The End of America: A Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot
Encyclopedia
The End of America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot is one of the more recent books released by author Naomi Wolf
.
Referenced in April 2007 in her Guardian
article titled Fascist America in Ten Steps, The End of America argued that events of the previous six years paralleled steps taken in the early years of the twentieth century's worst dictator
ships and called Americans to take action to restore their constitutional
values before they suffer the same fate. The book illustrated ten common steps which Wolf stated could be witnessed in the transitions of open societies into closed regimes. The book was published in September 2007 by Chelsea Green Publishing of White River Junction, Vermont
.
IndiePix Films produced a documentary
of the same name based on the book. The film was released on DVD and online in October 2008.
Naomi Wolf
Naomi Wolf is an American author and political consultant. With the publication of The Beauty Myth, she became a leading spokesperson of what was later described as the third wave of the feminist movement.-Biography:...
.
Referenced in April 2007 in her Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
article titled Fascist America in Ten Steps, The End of America argued that events of the previous six years paralleled steps taken in the early years of the twentieth century's worst dictator
Dictator
A dictator is a ruler who assumes sole and absolute power but without hereditary ascension such as an absolute monarch. When other states call the head of state of a particular state a dictator, that state is called a dictatorship...
ships and called Americans to take action to restore their constitutional
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
values before they suffer the same fate. The book illustrated ten common steps which Wolf stated could be witnessed in the transitions of open societies into closed regimes. The book was published in September 2007 by Chelsea Green Publishing of White River Junction, Vermont
White River Junction, Vermont
White River Junction is an unincorporated village and census-designated place in the town of Hartford in Windsor County, Vermont, United States...
.
IndiePix Films produced a documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
of the same name based on the book. The film was released on DVD and online in October 2008.
The ten steps
- Invoke a terrifying internal and external enemy.
- Create secret prisonsBlack siteIn military terminology, a black site is a location at which an unacknowledged black project is conducted. Recently, the term has gained notoriety in describing secret prisons operated by the United States Central Intelligence Agency , generally outside of U.S. territory and legal jurisdiction. It...
where torture takes place. - Develop a thug casteCasteCaste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
or paramilitary forcePrivate military companyA private military company or provides military and security services. These combatants are commonly known as mercenaries, though modern-day PMCs refer to their staff as security contractors, private military contractors or private security contractors, and refer to themselves as private military...
not answerable to citizens. - Set up an internal surveillance system.
- Harass citizens' groupsAdvocacy groupAdvocacy groups use various forms of advocacy to influence public opinion and/or policy; they have played and continue to play an important part in the development of political and social systems...
. - Engage in arbitrary detentionArbitrary arrest and detentionArbitrary arrest and arbitrary detention are the arrest or detention of an individual in a case in which there is no likelihood or evidence that they committed a crime against legal statute, or in which there has been no proper due process of law...
and release. - Target key individuals.
- Control the pressFreedom of the pressFreedom of the press or freedom of the media is the freedom of communication and expression through vehicles including various electronic media and published materials...
. - Treat all political dissidents as traitorsTreasonIn law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
. - Suspend the rule of lawRule of lawThe rule of law, sometimes called supremacy of law, is a legal maxim that says that governmental decisions should be made by applying known principles or laws with minimal discretion in their application...
.
See also
- Freedom of the pressFreedom of the pressFreedom of the press or freedom of the media is the freedom of communication and expression through vehicles including various electronic media and published materials...
- GulagGulagThe Gulag was the government agency that administered the main Soviet forced labor camp systems. While the camps housed a wide range of convicts, from petty criminals to political prisoners, large numbers were convicted by simplified procedures, such as NKVD troikas and other instruments of...
- Habeas corpusHabeas corpusis a writ, or legal action, through which a prisoner can be released from unlawful detention. The remedy can be sought by the prisoner or by another person coming to his aid. Habeas corpus originated in the English legal system, but it is now available in many nations...
- Political dissentPolitical dissentPolitical dissent refers to any expression designed to convey dissatisfaction with or opposition to the policies of a governing body. Such expression may take forms from vocal disagreement to civil disobedience to the use of violence. Historically, repressive governments have sought to punish...
- Rule of lawRule of lawThe rule of law, sometimes called supremacy of law, is a legal maxim that says that governmental decisions should be made by applying known principles or laws with minimal discretion in their application...