5 comments about Death in the Air: Globalism, Terrorism & Toxic Warfare.

1. The author is a Harvard grad, not a lunatic and his references are complete and real. This book is extremely researched and documented, both necessary to be credible considering what is discussed. The material presented is not what we are used to but cannot be denied. Things made more sense to me after reading this book, such as chemtrails, the fly sprayings in CA and the way the current government is manipulating the U.S. media following 9/11. After reading this book, I joined the NRA! America, stop having your head burried in the sand and wake up to what your government is REALLY up to before you loose your freedom to the "New World Order"



2. Writers who posit conspiracy theories are always fighting an
   uphill battle, because at least in the US most people are satisfied
   with their lives and don't really want to know the truth. After all,
   it might make them question their reality, it might knock them a bit
   out of their comfort zones. You can hear them saying, "why, that can't
   be possible, these kinds of crimes couldn't be covered up." Thus
   conspiracy researchers have to present an enormous amount of documentation
   to be given any credibility at all. Yet once again, Dr.Horowitz is more
   than up to this challenge.

   Dr. Horowitz has contended for years that the main agenda of the
   globalists, the New World Order crowd, is to reduce the population of
   the planet by as much as 50%, and make money off of it at the same time.
   Referring to fellow conspiracy researcher David Icke, Horowitz discusses
   the NWO agenda in terms of the Hegelian dialectic, which is the
   thesis/anti-thesis/synthesis accounting for history's evolution. In
   today's world this is better termed "problem-reaction-solution." That is,
   the people in power create a problem, which causes the public to demand
   action, at which point the NWO rolls out their already conceived
   "solution."

   The sub-title of "Death In The Air" provides a good foundation
   to summarize this long, but highly readable, incredibly well-documented
   book: "Globalism, Terrorism, & Toxic Warfare." The globalists are of
   course the money masters - Dr. Horowitz focuses on the Rockefellers,
   who have clearly wielded enormous power, owning many of the largest
   oil companies, but also either serving in government themselves, or
   putting cronies like Henry Kissinger into the seats of power in both
   government and business.

   As for terrorism, Dr. Horowitz provides numerous examples of
   intentional testing of chemical and biological substances on peoples
   throughout the world. He always names names, and provides precise
   dates and locations. For example, on p. 81 he discusses how the
   CIA-funded Evergreen Helicopters sprayed millions of gallons of
   chemicals both in the US and abroad. This form of government-sponsored
   terrorism is often directed at minorities, and many Native Americans
   in Arizona became seriously ill due to these intrusuions.

   Another example of terrorism (and toxic warfare) thoroughly
   documented in "Death In The Air" are the two infamous CIA mind-control
   projects, MKULTRA and MKNAOMI. It is widely known that former Nazis were
   brought to the US, having received no punishment for their heinous crimes,
   to teach US intelligence officials the techniques they learned from their
   torturings.

   By far the bulk of "Death In The Air" is devoted to exposing the
   NWO's toxic warfare campaign, ironically often termed "non-lethal"
   only because that term actually means that "only" a smaller percentage
   of death than "lethal" warfare occurs! Never mind the harm done. And
   what Dr. Horowitz does better than any researcher I have ever read is
   that he presents the best evidence of all when trying to prove that
   viruses and diseases like AIDS are no accident at all: he prints the
   actual contracts and other documents in black and white (you might need
   some reading glasses though!), which show as clearly as possible
   that companies have been paid to create diseases! While some might
   claim that these contracts are only circumstantial evidence, it is
   impossible, at least for me, to believe that contracts which precede
   the outbreaks of diseases are just "accidents." As well Dr. Horowitz
   often provides excellent links between documentation and the actual
   onset of medical disasters.

   I am only scratching the surface of the vast wealth of topics
   discussed in "Death In The Air." Others worth mentioning are HAARP
   and other electromagetic devices, Tesla technologies, West Nile Virus,
   vaccinations, and DNA as a frequency generator itself. I do not totally
   agree with Dr. Horowitz's tying the NWO to the Biblical apocalypse, but
   I must admit that his discussion of vaccinations, Kissinger, and 666,
   is credible.

   I more than highly recommend this very clear, well-written,
   amazing compilation!




3. I recommend this book only with these caveats. Regardless of Horowitz's qualifications and meticulous references, this is still conspiracy lit, backed up by a mixture of conspiracy and mainstream sources. The reader can glean a lot of truth from this book about the man-made health hazards out there, but to swallow it all as true would not be smart. Unless Horowitz takes critical thinking more seriously, he'll never reach a wider audience. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. One example: the chapter on Bible code numerology. That kind of flakiness is what keeps conspiracy theory on the fringes.



4. How many have a feeling that something is wrong? Something that you just can't put your finger on, but you know something is wrong.

   Your sick, your spouse is sick, your kids have behavioral problems or they are sick, a close relative or friend is sick. Everyone knows someone with cancer and if your over 40 you cannot remember knowing anyone sick or having cancer when you were a kid.

   What if someone was to offer proof that there is something wrong and there is a reason why we are all sick?

   This book will stop you in your tracks and (if your not careful) make you think. Finally an explanation, so interesting and compelling I couldn't put it down. Didn't (and still don't) want to believe that something this sinister is occurring.

   With the tenacity of a trained researcher, Dr. Horowitz has carefully constructed a framework of evidence, which, if only taken half seriously, provides plausible reasons surrounding the state of our world and health.




5. This is an essential primer for those who question the powers that be. It clearly shows the bad intentions of the present corrupt regime that is in power and the unbounded evil that underlies it residing in "science", "industry", "religion" and "education".A wide view of the picture, and very factual.

5 comments about Allah's Scorpion (McGarvey).

1. ALLAH'S SCORPION is my first David Hagberg novel. It is a well though out, fast paced, page turning, action thriller. The location of Bin Laden's lair is an interesting twist, and could well be accurate. Loved the ending, but it can be taken at face value? Was he or wasn't he ... well you have to read the book to understand.
   
   Hagberg did a credible job in describing the nuclear weapon, no mistakes or errors--a pleasant surprise. The assumption is that the fissile material had become critical, emitting gamma and neutron radiation, but the author did not get sidetracked by attempting to explain how.
   
   If you are looking for novels with detailed, accurate information on nuclear weapons and devices, check out The Rings of Allah and Behold, an Ashen Horse.



2. But isn't our hero getting a little old for his actions to be believed. Is everyone in the CIA related? Do they send couples into danger? If only the details lived up to the action.



3. This is a book that you never want to end. I just wish that he could write them faster with the same quality.



4. Allah's Scorpion is the first book I found by Mr. Hagberg. It deals with terrorism and is up to the minute in world events. Once I read it, I found all of his other books to read. You cannot put down one of his books. They grab you and hold on.
   
   I do not like to give plot summaries because they give away too much. Just don't miss any of his books if you rollercoaster reads.



5. Riveting thriller
   David Hagberg gets better with each novel. Allah's Scorpion is an excellent, tightly written contemporary thriller. There is plenty of action, but it is not overdone as is typical in so many action thrillers today. Mr. Hagberg takes a plausible plot, stocks it with realistic characters, and presents it in a contemporary way to keep the reader engaged. The storyline grows in complexity as the plot evolves weaving both the personal and international conflicts into a dramatic climax. Kirk McGarvey has grown in stature through Mr. Hagberg's novels and has reached the same plain as Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp, Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne, or Barry Eisler's John Rain. In Allah's Scorpion , it takes all of Kirk's wiles and assassin expertise to finally defeat his bitterest of enemies. Unfortunately for Mr. McGarvey, in the process of covert success another enemy appears to have taken over as his chief opponent in the future. In the international world of terrorist fiction there is always another "bad guy" to defeat. It will be interesting to see where Kirk goes next.
   Character development was very good. As this is a Kirk McGarvey series each new book bring out more of who Kirk really is and what inner demons he must grapple with. Sub characters were handled very well and continue to be developed in an excellent fashion. Although fiftyish, I think there are still a few good years left in Kirk McGarvey-at least I hope so.
   Some violence but germane to the storyline-not gratuitous. No gratuitous language or sex.
   Highly recommended if you like contemporary action thrillers. Not over-the-top but a real page turner. Perfect for a vacation read.

5 comments about An End to Evil: How to Win the War on Terror.

1. I have respect for Richard Perle as a foreign policy intellectual so I was quite surprised to see him co-author such an intellectually devoid work as this. Many of the claims made in this book are highly suspect--I wanted to check the sources, but they are rarely listed.
   The idea that we could lower terrorism by ending support for the Palestinian state is the most ludicrous claim made in this book. The lack of a Palestinian state is the single greatest cause of Islamic terrorism. Likewise, using force to overthrow Iran's (democratic!) state would only increase global terrorism.
   The authors get one thing right: a tougher line is needed on Saudi Arabia. This "ally" in the War on Terror is a monarchy with stronger links to Al Qaeda than any currently existing state. 15 of the 19 9/11 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia. Women are not allowed to drive or vote. Our support for Saudi Arabia is the most farcical aspect of the War on Terror and Perle and Frum are right to point it out.
   
   This book will prove to be another nail in the coffin of neoconservatism. Domestically, neocon policies bankrupt governments and increase inequality. Internationally, they increase terrorism while increasing the wealth of a scant few international investors.



2. I was going to write a long review, but it boils down to this: David Frum and Richard Perle are nuts. Just nuts. It's as simple as that.



3. Ah, another one of the Podhoretz, Wolfowitz, Feith, Wurmser, Krauthammer, Kristol, Perle clan. The group that asked for a "new Pearl Harbor" for the US so the American people could bomb Iraq prior to 911. These Zionists terrorists wanted to bomb Iraq before the petrodollar and before 911 (which had nothing to do with Iraq). If you enjoy fiction and horror, this is your book.



4. The great conflict of cultures that existed (and still exist) between leftist dictatorships and the United States during most of the last century was finally resolved by total victory of the United States. While there are still many who cling to the corrupt socialist worldwiew, anyone with ability to reason must conclude that enough is enough.
   
   Now a new threat is on our horizon - [...]. And again, like the "fellow travellers" of the FDR era, many fools demonstrate against President Bush while few (if any)demonstrate against Osama Bin Laden. I guess, it is much safer to say that you hate President Bush.
   
   "An End to Evil" is a courageous book. It lists many facts that most of us can remember and puts them into context. Hopefully, the book will be followed by a large number of similar books.
   
   [...]



5. I loved this book. I couldn't put it down. A great read and an exciting book on a very important subject matter. Frum and Perle's recommendations could make the world a lot safer.

5 comments about The Culture of Terrorism.

1. Enlightening for those who suffer it; outrageous for those whoprofit from it. The culture of terrorism (overt and covert) is verymuch a global reality to deal with. A bad book for those whom the culture of terrorism has managed to brainwash into blind denial and self-censorship. An excellent book for us, 99% of the world oppressed by that culture.



2. Chomsky once again holds the mirror up to America and shows how blatantly hypocritical and disingenuous our foreign policy actually is. In this book his primary focus is on the Reagan administration and Central America, where corporate and military interests were promoted at the expense of the indiginous people and "true" democracy. Recent events (the 2000 Bush "coup", Webb's book on cocaine and the contras, the Columbia "aid" package, etc.) show how truly relevant this research is. Also, do not let the simpletons of the right and the mainstream (is there really a difference between the two anymore?) critique Chomsky without comment or evidence. His research, unlike theirs (on those rare occasions when they actually engage in true journalism) is meticulously documented and uses their own words and documents as source material. One last thing, if you don't get this book then get any book from Chomsky on American economic and foreign policy (I recommend his work on Israel and the Palestinians as a particularly contemporary selection).



3. It has become impossible to write a review of a Chomsky piece without focusing a large content of the review on Chomsky himself (witness ... slew of one-star versus five-star reviews of all his books, which often feature personal opinion rather than genuine, responsible argument). Being something of a free-thinker with an interest in politics and psychology, I've understandably been drawn toward the debate surrounding Chomsky and his stunning claims about the nature of Western (usually US) policy -- and have been very disappointed with the childish nature of that debate, as it has declined hopelessly toward name-calling and a ridiculous skewing of facts and quotes. How does a person know who to believe? (I should reiterate that it really has become a case of "who", not "what", as if the merit of an argument has anything to do with its author.)

   With that state of mind I decided that the best way to get a handle on these astonishing claims about Western policy would be to actually read a book by its most prominent critic. Deciding which book to read wasn't a problem, since, of the two bookstores and one library in my area, an obscure 1980's text called "The Culture of Terrorism" was the only of Chomsky's publications that I could find.

   The first two chapters, in introducing the main thesis -- that, unlike the US government's claim to "further the cause of democracy" worldwide, the US's policy is actually to maintain control of as much of the Third World as possible via manipulation of its governmental systems -- assume a familiarity with the Iran-Contra dealings and the US invasion of Nicaragua, and, since I was rather ignorant of these matters, at first the book only served to alienate me.

   But from Chapter 3 onward, the book is a focused exercise in intense -- and superior -- fact-finding, very effectively discrediting the popular, US media-supported claims that America was doing Nicaragua a favor by funding a guerrilla movement to destroy its government and replace it with a more America-friendly one. The book argues that the Sandinistas, far from being a perfect government, were certainly a step in the right (or, rather, left) direction for Central America -- making Nicaragua an intolerable ideological exception to the US's (unstated) insistence that the world remain effectively owned by businesses and the upper-class, at the terrible expense of poor people's rights and living conditions. Chomsky provides a thorough and shocking contrast of American media reports of the Central America situation (with even the "respected" media -- e.g. the New York Times, Washington Post, etc. -- acting as a virtual mouthpiece for US government propaganda) and the disinterested overseas media and human rights groups that reported much more objectively and responsibly on the same incidents.

   Half the book is about the reality of the US invasions of Nicaragua, while the other half is about how horrendously the submissive domestic media was able to butcher the facts. I found both parts of the book to be extremely well-researched and persuasive -- not to mention surprisingly hilarious in parts (nobody writes with more humor about state-sponsored terrorism than Noam Chomsky).

   Being born in America, and having grown to be very critical and cynical of it, I'm certainly susceptible to the idea -- as forwarded by most of Chomsky's critics -- that a major reason for his appeal is not because he is a great historian, but that he provides endless fodder for anti-American views. In other words, for people who call themselves "free thinkers" (as I did above), it becomes tempting to cling to the opinions of like-minded souls, regardless of the fact that their arguments may lack merit. I will allow that, to a certain extent, this phenomenon does apply to me. However, having finished "The Culture of Terrorism", I returned to the same old websites featuring the same slew of Chomsky-bashing, and tried to find coherent arguments to the effect that Chomsky's analysis of the US invasion of Nicaragua was anything but dead-on. I could find nothing. For this reason, I should stress that I wholeheartedly enjoyed "The Culture of Terrorism", I think its conclusions are extremely well-supported, and I have every reason to believe it is a landmark piece of nonfiction. As for other books by Noam Chomsky -- I haven't read them yet, so I'd feel ludicrous if I were to join all the cheering Chomskyheads in claiming that he can do no wrong. I apologize for writing a review that was probably too lengthy, but unfortunately I felt it necessary to emphasize that my complete, unreserved endorsement for this excellent book was actually a recommendation for the book's argument, not its author. This is a phenomenal study of US domestic and international policies regarding its dealings with Central America in the 1980's -- simple as that.




4. I am a true fan of Noam Chomsky. I have a collection of most the books written by Noam Chomsky. I like the writing style of Noam Chomsky and the way he presents his research, facts, and analysis regarding the subject. However; recently I read a book
   "Terrorism or Awakening" ISB number: ISBN: 969-8898-00-X
   One can check the introduction of the book from the website
   http://www.terrorismorawakening.com.pk
   
   The author of this book is so direct and to the point that it is a must have book even by Noam Chomsky.



5. While this might not be the best book to read if you've never before met this astounding intellect in print, it still serves to succinctly elucidate the most salient hallmarks of Chomsky's approach to world affairs and, more specifically, his country's foreign policy. These hallmarks include an incisive dissection of the subservience of intellectuals to state power, the flagrant hypocrisy of the US government, in this case the Reagan administration, as their public pronouncements project an image of inviolable nobility while their actions tell quite a different story, and the concentration of private power in a few hands which underpin, thus making possible, these disturbing aspects of American intellectual and political culture.
   The book began life as a "postscript" to a number of foreign editions of Chomsky's Turning the Tide, which dealt with many of the same points raised in this book, though The Culture of Terrorism deals with the Iran-Contra scandals at some length which the earlier text did not. Although the actual facts detailed in often exhausting rigorousness are well out of date, one is thoroughly exposed to the brazen dereliction of basic journalistic duty by those that Chomsky derisorily refers to throughout as representatives of the Free Press. They fall so effortlessly in line with state doctrine that the achievements, again noted by Chomsky, would make a totalitarian regime proud. That this happens in one of the freest countries in the world is nothing short of sickeningly scandalous. In case there are those that think Chomsky is a conspiracy nut or a devotee to the school of hyperbole he provides ample evidence which shows that even the so-called liberal press, namely the New York Times and the New Republic, are guilty of obscene apologetics for, and often advocates of, aggressive state terror.
   The Culture of Terrorism deals predominantly with the campaign of subversion and harsh repression conducted by the Contras in Nicaragua who were armed, trained, and constantly supplied throughout this terrible period by the US government. There were flights over the countryside on an almost daily basis and the examples of their weaponry cited in the book would put most armies in other third world countries to shame, let alone the guerrilla forces who were fighting in nearby El Salvador, a country Chomsky also sketches in much socio-political detail. In 1979 the Nicaraguans overthrew the brutal dictator Somoza, a member of a dynasty stretching back to the middle of the 1920s, whose reign ended with a "paroxysm of violence claiming the lives of 40-50000 people". This tiny Central American nation elected the leftist Sandinistas regime which immediately caused the big neighbour to the North considerable consternation. The Reagan Administration proceeded to destabilise this government by employing the Contras, many of them previously employed as members of Somoza's abysmally vicious National Guard, to raid innocent villages, destroy houses, steal livestock, and even kill Americans who had come to aid this miserably poor country that was improving dramatically under the Sandinista regime. These leaps ahead in terms of health care, education and reduction of poverty were documented by such aid agencies as Oxfam at the time who compared the situation in this country with that of Guatemala and El Salvador. The picture created in the US media was quite different, however, as that charnel house Guatemala, along with El Salvador where political violence, including rapes, mutilation, tortures, and `disappearances', were endemic, were described as "fledgling democracies". Conversely, Nicaragua under the Sandinistas was portrayed by the Free Press as a totalitarian state who was one of the tentacles of the Soviet Union. How interesting that by ordering an economic embargo of Nicaragua, and forcing allies to do the same, the Sandinistas are forced to turn to Russia for help which provides a retrospectively convenient basis for the Reagan Administration to scream from the roof tops that the Evil Empire is upon them. Also very intriguing, illuminated by copious quotations from leading journals and newspapers, that a country such as Guatemala, where it is estimated that around 150000 people may have been killed during the Reagan era, and El Salvador, the site of 50000 politically motivated murders during the same period, raise no impassioned denunciations of their odious socio-political conditions, or even an acknowledgement of these figures cited by human rights organizations and specialists of the region. Ignorance is indeed strength, as Chomsky notes in a very apposite evocation of Orwell, whom he often refers to throughout the book as the noted linguist creates for the reader a truly terrifying Orwellian world, all the more horrifying because it actually exists and is not only an acutely perspicacious exercise in allegory, where "democracy" implies regimes friendly to US business interests and "moderates" are people such as El Salvadoran president José Duarte who just happens to preside over a regime that assassinates Archbishops, union leaders, students, journalists of opposition newspapers, and just about anyone who dares to question the economically polarising policies of this staunch proponent of the US "development model", another term Orwell would be proud of as the development in question applies to rich folk while the poor become demonstrably poorer, as is still much the case today in our world of ever "freer" markets.
   The picture, as usual with Chomsky, is bleak, though when you have this much factual knowledge at your command, and have none of the necessary illusions required of the mendacious elites, then it is a tall task to be sanguine about world affairs, particularly those directed by the biggest terrorist state. The problem with reading a book published almost two decades ago about events that were then much publicized, is that much of the currency is unavoidably lost. At the very least the book provides an abundantly extensive historical overview of a time not all that different from our own, the primary deviation being the names of the victims and perpetrators, and at its most elevated altitudes of significant scholarship The Culture of Terrorism cogently demystifies the key characteristics, established by the voluminous historical and documentary record, of the most influential institutions in US society. This has always been Chomsky's greatest gift and this book amply, though not definitively, showcases his remarkable ability to not only render events in breathtakingly astounding detail, but always ensures that they are related to a wider context of previous incidents and current practices.
   This is not a book for those individuals who still foster illusions that the United States is the most benevolent super power the world has ever known. For those willing to look beyond the purposely constrained bounds of the mainstream media, as well as the limits of their own often self-willed ignorance, the book provides ample insights into past practices and their very grave implications for future conduct by the globe's sole remaining hegemonic force. Chomsky may be less a voice in the wilderness than he was when the book was published, but still not enough people are hearing his extremely vital message.

4 comments about Predatory States: Operation Condor and Covert War in Latin America.

1. This is a must read, especially if you're still puzzled by seemingly unanimous worldwide contempt for Washington. With lucid prose, thorough documentation and gory detail, historian McSherry leads her reader to the inescapable conclusion that, in Latin America at least, the U.S. government rarely lets respect for human rights get in the way of self-interest. As the Reagan team reassured the generalissimos even before its electoral victory, the early days of the Jimmy Carter presidency (1976-1980) would be an unusual exception. Even before Carter came to Washington, the Nixon and Ford administrations helped create the Chilean monster that was the dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet, which would quickly exterminate 3,000 of its perceived enemies. And with a helping hand from the CIA and encouragement from Henry Kissinger, Pinochet would partner with neighboring caudillos in Operation Condor, a kidnapping and assassination collaborative that would target the dictators' civilian opponents abroad. All of which is common knowledge among the supposedly ignorant masses, the myriad victims of IMF and WTO austerity regimens south of the Border. It's high time norteamericanos achieved comparable historical literacy. "Predatory States" is a good place to jump start the process.



2. Among the reason why I liked "Predatory States: Operation Condor and Covert War in Latin America" by J. Patrice McSherry is the fact that she kept relevant the events that took place in Lating America more than 20 year ago by comparing them to current ones like the just "revealed brutal methods and secret operations" (xxi) used by the United States to fight terrorism worldwide.
   
   On the first chapter the author successfully explains what led Latin American countries into the bloody repression by military dictatorships: "the distribution of power and wealth in human society, who gets what, how, and why." (6)
   
   It is also interesting the fact that this books shows how repression spread from South America to Central America. Repression in Central America was not just the result of government fights against guerrillas, military governments wanted to consolidate their power.
   
   One more thing that made this book worth reading was the testimonies the author gathered. Having witness, victims, and survivors speak about their experience adds value to the research done in this book.



3. This well-written book meticulously documents the development and operation of an appalling transnational organization of state terror to persecute leftists and other real or imagained opponents of the South American military regimes during the 1970's. Patrice McSherry's research is rigorously documented and lays bare the central role the United States played in supporting Operation Condor and nurturing the Latin American "national security state." This book will be very useful for any reader interested in Latin American politics and society and in United States relations with the rest of the Americas. I highly recommend "Predatory States."



4. My sister and I read this book and were not only impressed with McSherry's clean and highly readable writing style but her detective work and synthesis of so many newly released files allows the reader to absorb and remember so much of this truly astonishing Condor story. We were both surprised at how much we were able to remember when talking to each other on the phone about the 6 Condor countries and their strange brutal training from the C.I.A. and ex-Nazis. The book arcs back to World War II and then brings the reader to the 1970s and Condor. Chapter 2 and 3 are really stunning.

5 comments about One Day in September: The Full Story of the 1972 Munich Olympics Massacre and the Israeli Revenge Operation "Wrath of God".

1. What a surprise, another hand wringing liberal condemnation of Israel's defense and foreign policy. Reeve's account is a detailed look at the events in Munich, and a somewhat less detailed look at subsequent events. To call it non-fiction is a stretch, as there are many holes to plug, and Reeve chooses to plug them with an ill-disquised comfort for chatting with terrorists, and sharing his clearly Eurocentric liberal view of the mideast.
   
   He takes one short swipe at the notion that he is equating the Israeli response with the initial murders of the Jewish athletes, but spends the entire rest of his effort doing just that. His ultimate editorial view seems to be that -- even after the murders of two athletes in cold blood in the Olympic village -- if the Germans hadn't so profoundly botched their "rescue" attempt, everyone else would be alive today. I came away with the distinct impression that he has more contempt for the German effort and the Olympic Committees than with the terrorists themselves.
   
   All in all, worth the read, but we could have done without learning Reeve's political viewpoints, and his Miss America dreams for "world peace."



2. This is an exceptional read on the killing of Israeli athletes in the 1972 Munich Olympics. These were defenseless individuals, not even properly guarded by the German authorities. The Palestinian Fatah movement commissioned Black September to take as many of the team hostage so they could force the release of over two hundred other hardened killers. The Israeli authorities would not do this. Therefore the Germans came up with a ridiculously simple plan to free the nine Israeli athletes and kill the hostage takers. They made so many simple mistakes, that even some policemen refused to take part in it. When the Palestinians and hostages arrived at the airport, an hour long shoot out resulted with five Palestinians killed and all nine athletes killed. This really destroyed the innocence of the Olympic Games and showed really what the Palestian Fatah were really all about.
   
   The book also covers the revenge killings by Israel. The author disagrees that these have a beneficial effect on the outcome of the battle. I disagree. These revenge killings show that the hunter can become the hunted. It puts the fear into those that cause devastation throughout the world. Other than that, I think this is a fine read.



3. First let me say that this is a well written book that kept me engaged throughout. Although the author indulged in a bit too much moralizing for my taste, he still manages to deliver a highly detailed and informative account of the Munich massacre and it's aftermath. He does a good job at weaving the lives and personalities of the victims-as well as the perpetrators-with a blow by blow narrative of both the massacre and the Israeli retaliation.
   
   Many of the Israelis had serious reservations about coming back to the country where so many of their people-including immediate family members for some-were killed. Despite this, they came to Munich enthusiastic to compete and represent their country. Ironically, their fears turned out to be legitimate, only not for the reason they suspected. The fact that Jews were being killed in Germany yet again was not the only tragic irony of the Munich Olympics massacre. There was also the fact that the German officials had purposely scaled back security at the events precisely because of the nation's history. They were desperately trying to redeem their nation's reputation and they were afraid that excessive security would evoke painful memories of the Third Reich. This decision had devastating consequences. Reeve pulls no punches in his criticism of the Germans. By most accounts-and Reeve is sure to emphasize the point-the rescue attempt that resulted in the death of all of the athletes was completely botched by the Germans. They come off as looking completely incompetent and Reeve does not shy away from pointing this out.
   
   Reeve then goes on to Israel's retaliation which was code-named, the "Wrath of God" operation. This is where the Israelis hunted down and assasinated dozens of people who were thought to be involved in the Munich attack. Anyone who has seen Stephen Spielberg's film 'Munich' will recognize the names and locations of these asassinations. As I stated previously, Reeve tends to over-moralize the issue by constantly sticking his two cents in about the massacre itself, Israel's response, and terorism in general. It's not that I necessarily disagree with him, but I just don't feel the need to be preached to about right and wrong. Other than that, it is well worth the read.



4. A great book on the munich massacre and the killings thereafter. detailed research and very readable. A little thick on the moral equivalence for my tastes, but that doesn't get in the way of enjoying the book.



5. Well researched but irritating sometimes, as many reviewers have noted, for the moral equivalence stance.
   
   In addition to the gross incompetence shown by the Germans trying to make the situation go away, some of the words used (i.e. murder) to describe Israeli actions grated on my nerves. One point made early in the book, and still true today, was the culpability of neighboring Arab countries in the Palestinian situation..."Confining the Palestinians to camps actually suited many regional governments...Far better to keep them in squalor near their homeland and foster their fighting spirit."
   
   Overall it is a good read containing lots of information on the Munich massacre.

5 comments about A Heart, a Cross, and a Flag: America Today (A Wall Street Journal Book).

1. Peggy Noonan is a biased commentator and frankly her views are outdated



2. This book was given to me by a very good friend of mine, MaryAnn. On 9/11/01 we sat next to each other in work in New Jersey. We watched and listened in horror as the events of 9/11/01 unfolded and realized from that moment on the world as we know it will never be the same. The following year, we actually picked that specific day to fly on a business trip, 9/11/02, to honor those who lost their lives on 9/11 and to show the terrorists we are not afraid of them. Ms. Noonan actually discusses how people are afraid to fly today in the last chapter. For some people this book will not be politically correct, so be aware of this. Ms. Noonan can not heap enough praise on the firefighters who responded on 9/11 (MaryAnn's brother was one of the brave firefighters who responded on 9/11, a real hero). I enjoyed and re-read over several times the chapters that referred to the 9/11 events. I agree with Ms. Noonan that we are in a war with terrorists, even though there may not be people who realize this. I enjoyed how other subjects were interwoven into the book, the Pope, how life went on after 9/11. Ms. Noonan described how she walked across the Brooklyn Bridge the morning of 9/11/02. Her descriptions and how she captures her feelings are written beautifully, each of us should have tried to capture our own moments. I know some people picking up the book may not want to read about President Bush or the Pope but the descriptions on the weather, how people continued to live their lives after 9/11 were great. If anyone feels as though their civil rights are being violated, just read Chapter 18, "Everybody's Been Shot", even if you are in a bookstore just read it. I've updated this review on 11/30 after I saw on TV people feel as though their rights are violated when they are searched boarding a plane, wake up people remember 9/11 and days afterwards, the shoe bomber, Everyone's been shot, read this section. If nothing else read the poems on pages 23 and 24 (they were tagged for me, thank you) and the poem on page 79, Two Thousand One, Nine Eleven (read these several times). Ms. Noonan describes Brooklyn Heights and beauty (I went to St. Francis College in the Heights). The past two years MaryAnn, other co-workers and myself have gone to Brooklyn Heights to view the Blue Light tribute to 9/11/01. Everyone should see this from Brooklyn Heights and everyone should read this book. Thanks for writing the book Ms. Noonan. This is an awesome gift.



3. Having been a Peggy Noonan fan for some time, I was excited to read her collection of essays in the aftermath of 9/11. I was not dissapointed in the least.
   
   Ms. Noonan offers readers her particularly personal and charming perspective on everything from firefighter admiration, to anger, to faith, to the politics of terrorism. In doing so she reminds us why she should be considered among the best essayists of our generation.
   
   In the interest of fairness, there were times when I wished the book was more cohesive. The lack of cohesion is a natural consequence of these writings being stand-alone essays. Still, at times this distracted from her otherwise brilliant writing.
   
   When A Heart, a Cross, and a Flag shines (as it so often does), it is a therpautic and prosaic look at our country's most challenging moment. An excellent choice for like-minded conservatives as well as reasonable patriots of the left.



4. First, the surface: On the cover of What I Saw at the Revolution, revolutionist Peggy Noonan's memoir of her two or three years as a writer for Reagan, she looked like Mabel or Madge, one of the frazzed but bravely smiling babes who sling hash or bring cuppas at Denny's on the night shift, one of the working-class heroes that Barbara Ehrenreich slummed with in Nickel & Dimed. By the time she got to her excellent bio of President Reagan and to this book about the year of 9/11 & dangerous living, Ms. Noonan had a makeover.
   
   She says or implies in A Heart, a Cross, and a Flag that everybody in America had a makeover on the day the towers fell. On 9/10 we were somebody; by the morning of 9/12 we were somebody else. Gales of destruction buried our surface lives, casual joys, & previous conditions of certitude. Squalls of Pompeii ash in midtown Manhattan baptized stricken survivors & watchers. In an instant on a brilliant morning we were born again into a deeper world where centers do not hold.
   
   This morning, 4 1/2 years later, we heard that Dick shoots Quayle & Dubya shoots drugs before going to the deeper news about Oprah & J-Lo. 4 1/2 years after war came to us & we went to war, we're mired in a quagmire of 9/10 superficial surfaces. Now, as then, we are living on borrowed time in houses of cards with foundations of sand.
   
   Impelled by deep faith, Ms. Noonan expected that 9/11's agony would bring reappraisal & renewal. She believed reasonably that our clueless multitudes would at last get a clue, if not about ultimate absolutes, then about gas bombs, germ bombs, and dirty nukes on barges in the East River. She believed by 9/20/01 that the president we almost elected president was becoming a great president leading our nation through fire and leading a mature, competent, capable administration. (The news today, oh boy: Vice President Fudd shoots crony, doesn't apologize.)
   
   A Heart, a Cross, and a Flag is, alas, the dead past. It's what might have been. It's where we should have gone (to our knees, without birdshot) but didn't. It's where Ms. Noonan thought we were being led after 9/11 awakened us from our Clinton-Flynt torpor and before -- as Noonan wrote last month --the wheels came off the tram & the tram went off the rails. 4 1/2 years ago she saw hope rising from the ash. Now she sees trouble & dark nights of the soul.
   
   Then as now she uses langauge well. Walking the Brooklyn Bridge and talking about plots to blow the Brooklyn Bridge, she uses simple & supple words to build bridges of meaning & understanding. Occasionally, though, her words blow up & the bridge falls down. This if from page 190, hardcover edition: "Why does Mr. Bush's seeming not to need the presidency contribute to his popularity? Why would it be, in fact, a central reason for his high poll numbers? Because when you know they don't need it, you know they won't do anything to keep it." Parse those words (but overlook the historical oddity that Mr. Bush, once upon a time, was popular), deconstruct them, break them down, and observe that "won't do anything" breaks down in ways the author surely didn't intend. Then notice on page 192, in an essay published one week later, that Noonan writes this: "The congressional elections could produce a Democratic House and a more heavily Democratic Senate. Mr. Bush will do almost anything to keep that from happening ..." Here she's writing about the enactment of tariffs (payoffs) for Pennsylvania & of a pork-larded farm bill for cultivators of corporate welfare. The point I'm making is that plain speaking can be as messy as politics, and that Mr. Bush, even when popular, had embarked on a vote-buying binge with money that Mr. Reagan used to say belonged to us.
   
   (In When Character Was King, Ms. Noonan's biography of President Reagan, there are several places where her plain, simple, supple words come unhinged and where little dissonances -- about snakes or makeup, for example -- knock bricks out of the wall or the bridge of understanding.)



5. New York native Peggy Noonan compiles a collection of 50 lightly edited compassionate and heartfelt writings from 9/11/01 through 9/11/02 that center around the 9/11 attack on America. She calls the book a heart, a cross, and a flag "because those were the things that rose from the rubble" Humorous and witty, and she has a knack for reading a persons' character.
   
   That one day in September everything changed; our lives would never be the same. For one brief moment we as a Nation would come together. In these short letters Noonan praises the U.S. and the wonderful people of New York. She salutes the men who protect us----the heroes. She gives us her thoughts on George Bush and the previous Presidents, along with terrorism, national security, and where the future lies.
   
   At times it is hard to figure out if she is serious in her views. I will chalk that up to a gender gap. But where she is serious, is her devout Catholicism, and she does not hide it here. This is where she has been led astray.
   
   Wish you well
   Scott

2 comments about Globalization and Empire: The U.S. Invasion of Iraq, Free Markets, and the Twilight of Democracy (Albma Rhetoric Cult & Soc Crit).

1. A brilliant concrete analysis of the threat to American democracy presented by the bloated expansion of the American military and corporate presence abroad. Particularly useful is a chapter on the "privatization of empire," showing how much of what happens in areas like Iraq lies beyond the present power of Congress to regulate it. A very important book.



2. The authors Stephen Hartnett and Laura Stengrim both work at Eastern Illinois University. Chapter 1 examines the arguments used for attacking Iraq, mainly the mythical Weapons of Mass Destruction. Chapter 2 peruses the arguments used in support of wider US foreign policy, centrally the myth of the benevolent empire. Chapter 3 looks at the economic agendas of the key drivers of empire and Chapter 4 studies the colonisation of postwar Iraq under the pretence of reconstruction and democracy-building.
   
   They show how the US empire has produced contexts ripe for violence. Globalising capitalists and empire-builders inevitably create economic resentment, political rage and terrorist violence. They bring consumer choice and political freedoms to the few, economic, but political and military violence to the many. The authors show how Bush tries to disguise this by explaining events in moralistic, medical, psychological or theological terms.
   
   The `war on terror' is lawless: Bush's memo of 7 February 2002 stated, "none of the provisions of Geneva apply to our conflict with Al Qaeda in Afghanistan or elsewhere in the world." It is also intolerant: Attorney General John Ashcroft said critics of the government `only aid terrorists'. The US state promises us an endless crusade to `rid the world of evil'. As the National Security Strategy of the United States 2002 said, "the war against terrorists of global reach is a global enterprise of uncertain duration."
   
   The IMF's Brady Plan repackaged developing countries' debts as collateralised tradable bonds, privatising debt ownership, so vulture capitalists could buy debts and then sue for full, immediate repayment. For example, Elliott Associates in 1996 bought from the IMF $20 million of Peru's debt for $11 million; it then sued Peru's government and won $58 million, a $47 million profit. They have done the same in Panama, Poland, Turkmenistan, Ecuador, Ivory Coast and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
   
   The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank benefit the capitalist class and harm the working class. For every dollar that the US taxpayer gives to the Fund and the Bank, US companies get two dollars in bank-financed procurement contracts. For every dollar going into developing countries (investment, aid, grants), two dollars leave to service debts. So since the mid-1960s, $22 billion a year has gone from the developing countries to capitalists in the USA and the EU. As the authors write, "the combination of this institutional architecture of globalization and regional Free Trade Agreements [like the EU's] poses serious threats to state sovereignty, worker rights, local cultures, and any sense of representative government."
   
   Altogether, this book is an exceptionally astute analysis of why workers must stop capitalism, but unfortunately, the authors only propose as a response online activism and a rejection of all ideologies. But the workers of the world do not need a `global economy of information producers and activists': we need to revive our national trade unions. We do not need virtual resistance, `a newly emerging electronic democracy', or `reinventing activism as an online endeavor'. We need real democracy in our places of work and democracy and sovereignty in our nations - which add up to Marxism.

2 comments about Understanding Homeland Security: Policy, Perspectives, and Paradoxes.

1. "Understanding Homeland Security" is a comprehensive examination of the past, present, and future of homeland security. An essential element, often overlooked by the media, is developed in the opening chapter, The Nature of the Threat. The authors successfully present historical terrorist events, the causes of terrorism, and the types of terror activities that are used by a variety of terror organizations to meet their agendas. The comprehensive description of terrorism, combined with the development of a working definition of homeland security found in chapter 2, provide the reader with a valuable tool to use throughout the book.
   
   The authors also engage the reader by presenting table top exercises and case studies at the beginning and end of each chapter. Both sections are extremely thought provoking and complement the wealth of information provided in each chapter. "Understanding Homeland Security" is well designed, very readable, and is an important read for anyone interested in homeland security.



2. This short, little paperback covers the basics, even though it uses a broadened or widened definition of terrorism (e.g., socially motivated, incites fear). Historical details are kept to a minimum. Organizational issues closely follow the governmental dictum about how homeland security ought to be organized. The tabletop exercises at the end of each chapter are good. Coverage of intelligence is weak. The authors try to incorporate policy issues at just about every turn. Their strong point is critical infrastructure, and their discussion of risk communication isn't so bad either, both topics introduced in the middle of the book. The final chapter on what the future might look like should have had more opinions or ideas expressed, but despite this, and given a rather antiseptic tone throughout, the book is mostly short, crisp, and to the point, which makes it a good, affordable, text for first-time students.

1 comments about Digital Crime and Digital Terrorism.

1. This book is far superior than many other books on similar topics, and the authors walk the line well between being academic and practical. The thrust of the book is toward an understanding of what criminologists call "emerging crime," and it delivers a well researched baseline of information synthesized with what is known or speculated about emerging trends. The end result is a product suitable for adoption in the academic marketplace, and would even make for fascinating reading by laypersons. Overall, the book is congruent with the scholarly and curricular purposes of higher education, and one shares the sense of urgency that comes across at times, but one also relishes the moments, evident in the writing, when careful and meticulous reflection is done.
   The introductory chapter spares the reader from a boring introduction to the history of the Internet, and the basic typology relied upon is the well-known computer as target and computer as tool (instrument) which comes from some of the earliest distinctions made, as well as the third type, the computer as incidental to crime. The authors wisely stick to a legalistic approach, and educate or orient the reader about theft and fraud law, which is important to do. Gladly, there is not any overemphasis upon news stories. The writing is generalized when it can be, and specific when it has to be.
   The criminological theory chapter is ripe with promise. Twenty-five pages are spent bringing the reader up to par on the mainstream theories in criminology, but then, strain, learning, and control theories are just applied, not really extended, to explain computer crime. Theoretical extensions are left to the reader's imagination.
   There is a well-done analysis of hacker subcultures, but the approach taken is symbolic interactionist, leading to a morally relativistic position that hackers and computer criminals are qualitatively and quantitatively different from other criminals. Likewise with the discussion of virus writers, semantic danger is noted in perceiving virus writers as "technopathic" and I take this as the authors attempting to make the reader more culturally sensitive to the plight of those poor, unfairly-labeled "bad" guys.
   The crimes of embezzlement, economic espionage, money laundering, and fraud are discussed in a straightforward manner, but the approach is quite legalistic, and all the reader will walk away with is a better understanding of the CFA and EEA acts.
   A welcome focus on victimization appears when stalking and obscenity are discussed, but the writing is quite antiseptic, handling very meticulously and tactfully things like child prostitution and sexual predators on the Web. Topics like sex tourism are also discussed, but there's really no "voice" of the victims to be found.
   Towards the middle, the book shifts to what criminal justice agencies are doing, but the discussion is freshman-level, and there's really no coverage of the Patriot Act, Homeland Security, or what the feds are doing. Other topics are missing altogether, like cyber-vigilantism. Computer forensics is the focus.
   Once cyberterrorism is finally gotten around to, four types of it are discussed: infrastructure; information; facilitation; and promotion. The first type brings up the subject of homeland security. The second type brings up web defacement. The third type discusses cryptography and steganography, and the fourth type gets into the topic of propaganda. Issues are only brought up and never fully explored or exploited. An interesting inclusion is what's written on anarchy, eco-terrorism, and Internet cartoons. It seems like certain emerging trends sometimes take precedence over mundane issues.
   All in all, the book grasps what can safely be generalized without losing currency. There are some brave, noble initiatives in this book, and it is creative in many respects, but it tries to deliver all things to all people, and suffers somewhat for it by lacking a perspective or voice.