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Title: Mostly Thorough History of Privacy Violations in America
Review: This is a revealing history of how government intrudes on individual rights, inlcuding the right of privacy. Parenti reveals, for instance, that one of the first uses of fingerprinting was as a method of keeping Indians on the reservation. Especially interesting is Parenti's revelation of the widespread government domestic spying apparatus used to harry critics of the American political establishment, especially under the reign of J. Edgar Hoover as FBI director.The only real drawback to Parenti's book is that he gives but little coverage to recent instruments of repression such as the Patriot act. Other than his skimpy coverage of the last few years, Parenti's book is recommended reading for Americans concerned with governmental intrusions on civil liberties.
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