Here are the links to a possible topic for my blog, the topic being torture
http://blogagainsttorture.blogspot.com/
http://philebersole.wordpress.com/2011/04/15/the-pro-torture-generation/
http://www.americantorture.com/
http://torture.stanford.edu/
I am also considering the topic of corruption in government
http://moreintelligentlife.com/blog/emily-bobrow/great-time-be-corrupt-politician
http://www.cleveland.com/countyincrisis/
http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/16/cleveland-commissioners-judges-indicted-for-corruption/
Just some food for thought
Good start. Some suggestions:
ReplyDeleteThe topics--as they are now--are very broad, but we can narrow them. There is certainly some controversy around the use of torture, how it is defined, whether or not it is effective, and whether the US actually used torture at prisons like Guantanamo. If we did, we are in violation of the Geneva Convention, so who do we hold responsible? Corruption in government is extremely broad, are you looking at special interest groups? Lobbying? The effects of Citizens United vs The Federal Election Commission? Sex scandals? War profiteering? Silencing of whistle-blowers (Wikileaks, Bradley Manning)?
See if you can find a focus, you are not limited to my suggestions.
Dan,
ReplyDeleteAs per your blog title, there is indeed some "deep thinking" going on here. I'm curious though, about the other side of this exploration into torture- in every instance you mention, you show that torture, to at least some degree, is a successful means of culling information from those that would seek to do harm to our country and it's citizens. Surely there have been instances, such as in Gitmo, where the tortured suspect has relinquished false information in order to cease the torture?
Your writing, and by here I mean your "writerly voice" is strong and compelling, but your argument could probably do without the Salem witch trials...it was difficult for me as a reader to make the correlation between 19th century witches and 21st century terrorism...and weren't most "witches" tortured as a means of symbolism (cleansing of the soul, the immolation of sin, etc.) as a precursor to execution? It seems the connective tissue there is a bit shaky...
Good luck on the revision. As a final, parting comment, I would like to commend your use of visual aides and the video- both provided a powerful visual stimuli that buttressed your argument (and sometimes coerced a strong emotional response). Well done.
Thanks for letting me read your piece.
-Zach