James Risen Pay Any Price Analysis

Introduction:
“Pay any Price: Greed, Power and Endless War”, is written by James Risen, a veteran journalist and two time Pulitzer Prize winner, who has written many articles about the U.S government. The book was published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in October of 2014. It contains 309 pages and falls under the non fiction genre. It includes an overview of the author’s sources and notes relating to the validity of Risen’s research.
Summary:
James Risen discusses the fear frenzy that has taken hold of the United States for the past 14 years. This fear, primarily caused by the effects of the War on Terror has spawned what the author calls a “homeland ¬security-industrial complex” and cost American citizens billions of dollars. The author thoroughly

analyzes the government’s reaction and the results post 9/11. The book investigates the whereabouts of the enormous amounts of money sent from the U.S to Iraq over the past decade. It also explores the cooperation by the American Psychological Association as it relates to the enhanced interrogation program, as well as the NSA warrantless surveillance program.
Theme:
The theme of the book is the imbalance between national security and freedom created in the years since 9/11. Americans in all aspects of their daily lives have been touched by escalating government policies and activities.
Concepts:
One political concept that was present in the book was lobbying, in which the government fails to investigate and turns a blind eye to transgressions committed by large companies involved in the military industrial complex and the rebuilding of Iraq’s infrastructure. Billions of dollars in cash has flowed to these corporations over the span of a decade. In return, these organizations have provided those supportive to them within the government with huge political benefits as well as many other perks.
Another political concept that was explored thoroughly was the legality of the NSA warrantless wiretapping program. As soon as it got the attention of Diana Roark, who worked in the White House, she approached many government officials to determine its constitutionality. However, it soon became apparent that many of those she talked to were already aware of the program and wanted to keep it hidden from the general public. Since the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 had been passed, the government had been able to conduct electronic surveillance on homes and computers of suspected spies or terrorists. By protecting the secret program and not objecting to it, the government was effectively treating millions of U.S citizens as suspected enemies.
Characters / Participants:
Dennis Montgomery a “self proclaimed computer software expert”, made millions by convincing CIA and other intelligence experts into believing he had special software that could decipher coded messages on terrorist networks and other technological marvels despite having no experience in national security affairs or any other credible accomplishments. Psychologists, James Mitchell and Bruce Jessen, who approved enhanced interrogation technique for use in the U.S military. By using their status within the United States intelligence community, they advocated for these tactics to be used in order to get reluctant prisoners to talk. In return they received millions of dollars in CIA contracts and also gained power and status. Bill Binney, a senior manager working for the NSA, whose project called “Thin Thread” would eventually be used as a surveillance program to illegally collect personal data on millions of American citizens. Diana Roark, a staffer on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, who investigated and sought bring attention to the NSA’s warrantless wiretapping program. Buzz Roy, who owns a small drug store in Derby Line Vermont which borders the town Stanstead Quebec. His arrest is a prime example of the United States government’s excessive spending on counter terrorism and homeland security programs and the public’s reaction to such actions.
Interesting Passage:
While investigating the death of her son serving in Iraq, electrocuted while showering, in a facility maintained and repaired by the KBR, Cheryl Harris was told by a military man that the “KBR runs Iraq”.

KBR, the Iraq war’s largest contractor has been the subject of much controversy over the past decade. However, due to the company influence and connections to government officials, it has remained unopposed and “was repeatedly able to survive controversies and investigations and a lengthy series of allegations of wrongdoings in its operations in Iraq” (Risen 143). Those three words “KBR runs Iraq”, shows just how corrupt and deceitful the United States’ War on Terror and Iraq has been. Companies that are “too big to fail” are so influential that the government must back them up regardless of their level of negligence. In the War on Terror, the American government has become so heavily dependent on large corporations it has been “reluctant to ever hold those firms accountable to their actions” (Risen

142).
Method of Development:
James Risen makes use of many methods to demonstrate and support his theme. He primarily relies on telling a story from multiple perspectives of all those involved. The author narrates a story and then explain his point afterwards. This is helpful in the sense that you could enjoy the story without having to worry about the details which are thoroughly explained at the end of each chapter. He was also very descriptive in his narration, examining all the current circumstances and providing background details on characters and places. By doing so, the author gives the reader the perspective needed to fully understand character’s motives and relationships.
Evaluation:
I found the book interesting and informative. I learned a lot from James Risen and believe the content to be relevant, insightful and eye opening. However, due to his frequent reliance on anonymous sources and his positions that went against the government, I have my doubts as to the total accuracy of some of the claims made in this book.
As James Risen has written numerous books and articles that try to expose the government’s wrongdoings I feel as if sometimes, he may have been a little bias in his reasoning. I disagree with the author in that freedom should be a priority over national security. Although some actions the government may have taken is unconstitutional, for the most part it was in the defense of the country. I do agree that the government could be more careful in what it invests in and not to become too dependent on large corporations to do its work. This seems to have become a large problem for the U.S government. With the fear brought by the War on Terror, we may have overreacted and carelessly spent money on unnecessary counterterrorist and homeland security programs. In becoming so dependent on large corporations to operate as their proxy, the U.S government has become hesitant to disclose the wrongdoings committed by these companies.
After reading the book, I feel enlightened about the events that have taken place over the last decade. Previously, I had believed many of the actions the government took were necessary for the safety of the country and its citizens. When I had finished the book, many of the things I had deemed necessary our national security I discovered, were most of time not very productive or beneficial. It was revealed to me through the book that this was due mostly to the hype generated by the conflicts the United States was engaged in, which eventually led to careless and rash decisions. “Pay any Price: Greed, Power and Endless War”, has revealed common fallacies people have regarding the War on Terror and Iraq, as well as the mistakes we must avoid in the future conflicts.
Opinion and Recommendation:
Overall I enjoyed the book.

Having grown up during the Iraq war, I have never really been aware of the events unfolding around me, less so the secrecy that has shrouded these events. I’m grateful that I’m able to learn about recent events that have not yet made it into our textbooks. I feel as if I have a better sense of the modern policies and actions carried out by our government. I enjoyed the author’s use of numbers and statistics, which gave a sense of the scale of the resources expended in the name of national security. Another thing I liked about the book was how the author did not just limit himself to a one sided story, but explored many different perspectives. The reader was able to understand the individuals involved, how everyone was connected and their motives. However, at times I found the book bombarding the reader with too much

detail.
James Risen’s writing is very straightforward and concise. His use of data and statistics help him illustrate his point and back up his facts. One criticism is that the author relies on many anonymous sources which diminishes Risen’s credibility. The author developed the book very well. By splitting the book in sections which led up to one another, it culminated into a final portion that did not just reinforce all the author’s points but concluded his argument.