After September 11, President George W. Bush turned to the Justice Department for its official OK for activities previously thought inconceivable. They included torture, indefinite detention and NSA spying on Americans. When President Obama took office, it was expected that these policies would be reduced, or eliminated. If anything, some of these policies were actually expanded.

The things and people from the early days of the "war on terror" are in this book, including FISA, the PATRIOT Act, John Walker Lindh (the American Taliban), military commissions and John Yoo. He is the Justice Department who went through mental gymnastics trying to give George W. Bush the legal justification to run the "war on terror" any way he wanted.

This is a first-rate piece of writing. For anyone who wants to know how America went from "land of the free" to torture, warrantless surveillance of Americans and waterboarding, start right here. It is very highly recommended. ( )

Excellent read and good history book of post 9/11 events.

Karen Greenberg's solid reporting skills and the ease she explains the complexity of post 9/11 United States, resulted in numerous times saying to myself , 'Wow, I didn't know that was going on!'.

Karen Greenberg's, 'Rogue Justice' and Adam Benforado's, 'Unfar' will give any reader a good understanding of the current judicial system in the U.S. Frankly, it doesn't look good - even though Greenberg tries to put a positive spin on things in the last chapter of the book stating that 'fear should not be our primary guide'. She's right. The Apostle Paul stated in 2 Timothy 1:7 that a true Christian should not have fear but be bold and have a sound mind.

Additionally, Greenberg indicates over and over again throughout the book, the people of these United States were sold short on any resemblance of integrity or character in both Judicial and Executive officials and their decisions - regardless of whether they were elected or appointed - Republican or Democrat. It seems to me, after reading 'Rogue Justice', that both sides of the isle are as crooked as a country road.

What I also gained and came to realize after reading 'Rogue Justice' is that men and women elected or appointed to government positions - whether it be Judicial or Executive - should be promoting true justice. Not 'using' justice to promote their own agenda or corrupt opinions.

In her final statement, Greenberg gets to the heart of what true justice is when she writes, 'What remains to be seen is whether we can face down terror even as we uphold those principals . . . . . ' And what principals are 'those'? In a much neglected book of the Bible, it clearly instructs the reader in Micah 6:8, God 'has shown you, oh man, what is good [that is what is Biblical]; and what does the Eternal require of you BUT TO DO JUSTLY, TO LOVE MERCY AND TO WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD.'

Good advise. I pray that our leaders can learn that bit of wisdom before it's too late. ( )

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty or Safety."
-- Benjamin Franklin.

Yes, I know that I am taking the Franklin quote out of context. And while it is important to not forget the historical context in which Franklin penned this now-famous observation, the sentiment has metamorphosed in a new century and new circumstances, in similar a fashion as Abraham Lincoln re-birthed the Declaration of Independence (see, e.g,. Pauline Maier,AMERICAN SCRIPTURE [1997]). Franklin's skeptical wisdom of nearly two-and-a-half centuries ago is rediscovered, as perhaps its author dare dreamed it might be.
The spirit of that wisdom permeates Karen Greenberg's work, ROGUE JUSTICE. I can see it being used as a textbook. It is a detailed overview of the (well, not making of; more the furtherance of) the national security state within the United States after 9/11. Each chapter almost begs for other researchers, journalists, academicians, to explore further. For example, Chapter 7, "The Justices Weigh In." discusses the Guantanamo detention cases before the Supreme Court. Ms. Greenberg eloquently nutshells the issue: "It was a question the lawyers ... had been asking for ... years. But it was in many ways an ancient question, the same one that had been on the minds of the British aristocracy in 1215 when the confronted King John at Runnymede: just how much does the sovereign power have over the bodies of his citizens or those in his custody?" (p. 88). Profiles of the attorneys arguing before the Court are included, followed by excerpts from the oral argument transcripts. The government's incredible legal positions are explored. The chapter
concludes with a brief summation if the Court's rulings. Really, each of these topics could be a book by themselves.
This is not an impartial overview. Ms. Greenberg minces no words: "in implementing the the new [post-9/11] regime, the [G.W. Bush] White House ignored some of the most sacred principles of American democracy and law, including the rights to freedom from imprisonment without due process ..., the right to privacy, the right to free speech, and the overarching right to freedom from passion in favor of the rule of law" (p. 7). This is a grim book. It is also an important one, and not just for today's readers, but for many tomorrows, as well.
Is Franklin's 1766 anachronistic to his country in 2016? There is yet still wisdom in his words. ( )

This is a clear and powerful book -- its level tone and reporting style, free of any apparent hyperbole or character takedowns, makes it even more painful to read than it might otherwise be. I also found it refreshingly non-partisan: neither of the major political parties is given a pass here (in the interest of full disclosure, I must state that although I am not a registered member of either party, I am of an extremely liberal bent).

Greenberg's book is useful for all citizens who, like me, know many of the major turns but are weak on the details of how our country descended into such a woeful vale. It would also be useful for those spectators from other countries who wonder "what the f**k happened to you lot? Why did you let this happen?"

And it really is a sickening state of affairs. Read it and weep. Many thanks to Crown Publishers for the ARC -- I will be ordering a copy of this when it is published, and recommending it to friends. ( )

It isn't often that I dislike a book as much as this one. Greenberg's intent (I believe), was to show how government excesses in the war on terror have threatened the very fabric of American society. And I agree with her that their were excesses. But her insistence on claiming that government officials have conspired, for reasons of gaining power, to ruin our government, is just wrong. "For every Cheney mongering fear and nurturing paranoia, there are many officials quietly going about their business - drafting legislation, writing legal opinions, arguing in court -thinking they are doing the right thing but failing to grasp that in their wish to protect the country, they are in fact betraying it." In the words of Steve Martin, "Well, excuse me!!!" If only we had known how evil all of us government servants were, I'm sure we would have done things her way. In her opinion, Edward Snowden is the second coming of Christ, and she is not far behind him. At least Greenberg's contempt for us pales in comparison to that which she holds Satan (I mean Cheney) in. I was not aware that the decades of experience he has in government matters not at all when compared to the judgement of Saint Snowden, with his one or two years experience in a low level analyst job. And, less you think her wrath is only for the former Republican administration, her feelings (and feelings are much more important than facts) towards that evil man, Barack Obama, are not much better. His insistence on murdering people with drone strikes (even an American) are just as bad. Never mind the fact that the "American", had declared war on America, was advocating the murder of his fellow Americans, and was hiding amongst his new-found friends (those misunderstood boys who were busy innocently beheading, crucifying, burning, or raping innocent people). I am sure that, if we had just tried, we could have had someone serve Al-waki with a subpoena to appear in an American court, and he would have happily showed up in his Sunday best!
No, Greenberg seems content to live in her little make-believe world where there are no winners or losers, but everyone gets a trophy for participation. And yet, paradoxically, feels perfectly within her rights to judge everyone else. Because she knows best. I'm sure that's what her parents told her.
Again, there were excesses committed in the war on terror. And yes, they were wrong. But the men and women who were in charge were not the devil. They were trying to protect America. And, like many other times in our history, the result will likely be a swing of the pendulum in the opposite direction (for example, the Church hearings). And things will balance out in the end. That's what makes America great. Despite what the author thinks. ( )