In her much-acclaimed book, The End of America, Naomi Wolf describes a “fascist shift” along tried and true lines, including manufacturing external threats, arbitrary search, seizure and detention, secret prisons and torture, surveillance of ordinary citizens, infiltration of citizens’ groups, targeting and labeling dissenters as traitors, restricting the press and, cutting across all of the foregoing, subverting the rule of law. Ms. Wolf’s new book, Give Me Liberty: A Handbook for American Revolutionaries, is a call for citizen action to restore the freedoms and rights we’ve lost.

Give Me Liberty is more of a detailed procedures manual than a handbook, but both descriptors shortchange this book. Its five-page table of contents outlines a well-structured case, beginning with discussions of “fake” patriotism and democracy and seven core American values that are being subverted; and closing with a comprehensive and creative user’s guide for individuals and groups who want them back.

Ms. Wolf makes frequent reference to the American constitution and Bill of Rights, whose designers wished above all to protect Americans from their own government. She weaves together citizen duties to exercise their free speech and to protest against injustice and oppression. She repeatedly reminds us that government by and for the people was always intended, that no (wo)man is above the law and that America established no god. She blasts America’s aggressive wars overseas, including with a telling Robert Kennedy quote: “Over the years an understanding of what America really stands for is going to count far more than missiles, aircraft carriers and supersonic bombers.”

After a few sections, the set-up is clear: Here’s what our founders intended about freedom of speech or religion or the right to privacy. Here’s what our greatest leaders have said about them over the centuries. Here’s what we’ve got today. It is eerie how many of our rights and freedoms have been rolled back so excessively; and scary how we have come to accept and even expect them.

Fearsome enemies and perpetual wars on terror, crime and drugs will do that to a society. Ms. Wolf is persuasive in exposing citizens’ feelings of powerlessness and inaction as un-American activities. Her user’s guide provides the ideas and civic tools to take this country back.

Ms. Wolf's guide is within the system. Her call for peaceful (but disruptive) street protests is about as radical as she gets. She runs the gamut of ways individuals and organizations can make a difference. It isn’t easy getting heard in the corporate media? Here’s how. Yes, police and security agencies make it hard to publicly protest these days, but there are ways. Petitioning in the Internet age. Joining or starting movements. Changing the laws. Making peace and democratic reforms.

Each section ends with a list of “additional resources.” The book itself ends with a wish list of other reforms for the future.

The fight for freedom either never ends, or things are just that bad.

There are no doubt readers of this review who will shake their heads, remaining convinced that there’s nothing to worry about, it's always been this way or nothing will ever change. A whole lot of us are tuned out or simply don’t care.

To which Ms. Wolf would reply: It’s your duty to care, as American patriots and for your kids. Listen to Ben, who noted so famously over 200 years ago, that those who would (sacrifice) liberty for security deserve neither.

It’s hard being a patriot dissenter these days. Governments and corporations are indeed having their way with us. But, as Ms. Wolf concludes, we’ve got more votes. We have the power.

I commend this book. Inexpensive, too.

Give Me Liberty: A Handbook for American Revolutionaries, by Naomi Wolf, Simon and Schuster, 376 pages, Paperback, $13.95 ($16 Cdn and cheaper over the Internet. A great Xmas gift)

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Richard Sharp



About author Richard Sharp has been a privacy and human rights manager, consultant and advocate for three decades.