Green is the New Red: An Insider's Account of a Social Movement Under Siege

Honestly, I have never been interested in politics - it always seemed like a mix of money, power and hypocrisy and I suppose I didn't understand how it really affected me personally. Well, I was right on one count but boy, does it affect me! I started learning on the web site "Green is the New Red" about how animal/environmental activism is being perverted by the government and labeled as terrorist activity and so when Will Potter's book came out, I bought it right away. Once I picked it up, I didn't put it down until I was finished.Will Potter examines the history of animal/environmental activism and how it has been received in the eyes of the law, politics, big business and the federal administrations. Throughout the book, Potter tells the frightening tales of activists who were arrested and charged with terrorism for actions that should have fallen under their constitutional rights of free speech and non-violent civil protest. If you have ever gone to a protest, handed out a leaflet or shared your beliefs on a web site, you can't help but be scared (or terrorized, for a better word) that you too could find yourself in the same shackles as these political victims.Don't think for a second (as I did) that you might be bored reading a book about the law and politics. Potter's writing style is fluid, dynamic and you find yourself flowing through the pages, swept up in the stories, and shocked by what you learn about how bills get passed into law and how people trying to improve the world get scapegoated and persecuted. Mixed into the history and policy is intrigue, suspense, heartbreak, and shock. The book grabs you from the first page and doesn't let go even after you finish the book. It is a thriller of the worst kind because it is real.Everyone - activist or not - should read this book to learn what can happen, what does happen to those who think they are safe under the First Amendment. This book should be required reading for those who are activists. Will Potter should be commended for his brave, thorough, and honest investigation.

I found out about Will Potter through a friend. I bought the kindle version of this book-- Green is the New Red-- and began to read it-I will be honest it took me a little over a month to read this book, and not for boring reasons. I literally had to stop and take time to absorb all of the information that was given in the book.I was involved in Animal Rights in the early 80's-before most of Will talk's about took place.I am typically not a reader of political activism, current historical or similar genre reading. As a general rule I find a lot of the books to be histrionic in effect. THIS book however was well researched, well documented and SCARY as hell.Almost 30 pages of bibliography should tell you how well researched this book is.I had to let sink in that our government system is spending money to on systematically scaring the general population into compliance by branding them as "eco-terrorists". This book also confirmed that true social change has to come at a cost as when Big Business is affected they will pull out all of the stops to keep their income, way of thought and process current.I hate to imagine what would happen to the people who fought for the revolution in this country would be treated like much less what they would think about how our government is trying to keep us within their perceptions of a moral network...and we are the sheep allowing it to happenRecommend reading AND buy it in the hard or soft copy version and place it in your "permanent library" and whenever you begin to feel complacent...take it out and read it again...Thank you Will Potter for doing the work, fighting the fight and bringing it to our attention, I for one appreciate it.

There are two downsides to the book. First, is the message. It is depressing. That's the good point of the book as well. the second is the lack of organization which tries one's patience.Potter provides a wealth of information about animal rights activists (i.e, those who use violent means) of which I was unaware. He concentrates on the extremists who bomb and otherwise destroy property. I don't support the violence but it was surprising to learn that no one, as of the date of his writing, has been injured, much less killed, in the many bombings that have occurred. In light of that, It is extremely disturbing to learn that the government has focused so many resources on animal rights activists, treating them as the equivalent of Islamic militants. Most disturbing of all is the trampling of the rights of free speech and assembly.The downside of the book is its poor organization. It seems that, except for the last chapter, the author has published past essays he has written. Much is in the present tense. That's distracting, but making things worse is the author's tendency to jump from present to past tense without explanation. There is a great deal of repetition. It would have been nice if the author had done a better job of editing his prior writings. The reader doesn't know where the author is heading. The chapter titles aren't very helpful. An introduction would have been nice to give the reader a road map of what to expect.

inspirational and interesting and well written

Bought as a present. I am told it has been thoroughly enjoyed

If you want to know more about the lengths governments and co-ops are willing to go to keep animal activists quiet then this is the book for you.

This book is a slam dunk for anyone who took part in the late 1990's to early 2000's environmentalist / animal rights activist movements, but felt the tide shift as they were increasingly, and superstitiously, demonised by politicians, law enforcement and the mainstream media. It gets down to the rotten roots of the intense lobbying that went on behind closed doors to subjugate a very popular, even populist, movement.Unfortunately, the stateside activists have borne the brunt of the lobbyists' persecution. This book paints a stark portrait of the political landscape that enabled American to create its current polluted status quo. We should all take a lesson from it.

Fabulous and informative.... am I now worried that because of my vegan lifestyle I too am on a register somewhere? Well worth investing in (the book - and a vegan lifestyle!!) you may read a lot of it, then put it down for some days while the text sinks in and affirms what you're already semi-conscious of. I think there is a movement away from following the herd as dictated by governments, and I thank everyone who is involved, in a non violent way.