Russia’s atrocities in Ukraine bring to mind Boris the Mankiller in Murakami’s “Wind-Up Bird Chronicle.”
Tag Archives: torture
A Murakami Villain Surfaces in Ukraine
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Haruki Murakami, Russian Invasion of Ukraine, war atrocities, Wind-Up Bird Chronicle Comments closed
Even Iago Should Not Be Tortured
Examining an upcoming trial by people who were tortured during the George W. Bush administration, Ariel Dorfman examines the face of Iago and the satisfaction we take at the tortures that await him.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Ariel Dorfman, CIA torture, Iago, Iraq War, Othello, William Shakespeare Comments closed
Trump to Torture’s Opponents: Drop Dead
Donald Trump wants to bring back torture, specifically waterboarding. Like the colonel in Carolyn Forché’s poem by that name, he is a showman who seeks to intimidate.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged "Colonel", Carolyn Forché, Donald Trump, Waterboarding Comments closed
Ring Wraith Trump Wins in New Hampshire
Donald Trump, winner of the New Hampshire primary, has been promoting torture. I’ve been teaching “Lord of the Rings” recently and he reminds me of the temptation of the ring, which hollows one out.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Donald Trump, Fellowship of the Ring, J. R. R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, Waterboarding Comments closed
The CIA’s Heart of Darkness
Published details about the CIA’s torture program reveal that America descended into a Conradian heart of darkness.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged CIA, Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad, Senate Intelligence Committee's torture report Comments closed
George Orwell and Waterboarding
An indication that defenders are not entirely at peace with the practice is their use of a euphemisms. They don’t call waterboarding “torture,” even though the U.S. used to call it torture and it has generally been considered torture since the Spanish Inquisition used it. They instead call it “enhanced interrogation techniques.” Anyone who knows George Orwell’s 1984 recognizes this as classic doublespeak.
