Last Rights: Each lost freedom becomes a domino…

From the Conclusion chapter, Last Rights: The Death of American Liberty:

“Each lost freedom becomes a domino falling against all the remaining rights and liberties. Secrecy and censorship spur a deadly political spiral. If the media is cowed into silence or turned into political accomplices, citizens are unlikely to learn of proliferating abuses. If there is no freedom of information, government officials can fabricate perils to frighten people into ever greater submission. It then becomes easier to justify expanding surveillance, thereby deterring people from voicing criticism or even expressing wayward thoughts in emails. Once dissent is stifled, rulers can contrive pretexts to restrict or prohibit protests. Suppressing evidence of rising discontent enables politicians to further aggrandize their power. Citizens may not recognize the totality of their oppression until it is too late to resist.”