Customer Reviews:
 A part of history we cannot undo. December 27, 2008
Military Prosecutor Darrel Vandeveld recognized the "stain of Guantanamo not simply on America's standing in the world, but as a part of history we cannot undo." (I'm not sure where I found this quote.)
Mayer's book is the result of extensive research into records and interviews with persons who were present at various proceedings related to the Bush-Cheney torture of prisoners of war. It documents that the Abu Ghraib torture was a direct result of White House orders and not the actions of a few bad people at the bottom. The White House, Cheney in particular, ignored and "got rid of" the many lawyers in high government positions who disagreed with them about the legality of torture of prisoners of war, who refused to break the law. Some of the descriptions of torture as told by persons-at-the-scene are so gruesome that they are hard to read. Both torture and detention at Guantanamo without due process of law were ruled by the US Supreme Court to be unlawful. Bush-Cheney ignored the court. Even Rice, feeble in most cases, asked them to respect the court decisions. They refused. I'm no legal expert, but I know a little something about morality and human decency, and I believe there is enough evidence in this book and other sources to indict Bush-Cheney for war crimes. I'm opposed to the death penalty, but if there ever was a case where it might be justified, this is it.
An Important Read.... December 20, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book should be nothing less than a "Best Seller". It is one of the most important, inciteful books concerning the presidency of George W. Bush. Words fail me in trying to convince people to read it. I can just say, it is a "must read" for every concerned American.
The Dark Side isn't Just for Star Wars December 9, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Though the title summons up the popular and satirical comparison between Dick Cheney and Darth Vader, The Dark Side is anything but satire. Mayer has given us a sobering and raw look into the war on terror and how entities within the Bush Administration used it, along with legal technicalities, to collect power for the executive branch--and then use that power to instate borderline-constitutional policies. Detailing the struggle between those within the administration that opposed the Machiavellian dealings of Cheney, Addington, and the like, and those power-hungry entities themselves, The Dark Side offers a genuine look into what has really happened to our government, and by extension to us, over the past 8 years.
Mayer's work is reminiscent of watching yourself get conned. It's a record--it's the video camera that's outside of the 7-11 where you one time actually played Three-Card Monte. Of course you thought you were doing well, the con let you win the first few rounds so that you would get confident and put down a fat wad of cash, and once you did that, of course you lost, and the camera recording shows it all to you. The Dark Side shows us how we, as a whole, got duped, and does so in great detail.
Compelling Read December 4, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
One of the best books on the thinking of the Bush Administration, and their misguided journey into torture and imprisonment. Ms. Mayer does a wonderful job of documenting the twists and turns of the decision making process, and capturing the damage done not only to the victims and the aggressors, but to the country as a whole. The New York Times Review of Books has rated The Dark Side one of the 10 best books of 2008, and rightly so.
Shame On US December 1, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
This book is one of the the most chilling I have read in some time. It makes the Watergate era look like child's play. Where was Congress? Where were men of stout heart and sober minds to combat the sick minds of Cheney,Addington,Yew, and others?
Most importantly, the echoes of torture approved by these men of no conscience, men that believed that cruelty was both necessary and justified, will reverberate throughout the years to come. The story is yet to end.
|
