Mayer depicts the war crimes of the Bush administration as a temporary turn away from American values; her subtitle refers to the war on terror turning into a "war on American ideals." But what's troubling is how frequently things like this turn up in American history. Mayer frequently goes back in her book to the Second World War and America's internment of Japanese-American civilians as another instance when zealous government workers abused human rights in an effort to safeguard national security. You don't have to go back that far, though. The Cold War featured human rights abuses from McCarthyism in the '50s on up to the Reagan White House's shenanigans in Latin America. What is it about the American character that leaves itself open to such excesses?
I don't think I have anything brilliant to say about this book other than to recommend it. Lessons I'll take away include the need never to put ends before means, as well as the perpetual need to question, question, question. It also emphasizes why books are so important—books like the Dark Side, that is, long-form non-fiction narrative, continues to be the only cultural construct that is able to reframe attitudes toward recent history. To change society. As a book lover who has been wondering about the book's relevance recently, this latest read has for that reason created a bit of a paradox: It's a depressing read that has lifted my spirits.
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