American Methods: Torture and the Logic of Domination
by Kristian Williams
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Description
When the Abu Ghraib prison scandal broke in April 2004, many American commentators expressed shock. But, as The Progressive's Anne-Marie Cusac observed, Abu Ghraib shock s] us because our soldiers abroad seem to have acted out behaviors that we condone, yet don't face up to, at home. On the heels of Our Enemies in Blue, Kristian Williams' controversial chronicle of policing, the writer/activist gives us American Methods, once again upsetting the notion that the use of excessive force by the show more state is aberrant rather than altogether American. American Methods reveals torture not as a recent or rogue phenomenon, but a veteran tool of the American state. As Williams suggests, torture is not, as claimed, a means of interrogation used only by others, elsewhere. Instead, it is a tried-and-true weapon of social control and terror, right here in the US. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
This book is a very interesting expose on torture, and how torture isn't just confined to places such as Abu Ghraib and Gitmo, it is also prevalent in American prisons and in the way activists are treated by police. The author notes how these instances are all related, and how there is no justification for torture but to uphold the power of the state.
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South End Press
35 works; 1 member
Author Information
14 Works 432 Members
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Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 2006-04-12
- First words
- A notorious center of torture during the 40-year reign of the Ba'ath Party in Iraq, the Abu Ghraib prison lies in the desert town of the same name, about 20 miles west of Baghdad.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)And they come back here in the form of shell-shocked vets, diminished rights, budget deficits, militarized police, and hijacked airliners.
- Blurbers
- Churchill, Ward; Herivel, Tara; Parenti, Christian; Abu-Jamal, Mumia; Woodcock, Damon
Classifications
- Genres
- Politics and Government, Nonfiction, History, General Nonfiction, Sexuality and Gender Studies
- DDC/MDS
- 323.4 — Society, Government, and Culture Political science Civil Rights & Liberties/ Human Rights The state and the individual
- LCC
- HV8599 .U6 .W55 — Social sciences Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminal justice administration Penology. Prisons. Corrections
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 36
- Popularity
- 795,398
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.50)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 1
