قلعهٔ آمریکا: چگونه ترس را پذیرفتیم و دموکراسی را رها کردیم

An award-winning historian untangles the roots of America's culture of fear, and argues that it imperils our democracy For the last sixty years, fear has seeped into every area of American life: Americans own more guns than citizens of any other country, sequester themselves in gated communities, and retreat from public spaces. And yet, crime rates have plummeted, making life in America safer than ever. Why, then, are Americans so afraid-and where does this fear lead to? In this remarkable work of social history, Elaine Tyler May demonstrates how our obsession with security has made citizens fear each other and distrust the government, making America less safe and less democratic. Fortress America charts the rise of a muscular national culture, undercutting the common good. Instead of a thriving democracy of engaged citizens, we have become a paranoid, bunkered, militarized, and divided vigilante nation. Fear Has Seeped Into Every Area Of American Life: Americans Own More Guns Than Citizens Of Any Other Country, Sequester Themselves In Barricaded Houses And Gated Communities, And Retreat From Public Spaces. And Yet, Since The 1990s Crime Rates Have Plummeted. Why Then, Are Americans So Afraid? In Fortress America, Award-winning Historian Elaine Tyler May Demonstrates How Our Obsession With Security Has Made Citizens Fear Each Other And Distrust The Government, Eroding American Democracy. This Trend Is Not Merely An Aftershock Of 9/11--indeed, It Dates Back To The End Of World War Ii. Cold War Anxieties Resulted In Widespread Nuclear Panic. Officials Encouraged Americans To Build Bunkers In Their Backyards And Shun Anyone They Suspected Of Communist Sympathies. In The 1960s And 1970s, Atomic Age Anxieties Gave Way To Misplaced Fear Of Crime, Leading To A Preoccupation With Law And Order. The Media Pointed To Black Men As Dangerous And Women As Vulnerable, Inaccurate Claims That Nevertheless Led To Mass Incarceration Of African Americans And Women's Exaggerated Distrust Of Strangers. The Threat Of Terrorism Is Only The Most Recent In A Series Of Overblown Fears That Set Americans Against Each Other. With Fear On The Rise, The Concept Of Citizenship Has Deteriorated And Concern For The Common Good Has All But Disappeared. In This Remarkable Work Of History May Charts The Rise Of A Muscular National Culture Grounded In Fear. Instead Of A Thriving Democracy Of Engaged Citizens, We Have Become A Paranoid, Bunkered, Militarized, And Divided Vigilante Nation.--dust Jacket Flap. Introduction: The Bunker Mentality -- Gimme Shelter : Security In The Atomic Age -- The Color Of Danger : From Red To Black -- Vigilante Virtue : Fantasy, Reality, And The Law -- Women : Victims Or Villains? -- Locked-up America : Self-incarceration And The Illusion Of Security -- Epilogue: Back To The Future : The Twenty-first Century. Elaine Tyler May. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 199-236) And Index. An award-winning historian argues that America's obsession with security imperils our democracy in this "compelling" portrait of cultural anxiety (Mary L. Dudziak, author of War Time ). For the last sixty years, fear has seeped into every area of American life: Americans own more guns than citizens of any other country, sequester themselves in gated communities, and retreat from public spaces. And yet, crime rates have plummeted, making life in America safer than ever. Why, then, are Americans so afraid-and where does this fear lead to? In this remarkable work of social history, Elaine Tyler May demonstrates how our obsession with security has made citizens fear each other and distrust the government, making America less safe and less democratic. Fortress America charts the rise of a muscular national culture, undercutting the common good. Instead of a thriving democracy of engaged citizens, we have become a paranoid, bunkered, militarized, and divided vigilante nation. The first complete book on one of the hottest subjects in the media today--gun ownership. Quigley offers women sound advice about everything from whether to buy a gun to choosing the proper weapon to training yourself to use it. Personal stories and crime victims' accounts help her make her case for women arming themselves.

The first complete book on one of the hottest subjects in the media today--gun ownership. Quigley offers women sound advice about everything from whether to buy a gun to choosing the proper weapon to training yourself to use it. Personal stories and crime victims' accounts help her make her case for women arming themselves. Reissue.

Introduction -- Gimme shelter: security in the atomic age -- The color of danger: from red to black -- Vigilante virtue: fantasy, reality, and the law -- Women: victims or villains? -- Locked up America: self-incarceration and the illusion of security -- Epilogue Documents the increasing numbers of women who carry handguns for protection, discussing the legalities and ethics of shooting in self-defense, handgun safety, and how to go about buying a gun. 'ALL THE TIME I was locked in the trunk, I could hear him yelling from the driver's seat about what he was going to do to me."