Myth America: Human Rights and Civil Liberties in the United States

An eye-opening and prophetic look at the true state of American politics and culture today.

Is the U.S. a beacon of progress? That’s how the mainstream media want you to see it. But in Myth America, visionary researcher David McGowan presents an index of disturbing facts and ominous trends that illustrate the deep roots of America’s systems of oppression.

From mandatory minimum sentencing laws to more liberal search-and-seizure rules, from Three Strikes You’re Out to congressional legislation for a national ID card, McGowan shows how the noose around democracy has been tightening every day for decades―if it ever existed in the U.S. at all.

David McGowan is the author of the bestselling Weird Scenes Inside the Canyon: Laurel Canyon, Covert Ops & The Dark Heart of the Hippie Dream.

Myth America was his first book, originally published in 2000 under the title Derailing Democracy.

David McGowan was an investigative journalist, author, and tenacious researcher of deep politics well before the term “conspiracy theory” became ubiquitous. He was also the proud father of three daughters (and a beloved Doberman), a lifelong music fan who frequently kept his radio tuned to classic rock stations, and an avid traveler. He was born and raised in Torrance, California; graduated from UCLA in 1983 with a degree in psychology; and from 1990 until his death, ran a small business in the greater Los Angeles area. He died on November 22, 2015, at age 55.