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One of the most important books of our time, "Taking Liberties" tells the story of how New Labour and Tony Blair have systematically demolished the freedoms of the British people, and the devastating effect this has had on the rest of the world. The story is told through the eyes of the ordinary people who have suffered these injustices, from being arrested for holding up a placard outside parliament, to being tortured and abused by the US military with British complicity. Chris Atkins' "Taking Liberties" has become the most explosive film of 2007. For the reader who wants to dig a little deeper than the film, this book asks why our government is removing our fundamental freedoms while claiming to be defending them. Humorous and offbeat in tone, but solidly backed up by interviews with commentators and experts across the spectrum including Henry Porter, Andrew Gilligan, Tony Benn, Boris Johnson, Claire Short, Milan Rai, Martin Bell, Shami Chakrabarti, Rachel North, Julian Petley, Ross Anderson, Kate Allen, Philippe Sands, Michael Mansfield, Mark Thomas and many more, Taking Liberties is an urgent and timely work.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Be shocked, be worried, be angry. Find out what the government is doing in your name.,
This review is from: Taking Liberties (Paperback)
Indefinite detention without charge; house arrest under horrendously strict and punitive conditions where there is not enough, perhaps not any, evidence to prosecute; the demonisation of children and the criminalisation of bad behaviour (did you realise you can now be given an on the spot fine for using bad language? What actually qualifies as bad language will depend on how sensitive the policeman/woman who happens to be passing you as you say it is - if they happen to be your granny you're probably in trouble); the erosion of the right to protest; complicity in torture; and a return to eugenics - you better hope your unborn child doesn't fit the government's notion of being likely to pose a future problem to society. As this excellent book makes plain, these are just a few of the things the political establishement has done and continues to do in your name. This book cannot fail to make you angry, and so it should. As a law student I have been a aware of many of these laws for a while, but having them outlined beside one another with there practical implications plain to see, made me realise just what dangerous times we are currently in. The authors are probably correct that politicians have our best interests at heart, but that cannot be a justification for the path which our country and its legal system are being led down. But what is most worrying, is the attitude that so many of us hold, that 'these laws wont affect me' or 'it can't possibly be that bad. For god sake, we're a democracy). Read this book and think again. Tell that to the 87 year old who was given an ASBO for being sarcastic. Tell it to the young girl who landed a criminal record for simply reading out the names of the dead in Iraq, civilians and soldiers, without political comment. Tell it to men who were held for more than two years without charge, without ever being told what evidence the government had against them, and then placed on house arrest when the Law Lords told the government it was breaching their human rights; including one man who was perviously acquitted of the Ricin plot because the prosecution had virtually no evidence against him but whose head the tabloid press demanded. While the book focuses on the erosion of the ancient right to liberty, its analysis suggests that values more generally are taking a back seat to political prudence. This is an unacceptable state of affairs, particularly for a country that so often claims the moral high ground on the international stage. Read this book, be angry and realise that all of us have a respsibility to speak up and take action.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This book will make you angry...,
By
This review is from: Taking Liberties (Paperback)
.....angry with a government which is erroding our freedoms while we doze away sleeping. This is one hell of a book - and yet all it does is list the things this government has done and how it has affected real people. This is one of the few books in the last ten years I wanted to buy 50 copies and give them away to people. We need to hear this message and wake up to what is happening. Ignore those reviewers who say the book is rubbish. I don't know what their agenda is in trying to put you off reading this book - but everyone needs to know what is going on. Get it from the library if you can't afford it - but read it before someone bans it.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fighting for our civil liberty,
By Fourth Ray "bookworm" (London) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Taking Liberties (Paperback)
Excellent book to be read by anyone who is interested in retaining their ancient civil right to protest, to justice, to privacy and to freedom of speech, all of which are being destroyed by a labour government. Shameful to Blair, and many thanks to all who wrote the book and made the film. I shall encourage all my university students to read, watch and learn!! Angela, Chartered Psychologist.
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