The Open Society Paradox

Description:

How do we ensure security and, at the same time, safeguard civil liberties? The Open Society Paradox challenges the conventional wisdom of those on both sides of the debate—leaders who want unlimited authority and advocates who would sacrifice security for individual privacy protection. It offers a provocative alternative, suggesting that while the very openness of American society has left the United States vulnerable to today’s threats, only more of this quality will make the country safer and enhance its citizens’ freedom and mobility.

Uniquely qualified to address these issues, Dennis Bailey argues that the solution is not to create a police state that restricts liberties but, paradoxically, to embrace greater openness. Through new technologies that engender transparency, including secure information, biometrics, surveillance, facial recognition, and data mining, society can remove the anonymity of the ill-intentioned while revitalizing the notions of trust and accountability and enhancing freedom for most Americans. He explores the impact of greater transparency on our lives, our relationships, and our liberties. The Open Society Paradox is a brave exploration of how to realign our traditional assumptions about privacy with a twenty-first-century concept of an open society.

Reviews/Endorsements:

“…thought provoking, Bailey raises perspectives on privacy, anonymity, and surveillance that often go unexpressed.”
-- Criminal Justice Review, December 2007

"The Open Society Paradox is a magnificent addition to the ongoing discussion about the proper balance between privacy and transparency. Bailey’s comprehensive and thoughtful review of current practices and his provocative proposals for the future are sure to stir debate. This book should be in the library of everyone concerned with civil liberties in the post-9/11 age."
-- Paul Rosenzweig, Senior Legal Research Fellow, The Heritage Foundation

"Dennis Bailey’s book offers a truly original approach to our thinking about the relationship between the society and the individual in an age of rapidly expanding technological surveillance. The book opens new vistas and is thought-provoking even for those who have long inhabited the many fields of study that the book encompasses."
-- Amitai Etzioni, author of Limits of Privacy

"Dennis Bailey's analysis of privacy and society is comprehensive, lively, and persuasive. Whether you are a citizen concerned about freedom or a seasoned privacy advocate, buy this book. The dialogue it offers concerning liberty and technology in a post-9/11 world is important and engaging."
-- Sonia Arrison, director of technology studies, Pacific Research Institute

"The Open Society Paradox is one of the most interesting and thoughtful books on the issue of privacy and public information I have ever read. . . . Powerful."
-- SCIP.ONLINE (Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals)

"Thought-provoking . . . Well researched and copiously footnoted, this book is a welcome contribution to the debate."
-- Security Management

"It is certainly refresing to read a book on the balance between privacy and technology that is (1) balanced and (2) technically accurate. . . . If you work in the ID industry, you should read this book."
-- Chris Corum, editor, Regarding ID

"Makes for intriguing social analysis."
-- Library Bookwatch