Star Wars: a hypothetical universe in which the legislative branch gradually yields more and more power to the executive branch during war time, after which the balance of power is not restored because the executive branch had a hidden agenda to rule without checks and balances
That single aspect of the story merits more than a one day class.
Sci-fi movies tend to focus on special effects more than plot, but many of the books are steeped in political philosophy (I recommend Orson Scott Card)
a definition of terrorism:
the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, esp. for political purposes.
fear is one of many areas of psychological warfare (but not all warfare is political aka not all use of fear = terrorism)
a prison inmate who on his first day beats another inmate half to death will not be perceived as weak and may not be targeted for abuse
a drill sergeant who demands push-ups for anything less than perfection won't be popular but will produce well trained, disciplined troops
dropping atomic bombs (displayed unrivaled power/destruction) can cause the most determined enemy to lose the will to fight (if both sides have atomic weapons, it incites retaliation)
How do you judge a person--by the ends or by the means?
How many acts of terrorism are enough to define a person as a terrorist?
(lies - liar / comments - racist / gifts - philanthropist /...)
There is a tendency to perceive a person as the embodiment of a quality
-- Abraham Lincoln, Adolf Hitler, Martin Luther King, etc
People can have dominant qualities, but perceiving figures as entirely good or entirely evil is failing to understand that person and how we can become (intentionally or unintentionally) like them
Plasticity of identity doesn't come from the internet, it comes from middle school. Kids will act one way with their family, another way with their close friends, and another way in public to establish their role in the social order.
Slashdot Mirror
Star Wars: a hypothetical universe in which the legislative branch gradually yields more and more power to the executive branch during war time, after which the balance of power is not restored because the executive branch had a hidden agenda to rule without checks and balances
That single aspect of the story merits more than a one day class.
Sci-fi movies tend to focus on special effects more than plot, but many of the books are steeped in political philosophy (I recommend Orson Scott Card)
a definition of terrorism: the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, esp. for political purposes. fear is one of many areas of psychological warfare (but not all warfare is political aka not all use of fear = terrorism) a prison inmate who on his first day beats another inmate half to death will not be perceived as weak and may not be targeted for abuse a drill sergeant who demands push-ups for anything less than perfection won't be popular but will produce well trained, disciplined troops dropping atomic bombs (displayed unrivaled power/destruction) can cause the most determined enemy to lose the will to fight (if both sides have atomic weapons, it incites retaliation) How do you judge a person--by the ends or by the means? How many acts of terrorism are enough to define a person as a terrorist? (lies - liar / comments - racist / gifts - philanthropist / ...)
There is a tendency to perceive a person as the embodiment of a quality
-- Abraham Lincoln, Adolf Hitler, Martin Luther King, etc
People can have dominant qualities, but perceiving figures as entirely good or entirely evil is failing to understand that person and how we can become (intentionally or unintentionally) like them
Plasticity of identity doesn't come from the internet, it comes from middle school. Kids will act one way with their family, another way with their close friends, and another way in public to establish their role in the social order.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2964751562 925463883&q=wii+ps3&hl=en/