Chapter 16 Discussion: Debating War and Terrorism
Read_this_tnb.pngThis week’s debate is on War and Terrorism, (Chapter 16.) These are words that can mean so many things, to so many people. Understanding the different terms is important to being able to understand how to approach this topic. See the Weekly Resource Page for resources on the following debate topics.
Your assignment.jpgBe sure to read the instructions for debate.
After reading the materials and watching the videos on the weekly resource page choose one of the following to debate (You can comment on more if you want to).
FIRST,
you will pick a topic and a side. You can reply to someone else who has already posted by adding new ideas about the topic, or your first post can be a completely new post about either topic, or incorporating both topics. If you choose to reply to other’s posts yours should critique the arguments in the original post and add something new not just reiterate what is in that original post. While it is important to be thoughtful and supportive in your posts, we are not working to build someone’s ego by only saying how amazing their post was. We are here to critique and expand our own knowledge.
For each item there are many pro or con arguments that may represent your view on the topic. Your arguments should be based on some academic source such as your text, or a procon.org website. I provide one pro and one con for each debate topic item I provide to get you thinking, but you can choose your own pro or con about any issue within the topic; and believe me there are are many. Such as this debate.org (Links to an external site.) on whether the draft should be reinstated. Remember that this particular debate site is opinion based so only use it to get ideas then find your own evidence.
SECOND,
Remember the most important thing about debate is to PICK A SIDE! Even if you don’t agree with the side you pick, you can provide the research and present compelling arguments. Often that is the best way to really learn about a topic. Remember to think about how the topic manifests locally, and some solutions as well. There are plenty of new ideas for everyone, so remember you only need to present one, not solve the whole thing in one post. This will be a group effort to see if we can come to any resolutions.
THIRD,
Remember you are required to post at minimum two times. Your first post can be an original post with a new debate argument for a topic, OR you can respond to someone else’s post and provide a new argument for or against their specific argument. The second post should be a response to someone else’s post with a discussion of how the issue may manifest locally and how it may be resolved. You may post more than two times, but I will look for at least one post that discusses local aspects and solutions.
DEBATE 1)
Should the use of drones in military conflicts be increased?
Pro: The use of drones reduces the loss of life of American military personnel and is effective.
Con: The chances of collateral damage, specifically the death of innocent civilians in drone warfare is too great.
DEBATE 2)
Are enhanced interrogation techniques an effective means of fighting terrorism.
Pro: Enhanced interrogation deters possible terrorist activity and the information gathered can help save American lives.
Con: Enhanced interrogation is torture and makes our country appear extremist and violent.
DEBATE 3)
Is traditional warfare is outdated, because of improvement in technology, that we need to focus on who controls the information, or cyber warfare which can lead to cyber terrorism and put our citizens at risk.
Pro: Many countries, including the U.S. have “hacker armies” to keep infrastructures safe from cyber terror situations that threaten the safety of citizen’s information.
Con: Cyber terrorism is a myth perpetrated by the media to promote fear when describing Internet activities like hactivism, cracking, cyber-crime, and cyber espionage.
DEBATE 4)
Should the government have the right to surveil and collect international emails and phone calls without a warrant?
Pro: If international communication surveillance will reduce terrorism against Americans the government should gather and use this information to fight terrorism.
Con: The government should not surveil international emails and phone calls since this infringes on the rights of innocent people and discriminates against individuals who have ties to other countries.
due date.jpgSee the course schedule for exact due dates for assignments.
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GRADE500.pngThis assignment will be subjectively graded by how well I think you formulated your arguments and supported them with evidence. Each post is worth up to 10 points, for the second post including how the issue manifest locally is worth 5 points and a discussion of solutions is worth 5 points. There can be more than two posts but I will grade the first one that meets the grading criteria. There is a grading scale in the assignment to give you an idea of what I am looking for. You can post this assignment late up to one week for half credit. Posts that are submitted more than 15 minutes late will be subject to half credit penalty.
Solution Preview
The Use of Drones in Military Operations
The employment of drones in military establishmentprojects has prompted debates among politicians, researchers, and academicians. The proponents of this debate highlight many advantages that are concomitantwith the utilization of drones in multiple operations; the opponents argue that the utilization of drones is linked to collateral damage.
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