Casualty of War: The Bush Administration's Assault on a Free Press

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Summary: Casualty of War: The Bush Administration's Assault on a Free
Review: In this well-documented and compelling account, Dadge (editor, Intl. Press Inst.) provides an indictment of U.S. media and information policies adopted since 9/11. Each step away from American standards leads to regression by other countries, he argues, so that while the United States has been a model for freedom of information, freedom of speech, and political freedom, each restrictive move in this country inevitably leads to modeling of those actions in other countries. Dadge even provides disturbing examples of cases where political leaders specifically cite the actions of the United States as a template for their behavior. According to Dadge, the result is the restriction of journalists, incarceration of dissidents, and treatment of dissidents as terrorists in countries like China, Zimbabwe, and Uzbekistan. In addition, the current focus on security is costly as campaigns for human rights in many countries are abandoned, or social programs are postponed in favor of paramilitary or military spending. The solution? Dadge proposes that instead of repressing the media, our government should increase their freedoms. A timely study of an important topic, this is recommended for all libraries.-