Comments on: The Market Likes Torture: Should Uncle Sam? http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2005/12/the_market_like.html The Law, the Universe, and Everything Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:18:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Bruce http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2005/12/the_market_like.html/comment-page-1#comment-61548 Bruce Mon, 12 Dec 2005 00:22:18 +0000 http://www.solove.org/archives/2005/12/the-market-likes-torture-should-uncle-sam.html#comment-61548 Most movies and television shows stack the deck before showing the protagonist engaged in anything morally dubious. When someone engages in vigilante justice, for example, it's almost always against someone the viewer has <i>already seen</i> commit a crime, from the film's omniscient perspective. Same with torture or beatings by protagonists. Until we have omniscient interrogators, the analogy won't wash. And of course if they're omniscient, then they won't need the information in the first place. Most movies and television shows stack the deck before showing the protagonist engaged in anything morally dubious. When someone engages in vigilante justice, for example, it’s almost always against someone the viewer has already seen commit a crime, from the film’s omniscient perspective. Same with torture or beatings by protagonists. Until we have omniscient interrogators, the analogy won’t wash. And of course if they’re omniscient, then they won’t need the information in the first place.

]]> By: Pooh http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2005/12/the_market_like.html/comment-page-1#comment-61547 Pooh Mon, 12 Dec 2005 00:19:50 +0000 http://www.solove.org/archives/2005/12/the-market-likes-torture-should-uncle-sam.html#comment-61547 It does seem strange to argue on one hand that violence in movies and TV is damaging our children, and then on the other hand to suggest that that same violence supports torture. (Not specific to Goldberg, as I don't know whether he is of the 'Hollywood bad for the children' ilk.) It does seem strange to argue on one hand that violence in movies and TV is damaging our children, and then on the other hand to suggest that that same violence supports torture. (Not specific to Goldberg, as I don’t know whether he is of the ‘Hollywood bad for the children’ ilk.)

]]> By: Tony http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2005/12/the_market_like.html/comment-page-1#comment-61546 Tony Sun, 11 Dec 2005 21:59:08 +0000 http://www.solove.org/archives/2005/12/the-market-likes-torture-should-uncle-sam.html#comment-61546 Latest on torture of the Iraqi population http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,17537904-23109,00.html Latest on torture of the Iraqi population

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,17537904-23109,00.html

]]> By: DML http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2005/12/the_market_like.html/comment-page-1#comment-61545 DML Sun, 11 Dec 2005 21:31:22 +0000 http://www.solove.org/archives/2005/12/the-market-likes-torture-should-uncle-sam.html#comment-61545 truly amazing and unfortunate that goldberg & his ilk are published, read & agreed-with by otherwise well-meaning adults. it seems that this near-nonsensical, vague justification of torture (and corresponding rebuke to hollywood) does, in fact, reveal both goldberg & his readership's touchstone: cultural -- as opposed to neo-con or economic -- conservatism. the thinly-veiled disgust for hollywood is all too apparent. but if it is violence in hollywood productions that needs to be regulated, let's stick to that narrow point. it is a better argument to advocate for preventing gratuitous violence in entertainment, as well as in foreign policy, than to argue that because we accept fictional violence as entertainment, we have no basis for opposing real-life violence. in any event, it does seem that goldberg & his ilk (o'reiley, coulter, etc.) make the same decision to offer reckelss, contrarian, shock-value entertainment rather than intelligent treatment of worthwhile topics. truly amazing and unfortunate that goldberg & his ilk are published, read & agreed-with by otherwise well-meaning adults. it seems that this near-nonsensical, vague justification of torture (and corresponding rebuke to hollywood) does, in fact, reveal both goldberg & his readership’s touchstone: cultural — as opposed to neo-con or economic — conservatism. the thinly-veiled disgust for hollywood is all too apparent. but if it is violence in hollywood productions that needs to be regulated, let’s stick to that narrow point. it is a better argument to advocate for preventing gratuitous violence in entertainment, as well as in foreign policy, than to argue that because we accept fictional violence as entertainment, we have no basis for opposing real-life violence. in any event, it does seem that goldberg & his ilk (o’reiley, coulter, etc.) make the same decision to offer reckelss, contrarian, shock-value entertainment rather than intelligent treatment of worthwhile topics.

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