Politics Most Unusual: Violence, Sovereignty and Democracy in the 'War on Terror'

How has September 11 and the declaration of the ‘global war on terror’ changed our conceptions of politics? How has it affected our understanding of democracy, human rights, personal freedom and government accountability? How should we respond in the face of growing violence and authoritarianism? In answering these questions, the authors engage in a comprehensive and critical analysis of politics in the age of terrorism. They explore different dimensions of a new political paradigm that has started to emerge in our societies, one characterized by an obsession with security, a loss of civil liberties and democratic transparency, government lies and cover-ups, the intrusion of religion into the public sphere, and an increasingly violent and militaristic foreign policy. In attempting to make sense of these developments, Politics Most Unusual examines a series of political, moral and psychological questions which are central to explaining politics in the age of terror