MSNBC's legal expert breaks down the ways disinformation has become a tool to drive voters to extremes, disempower our legal structures, and consolidate power in the hands of the few. American society is more polarized than ever before. We are strategically being pushed apart by disinformation--the deliberate spreading of lies disguised as truth--and it comes at us from all sides: opportunists on the far right, Russian misinformed social media influencers, among others. It's endangering our democracy and causing havoc in our electoral system, schools, hospitals, workplaces, and in our Capitol. Advances in technology including rapid developments in artificial intelligence threaten to make the problems even worse by amplifying false claims and manufacturing credibility. In Attack from Within, legal scholar and analyst Barbara McQuade, shows us how to identify the ways disinformation is seeping into all facets of our society and how we can fight against it.
Disinformation is designed to evoke a strong emotional response to push us toward more extreme views, unable to find common ground with others. The false claims that led to the breathtaking attack on our Capitol in 2020 may have been only a dress rehearsal. Attack from Within shows us how to prevent it from happening again, thus preserving our country's hard-won democracy.
About the Author :
Barbara McQuade is a professor from practice at the University of Michigan Law School, her alma mater, where she teaches courses in criminal law, criminal procedure, national security, and data privacy. She is also a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, and a cohost of the podcast #SistersInLaw. From 2010 to 2017, McQuade served as US Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. Ms. McQuade was appointed by President Barack Obama, and was the first woman to serve in her position. Earlier in her career, she worked as a sports writer and copy editor, a judicial law clerk, an associate in private practice, and an assistant US attorney. She and her husband have four children and live in Ann Arbor. Barbara McQuade is a professor from practice at the University of Michigan Law School, her alma mater, where she teaches courses in criminal law, criminal procedure, national security, and data privacy. She is also a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, and a cohost of the podcast #SistersInLaw. From 2010 to 2017, McQuade served as US Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. Ms. McQuade was appointed by President Barack Obama, and was the first woman to serve in her position. Earlier in her career, she worked as a sports writer and copy editor, a judicial law clerk, an associate in private practice, and an assistant US attorney. She and her husband have four children and live in Ann Arbor. Barbara McQuade is a professor from practice at the University of Michigan Law School, her alma mater, where she teaches courses in criminal law, criminal procedure, national security, and data privacy. She is also a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, and a cohost of the podcast #SistersInLaw. From 2010 to 2017, McQuade served as US Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. Ms. McQuade was appointed by President Barack Obama, and was the first woman to serve in her position. Earlier in her career, she worked as a sports writer and copy editor, a judicial law clerk, an associate in private practice, and an assistant US attorney. She and her husband have four children and live in Ann Arbor.
Review :
"Attack from Within is a brilliantly vital defense of truth, justice, and the rule of law against a multitude of political and technological threats to our precious democracy."
-- "David Maraniss, Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer"
"A comprehensive guide to the dynamics of disinformation and a necessary call to the ethical commitment to truth that all democracies require."
-- "Timothy Snyder, New York Times bestselling author"
"A legal scholar examines disinformation as a go-to in the authoritarian toolbox."
-- "Kirkus Reviews"
"Offer[s] a comprehensive plan for restoring the integrity of information and instilling resiliency in our democracies...A must-read for all citizens."
-- "Clint Watts, former FBI Special Agent and consultant to FBI National Security Branch"
"Proposes...actions to mitigate the harm of disinformation, such as holding social media more accountable for content on their platforms, strengthening local journalism, teaching media literacy, and restoring civics education to school curricula."
-- "Publishers Weekly"
