply demonstrated in the 120 pages of Terrorism and War. When so much of what passes for history seems to deliberately impede a broader understanding of the way the world works, the value of his work cannot be underestimated. For we live in a time when, in the words of journalist I.F. Stone, "governments lie."

Reviewed by Brian Brasel-Awehali
05.25.02

Silencing Political Dissent:
How the USA Patriot Act Undermines the Constitution
by Nancy Chang
Open Media Pamphlet Series, New York. 2002

Are our expectations of privacy being lowered as we grant our government more and more power to practice surveillance on our citizenry? Chang argues that this is already the case. In this short, informative pamphlet, Nancy Chang explains how the USA PATRIOT Act is eroding civil liberties, and how it threatens to further erode due process rights for non-citizens as they're placed in mandatory detention or deported for suspicion of domestic terrorism.

Reviewed by Silja Talvi
05.25.02

American Justice on Trial
Who Loses in the Case of Military Tribunals
by Barbara Olshansky
Open Media Pamphlet Series, New York. 2002.

For the first time in U.S. history, an American president has authorized the creation of special military tribunals to try non-citizens suspected of
terrorism. What is the result? A military commission system in which the rights to trial by jury, due process and appeals to higher courts have been, for all intents and purposes, completely wiped away.

Reviewed by Silja Talvi
05.25.02

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