Propaganda, Patriotism, and the War on Terrorism :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

Propaganda, Patriotism, and the War on Terrorism   On college campuses across the nation, efforts be world made to silence professors who encourage students to probe the history of U.S. foreign insurance policy in the effort to understand the September 11th attacks.   Recent articles in The Chronicle of Higher Education report that students have complained to deans about professors unfavourable of U.S. foreign policy, and boards of trustees, deans, and college presidents have drafted resolutions and issued public statements condemning their views. Professors have been shouted down, get volumes of hate mail and, on some campuses, death threats. In unmatched case, a trustee publicly invited a professor to take a hike.   Historically, such attacks on free speech have risen sapiently in times of national crisis -- precisely when a full head for the hills of views is sorely needed. They atomic number 18 particularly disturbing on campuses of higher direction that s hould be strongholds of people who defend independent thinking.   The nature of the arguments offered against these dissenting voices are very troubling so too their political effects. The arguments fall into twain groups. First, professors are charged with showing no concern for the feeling of others they deficiency taste and judgment they are insensitive, self-indulgent and offend others at a time when emotions are raw. In macrocosm so inattentive to their students turned on(p) sensitivities, dissenting faculty violate the trust students place in them. presently is not the time for critique, but for emotional nurturing, reassurance and national solidarity.   Second, professors are charged with offering excuses for the attacks. Their examination of the role the United States may have vie in creating conditions that make terrorist acts more likely amounts to a justification of the acts themselves.   in that respect is an emotional tyranny at play here, and its ef fect is to obstruct processes of judgment that alone will aid us in our ongoing ponder over how to come to terms with terrorism. What do I mean by tyranny? In the first instance, we are being told that feelings alone are appropriate now. It is too early, indeed, it is tasteless, to begin to sort through our role in the complex factors that brought these people to their heinous acts.   But understanding is crucial to heady action, and action, as we see in each mornings news, is most certainly being undertaken in our name. While we are being asked just to feel, the administration and its congressional allies hurry to pass laws that threaten our civil liberties at home, and ensnarl in a massive war effort likely to bring up greater resentment abroad.