Prices: Patriot Act Books

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  How Patriotic is the Patriot Act?: Freedom Versus Security in the Age of Terrorism

  In his most recent State of the Union Address, President Bush called upon Congress to enact legislation that would extend the time-limited provisions of the controversial anti-terror law known as the Patriot Act (they are scheduled to expire on December 31st, 2005). Championed by Attorney General John Ashcroft and approved by Congress in the fearful aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Patriot Act has been cast by its critics as the greatest threat to our civil liberties since the Alien and Sedition Acts or the suspension of habeas corpus during the Civil War. Yet, as Amitai Etzioni argues, 'any reasonable deliberation about our national security is the recognition that we face two profound commitments: protecting our homeland and safeguarding our rights.' In this short book, Etzioni, the well-known and respected public intellectual and communitarian thinker, charts a middle course, or third way 'between those who are committed to shore up our liberties but blind to the needs of public security, as well as those who never met a right they are not willing to curtail to give authorities an even freer hand.' This book will prove a useful guide for citizens looking for a thought provoking, well-reasoned and sober analysis of one of the hot button issues of our time.

  $39.14

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  A User's Guide to the USA PATRIOT Act and Beyond

  A User's Guide to the USA PATRIOT Act and Beyond examines the controversial USA PATRIOT Act, passed by Congress six weeks after the horrific events of September 11, 2001. This new set of American laws gives the federal government broad powers to conduct surveillance on American citizens, in some cases without warrant and without judicial oversight. The book summarizes other programs put into operation to severely curtail the civil liberties of Americans, including a second, more intrusive PATRIOT Act, and other proposed programs and laws that attack privacy, probable cause, due process, and free speech. The book begins with an overview of the political philosophy of John Locke, with a specific emphasis on Locke's theory of human rights and its influence on the U.S. Bill of Rights. These political and legal bases are used as touchstones for explaining and evaluating the PATRIOT Act and other related measures being advocated by many federal leaders today. It lists and responds to arguments supporting the PATRIOT Act, and concludes with an essay defending the position that the PATRIOT Act and its successor programs all severely curtail civil liberties.

  $34.99

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  The USA Patriot Act

  The USA Patriot Act passed in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks. It flows from a consultation draft circulated by the Department of Justice, to which Congress made substantial modifications and additions. The stated purpose of the Act is to enable law enforcement officials to track down and punish those responsible for the attacks and to protect against similar attacks. The Act grants federal officials greater powers to trace and intercept terrorists' communications both for law enforcement and foreign intelligence purposes. It reinforces federal anti-money laundering laws and regulations in an effort to deny terrorists the resources necessary for future attacks. It tightens our immigration laws to close our borders to foreign terrorists and to expel those among us. Finally, it creates a few new federal crimes, such as the one outlawing terrorist attacks on mass transit; increases the penalties for many others; and institutes several procedural changes, such as a longer statute of limitations for crimes of terrorism. Critics have suggested that it may go too far. The authority to monitor e-mail traffic, to share grand jury information with intelligence and immigration officers, to confiscate property, and to impose new book-keeping requirements on financial institutions, are among the features troubling to some. The Act itself responds to some of those reservations. Many of the wiretapping and foreign intelligence amendments sunset on 31 December 2005. The Act creates judicial safeguards for e-mail monitoring and grand jury disclosures; recognises innocent owner defences to forfeiture; and entrusts enhanced anti-money laundering powers to those regulatory authorities whose concerns include the well being of our financial institutions.

  $34.99