At the time George W. Bush ordered American forces to invade Iraq, 70 per cent of Americans believed Saddam Hussein was linked to 9/11. When asked by pollsters to list what stuck in their minds about the campaign, voters in Ohio most frequently named two Bush television ads that played to fears of terrorism. How did the US get here? And how much damage has been done to the functioning of American democracy and its role as steward of its national security? Never has there been a worse time for the US to lose the capacity to face the reality of long-term challenges, from national security to the economy, from issues of health and social welfare to the environment. As this farsighted and powerful manifesto for clear thinking shows us, there is precious little time to waste.