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 withbooming 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; allowing the beginnings 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.