Dissent: Voices of Conscience

by Ann Wright, Susan Dixon, Daniel Ellsberg (Foreword)

Shares uplifting profiles of government officials who have risked their careers and safety to speak out against the war in Iraq and reveal the Bush administration's misdeeds, from Craig Murray's revelations about human rights abuses to Bunnatine Greenhouse's exposure of the government's contracting scandal. Original.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction

280 pages, Paperback

First published January 15, 2007

About the author

Mary Ann Wright is a retired United States Army colonel and retired U.S. State Department official, known for her outspoken opposition to the Iraq War. She received the State Department Award for Heroism in 1997, after helping to evacuate several thousand people during the civil war in Sierra Leone. She is most noted for having been one of three State Department officials to publicly resign in direct protest of the 2003 Invasion of Iraq.

Reviews

[Gimmickless · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whatever your stance is on the Iraq occupation, this text is a good primer to the usual arguments against it. Unlike most articles I've read, this actually explains what an illegal war is, and quotes the key pieces of evidence (Downing Street Memos) that were used to force this war in the first place.

There are a lot of letters of resignation and protest here from diplomats and soldiers. Most were composed with a clear head and well-reasoned. It's a shame that all the anti-war letters written by enlisted soldiers (largely without college degrees) were not nearly as cohesive or coherent. Most enlisted I know are better spoken than this.

SIDE NOTE: The author associates herself with Code Pink.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Profiles of whistle-blower individuals in sensitive positions who had the courage to expose the lies, crimes and coverups of the Bush era. One who dealt with the Bush Justice Departmant said, "Those who speak out for reasons of conscience will be punished." But that did not stop these exemplary patriots from following the dictates of their conscience.


With preface by Daniel Ellsberg.

[Mackey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book couldn't be more timely even if it is about a different era and a different time. It is an absolutely MUST READ for all those who want to see and mold a better world.