Why We're Losing the War on Terror‏

President George W. Bush is fond of reminding us that no terrorist attacks have occurred on domestic soil since 9/11. But has the Administration's "war on terror" actually made us safer? Nation legal affairs correspondent David Cole doubts it, as he and Jules Lobel detail in a new Nation magazine article adapted from their new book, Less Safe, Less Free: Why America Is Losing the War on Terror (New Press). In this brilliantly conceived critique, two of the country's preeminent constitutional scholars argue that the great irony is that the compromises in the rule of law implemented by the Bush Administration, adopted in the name of prevention, have in fact made us more susceptible to future terrorist attacks. They conclusively debunk the administration's claim that it is winning the war on terror and offer an alternative strategy in which the rule of law is an asset, not an obstacle, in the struggle to keep us both safe and free. Check out the book's website for more info, to purchase copies online and to see when and where Cole is speaking. SPONSORED MESSAGE The Brooklyn Book Festival, September 16 Don't miss the second annual Brooklyn Book Festival. The festival presents exciting and innovative fiction and non-fiction programs with author discussions and readings--come early to get a seat! Nearly 100 booksellers and thousands of books will fill beautiful Borough Hall Plaza and Columbus Park. You can hear a poetry slam, participate in a define-a-thon, have your favorite book signed by the author, attend a Nation-sponsored panel on Iraq, moderated by Laura Flanders and featuring Nation writer Christian Parenti and hear Nation writers Katha Pollitt and Patricia J. Williams read. Children can hear their best-loved books read at the Target Children's Pavilion; teenagers will find sports, fantasy, graphic novels and more at the Independence Community Foundation Youth Pavilion. And make sure to stop by Booth #18 to buy Nation Books, get free copies of The Nation and to meet authors Scott Ritter, Jeremy Scahill and Jocelyn Lieu. New at The Nation.com... Post-Petraeus, Obama & Clinton Jockey for Antiwar Position David Corn | As soon as Petraeus was done, the leading Democratic '08 contenders competed for the antiwar vote. But do the policy differences among them matter? Dispatch from War-Torn Baltimore Karen Houppert| No fancy name or surge of fighting forces for this war, where violence in the city's streets mounts daily. The Sherrod Brown Pledge Katrina vanden Heuvel| Michael Moore's healthcare challenge to the presidential contenders. Farm Aid Raises a Vision Max Fraser | What began as an attempt to help financially strapped farmers in the Reagan years has grown into a visionary political and social movement rooted in the agrarian values of the American Revolution. The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism Featuring Naomi Klein in conversation with Amy Goodman Monday, September 17, 6:30PM to 8:00PM New York Society for Ethical Culture 2 West 64th Street, NYC No admission charge. The event will feature an address and book-signing, a short interview with Goodman, audience questions and a showing of the short video by Alfonso Cuaron. Finally, please visit The Nation online to read new Nation blogs, to view newsfeed links updated each day, to see when Nation writers are appearing on TV and radio, to get info on nationwide activist campaigns, and to read exclusive online reports and special weekly selections from The Nation magazine! Best Regards, Peter Rothberg, The Nation P.S. If you like what you read at TheNation.com, please consider subscribing to The Nation at a sharply discounted rate. Subscribing is the only way to read ALL of what's in the magazine week after week--both in print and online.