Torture in the United States Essay Example for Free

Torture in the United States Essay Torture has existed all over the world for millennia but what is torture in America today? The C. I. A. and the F. B. I. have recently used torture against terrorists who were suspected to have vital information concerning American safety. Since torture is illegal in the United States, most of this torture took place at Guantanamo Bay in the southeastern corner of Cuba. Detainees at the detention camp were not entitled to any of the protections of the Geneva Convention due to the fact that Guantanamo Bay is not considered to be within legal jurisdiction of the United States. Captives at the camp were subject to horrendous â€Å"enhanced interrogation† techniques such as waterboarding, hypothermia, stress positions, and sleep deprivation. Martin describes torture as â€Å"†¦ a stain on our great country. † Even though torture has been known to produce answers and in return save lives, it is still an immoral act. The point of torture in Guantanamo Bay is to extract information from prisoners of war to aid the war effort in Afghanistan and Iraq. Waterboarding is an â€Å"enhanced interrogation† technique used by the C. I. A. and other military groups. When one is water boarded, water is poured over the face to simulate the effects of drowning. Waterboarding can cause extreme pain, damage to the lungs, brain damage, and lasting psychological effects. Molin describes how waterboarding works: â€Å"The individual is bound securely to an inclined bench, which is approximately four feet by seven feet. The individual’s feet are generally elevated. A cloth is placed over the forehead and eyes. Water is then applied to the cloth in a controlled manner. As this is done, the cloth is lowered until it covers both the nose and mouth. Once the cloth is saturated and completely covers the mouth and nose, air flow is slightly restricted for 20 to 40 seconds due to the presence of the cloth. This causes an increase in carbon dioxide level in the individual’s blood. This increase in the carbon dioxide level stimulates increased effort to breathe. This effort plus the cloth produces the perception of ‘suffocation and incipient panic,’ i. e. , the perception of drowning† (Molin). â€Å"Cold cell† torture is another torture technique used by government officials. Also known as hypothermic torture, Bardes tells us, â€Å"Government operatives praised hypothermic torture as the most effective of all the techniques they employed. † Inmates are put in an air conditioned cell that blasts cold air until they are forced to shiver for hours. The body temperature of the captives drops and can cause brain damage and heart failure. A stress position, or submission position, places the human body in such a way that a great amount of weight is placed on just one or two muscles. For example, a subject may be forced to stand on the balls of his feet and then squat so that his thighs are parallel to the ground. This creates an intense amount of pressure on the legs, leading first to pain and then muscle failure. Sleep deprivation, another commonly used technique, has been used to keep prisoners awake from twenty-four hours up to six days. Houk explains, â€Å"It’s a primary method that is used around the world because it breaks people. It is effective because it induces severe harm. † Enhanced interrogation is ineffective at producing reliable information. The most common technique, waterboarding, does not yield reliable information on a regular basis. Extreme pain and stress can actually impair one’s ability to tell the truth. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, a torture subject connected to Al-Quada at Guantanamo Bay, was water boarded more than 150 times. He was thought to have known the whereabouts of Osama Bin Laden or his courier. During his torture sessions, Mohammed gave false names and places just to end his torture. Mohammed was also witnessed counting seconds until the torture ended on his fingers because he memorized how long it would last. While Khalid Sheikh Mohammad did eventually talk to interrogators, the information he gave was deemed unreliable. Extreme pain and stress can actually make it harder for a victim to tell the truth. Punishing duress can affect the brain’s ability for cognitive function and memory processes, therefore doing the opposite of that intended by â€Å"enhanced interrogation. † Some people say that torturing prisoners of war is acceptable because it can save lives of soldiers and citizens alike. This is simply not true. The opposition or enemy is more likely to be outraged when they find out that their friends and fellow combatants are being tortured. For example, one reason many Iraqis despise Americans is because the treatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib. Abu Ghraib was a prisoner of war camp in Iraq in which American soldiers tortured and abused suspected combatants and terrorists. Captives were electrocuted, beaten, put in stress positions, sexually abused, and deprived of sleep in order to force information out of them. Pictures taken of this abuse showed captives were forced to stack on top of each other naked, creating a pile of living bodies. In another instance at Abu Ghraib, a prisoner had his hands bound and hung from the ceiling with a bag over his head. He eventually suffocated and his body was destroyed, leaving his family with no body to bury. This infuriated the community when the pictures were released. An American citizen contracted to work in Iraq was captured by insurgents and was decapitated on video as a direct result of the mistreatment at Abu Ghraib. In the video, masked men explain that they would not stop slaughtering Americans until the torture at Abu Ghraib had been redeemed with blood and souls. It is time to end torture. Some torture leads to more torture. Torture in China has spread like wildfire and has been subjected to almost 4 million people in â€Å"re-education† camps. Watts elaborates on Chinese torture, â€Å"†¦brutality and degradation are common in Chinese prisons. † One thinks of Nazi Germany, Stalinist Russia, and Rwanda when he thinks of crimes against humanity. If the United States wishes to avoid such company, it must completely reject the crimes against humanity rather than defending or rationalizing them. Americans must realize that torture is unacceptable, immoral, and cannot be justified by war.

Prostitution :: essays papers

Prostitution Prostitution is an issue which has caused controversy cross-culturally and historically and which has many individuals reexamining the logistics of it. If prostitution is decriminalized it will become economically profitable and feasible for not only the prostitutes, but also western society as a whole. Without the 20th century western laws, which force prostitution underground, the profession of prostitution could become a clean and safe occupation. Prostitution laws are unconstitutional and deny the prostitutes what the American constitution allows them. Prostitution is an illegal act in Canada and large portions of the United States which, if legalized, would protect and benefit 20th century western society. If sanctioned, prostitution will become economically lucrative for the governments involved. The colossal amount of money spent each year on prostitute prevention could be spent on more urgent issues, which is exactly wha the San Francisco Task Force on Prostitution found. The total costs accounted for in this report amounts to $7,634,750.00. Given the many areas in which we found that information is not available, or there are hidden costs, the over all expense to the taxpayer exceeds $7.6 million annually.1 The San Francisco Task Force is a group of researchers, police officers, members of the San Francisco community, government officials and prostitutes, who frequently meet to discuss the issues of prostitution and to try to come to some solution. Although they may not always agree, two issues they are in agreement about are that the $7.6 million dollars would be better spent elsewhere and that prostitution should be legalized.. Robert Noce of Manitoba city council wants reform of the Canadian Justice System and he would like to see prostitution become worthwhile to Canadian taxpayers. Quite frankly, for anyone to suggest to me a dating or escort agency is just offering companionship is being quite naive. Let's not try to bury our heads in the sand and pretend nothing else is going on. Instead of pretending these establishments don't exist let's instead be logical about this and try to use the profits that we could be making, in a wise and useful manner. I think that the highest paying customers for prostitution is us Canadians, in the money we put into fighting this futile cause.2 Instead of putting millions of dollars into stopping this consensual act, the money saved and made from the legalization of prostitution can be spent on fighting child prostitution and coerced prostitution. These two crimes are becoming rampant across North America, but lack of funds prevents a serious effort from being made to fight against them. If brothels and prostitutes were to be taxed like any other place of

Management Theorists Summaries

Chandler: The Enduring Logic of Industrial Success Main claim: Successful companies exploit economies of scale and scope in capital-intensive industries by investing in: †¢ Production capacity: technology, research & development †¢ Strong management hierarchies †¢ National and international marketing and distribution networks Secondary claims: †¢ The ? st companies to make these investments dominate their market and are First Movers; they have the upper hand on the Experience Curve and thus a competitive advantage, and they maintain their position through constant innovation and strategy. †¢ Growth through unrelated diversi? cation is a poor business strategy; the right idea is moving into related product markets or to expand geographically †¢ Companies in an oligopoly become stronger through intense competition. Companies grow horizontally by combining with competitors, and vertically by moving backward to control materials and forward to control outlet s. Greiner: Evolution and Revolution as Organizations Grow Main claim: Organizational growth is characterized by ? ve successive developmental phases, each with a management focus and style, and each followed by a predictable crisis; management practices that work in one phase are unsuitable for the next and precipitate the crisis.Secondary claims: †¢ Organizations should not skip phases; some go quickly through them, some regress †¢ Top managers whose style is no longer appropriate should remove themselves †¢ Growth is avoidable †¢ The future of an organization is determined predominantly by its history (behavior is determined more by past events/experiences than by what lies ahead) Phases of evolution (CDDCC): †¢ Creativity: informal, long hours, market feedback †¢ Direction: hierarchy, specialization, formal communication, managers, supervisors †¢ Delegation: decentralized organizational structure, empowering of lower-level managers †¢ Coor dination: formal planning, top executives initiate and administrate new systems †¢ Collaboration: teamwork, problem-solving, open-door matrix structure Phases of revolution (LACRPs): †¢ Leadership: necessary skills to introduce new techniques †¢ Autonomy: ? eld managers’ experience knowledge is restricted by the hierarchy †¢ Control: top managers seek to regain control of the company †¢ Red tape: excess restrictions and regulations, bureaucracy, ineffectiveness in problem-solving †¢ Psychological saturation Barney Main claim: Internal and External Analysis provides a balanced view of a ? rm’s competitive advantage, which is a moving target. External environment analysis (opportunities and threats) cannot explain a ? rm’s success by itself; strategists must analyze its internal strengths and weaknesses. VRIO Framework: †¢ Value: does a ? m’s resources and capabilities enable it to exploit an opportunity or neutralize thre ats? (high status and quality, low cost and practical) †¢ Rarity: is a resource or capability controlled by a small number of ? rms? †¢ Imitability: is there dif? culty and cost disadvantage in imitating what a ? rm is doing? (history, numerous small decisions, socially complex resources, embedded cultures) †¢ Organization: are a ? rm’s policies and procedures organized to exploit its valuable, rare and costly-to-imitate resources? (reporting structure, management system, compensation policies) SWOT Framework: Composed by Internal and External Environment analysis; aims to identify the key issues facing a company. Strengths: internal resources and capabilities †¢ Opportunities: external trends, industry conditions and competitive environment †¢ Weaknesses and Threats: issues that must be addressed to improve a company’s situation Tangible Resources: †¢ Financial: cash or cash equivalents, borrowing capacity †¢ Physical: plants, facili ties, manufacturing locations, machinery and equipment †¢ Technological: trade secrets, patents, copyrights, trademarks, innovative production processes †¢ Organizational: strategic planning, evaluation and control systems Intangible Resources: †¢ Human: experience, capability, trust, managerial skills, speci? c practices and procedures †¢ Innovation/Creativity: technical and scienti? c skills, innovation capacity †¢ Reputation: brand name, quality, reliability, fairness Organizational Capabilities: †¢ Competencies or skills ? ms use to turn inputs into outputs †¢ Capacity to combine tangible and intangible resources to achieve a desired goal Collins & Porras Main Claim: Successful companies have a clear vision made up from a core ideology and an envisioned future that motivate employees and guide decision-making. Core Ideology: guides, inspires and makes work meaningful for employees. †¢ Purpose: soul of and reason why an organization exists; idealistic motivations †¢ Values: strong beliefs about what is most important Envisioned Future: †¢ BHAGs: clear, compelling goals to engage and energize; they should contain a measurable objective, be dif? cult but not impossible, and achievable in a long-term period (10-30 years) †¢ Vivid description: paints an exciting picture of the future (what’s it going to be like? BHAG types: †¢ Qualitative and quantitative for attainable targets †¢ David vs Goliath for a common enemy goal †¢ Emulation of role models for up-and-coming organizations †¢ Internal transformations for large, established organizations Other Stuff Underlying Assumptions: they form the basis of our beliefs and reasoning; they are the link between the claim and the evidence (they explain the relevancy of evidence to the claim). †¢ Reality: beliefs about how things and events work †¢ Value: ideals, standards of right and wrong and how things ought to be PACCEs: alwa ys put an article through these ? ve concepts. †¢ Persuasive language †¢ Assumptions and values (beliefs that affect how the author sees the world) †¢ Claim (the broader issue, the thesis the author wants you to accept) †¢ Causal logic (claims regarding cause and effect) †¢ Evidence (SCRAAP: is it suf? cient, clear, authoritative, accurate, precise, representative? )

How Vietnam War Affected America - 1450 Words

The United States’ war with Vietnam was undoubtedly â€Å"a different kind of war†. Guerilla tactics and a largely jungle environment throughout the theatre of Vietnam made this a supremely unique conflict in the annals of American military history. Faced with this type of unique enemy and terrain, the American Armed Forces undoubtedly had to evolve and adapt their tactics accordingly. One element that is particularly extraordinary and exclusive to the Vietnam War is the development of highly organized scout-sniper training. Prior to the Vietnam War, the United States had zero trained snipers. By the time the War had ended, trained American snipers had killed more than 13,000 enemy soldiers. The impact of these efforts must be examined on a†¦show more content†¦Almost immediately, the program began churning out success stories. This new type of warfare was utterly foreign to many Marines. Lying and waiting on a near invisible enemy to appear and subsequently pulling the trigger only once as opposed to large-scale firefights was counterintuitive during this time period. Nevertheless, the Marine Corps managed to find marksmen who also possessed qualities such as patience, unwavering nerves, and a great deal of confidence. Due to the dire need for snipers at this point in the war, enlisted men spent only three weeks in Land’s sniper training program. Despite the haste in which these men were trained, the 17 original snipers in the 1st Brigade rack up more enemy kills than any other Corps combat battalion in their first three months in the field. The most striking advantage such successful organized sniping brought to American forces was its sheer economic efficiency. In what is often viewed as a war of excess; a war of tremendous financial and human cost, organized scout sniping offered a tremendous amount of value to the United States Armed Forces. According to figures released by the Department of Defense, the average number of r ounds expended in Vietnam to kill one enemy solder with the M-16 was 50,000. The average number of rounds expended by U.S. military snipers to kill one enemy soldier was 1.3 rounds. Thats a cost-difference of $23,000 per kill forShow MoreRelatedThe Secret War And How It Affected The Hmong People1230 Words   |  5 PagesTOPIC: The Secret War and how it affected the Hmong people. SPECIFIC PURPOSE: At the end of my speech, my audience will get a better sense of what the Secret War was and how it affected the Hmong people. INTRODUCTION: Just by the name itself, it can already be implied to what the â€Å"Secret War† was. It was a war that was kept as a secret from the public, and by public, I mean the American public. Many of you may wonder what exactly is the secret war, and I will explain that throughout my speech. ButRead More06.07 Dissilusionment Essay930 Words   |  4 PagesQuestion: Explain how events such as the Vietnam War and Watergate affected the American public’s opinion of the U.S government. Part I: Read the question above and write down what you think the question is asking in your own words. I think that this question is asking for the American public perception of the US government and their elected officials during both of these events. Both the Vietnam War and Watergate events had big impacts on American society. For example, the Vietnam War was the firstRead MoreThe Vietnam War On American Society932 Words   |  4 Pagesthe growing success and power that Vietnam held. America was calm at first as they held the belief that Vietnam would serve as a barrier to communism. Unfortunately, when communism kept spreading, America panicked. American troops were sent into Vietnam and the citizens of America were lied to about the reason for the presence of the troops in Vietnam. 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