Need some help for school.

[Cuddlefish]

So, I'm taking a poli-sci class this semester (101-American Constitution), and by next Monday I have to do a "news report" for my classmates on any one current news story. The only real requirement is that I need more than one article from throughout the week from the same source.

Here's where I could use a hand. I would like to report on a story that is so "controversial" (a better word escapes me, ATM. Maybe "polarizing?" IDFK ) that it brings to the surface the hidden biases of my classmates. Basically, I want to start an argument. A big one, hopefully. I just need some ideas to narrow it down, there's a lot of bat-shit crazy stuff going on lately.

[Cain]

Drone strikes in Pakistan.

The BIJ produced a report showing that the US is deliberately targeting rescuers or mourners with drone attacks

http://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/2012/02/04/obama-terror-drones-cia-tactics-in-pakistan-include-targeting-rescuers-and-funerals/

The government has hit back via an anonymous leak, claiming that they are enabling Al-Qaeda

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/06/world/asia/us-drone-strikes-are-said-to-target-rescuers.html

A senior American counterterrorism official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, questioned the report's findings, saying "targeting decisions are the product of intensive intelligence collection and observation." The official added: "One must wonder why an effort that has so carefully gone after terrorists who plot to kill civilians has been subjected to so much misinformation. Let's be under no illusions — there are a number of elements who would like nothing more than to malign these efforts and help Al Qaeda succeed."

[Luna]

There was one linked here not long ago about the female Democrat Rep who tagged a bill requirint ultrasounds for abortions with an amendment requiring prostate exams for Viagra...

[Luna]

Drone strikes in Pakistan.

The BIJ produced a report showing that the US is deliberately targeting rescuers or mourners with drone attacks

http://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/2012/02/04/obama-terror-drones-cia-tactics-in-pakistan-include-targeting-rescuers-and-funerals/

The government has hit back via an anonymous leak, claiming that they are enabling Al-Qaeda

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/06/world/asia/us-drone-strikes-are-said-to-target-rescuers.html

A senior American counterterrorism official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, questioned the report's findings, saying "targeting decisions are the product of intensive intelligence collection and observation." The official added: "One must wonder why an effort that has so carefully gone after terrorists who plot to kill civilians has been subjected to so much misinformation. Let's be under no illusions — there are a number of elements who would like nothing more than to malign these efforts and help Al Qaeda succeed."

Jesus christ.

[Cramulus]

http://www.principiadiscordia.com/forum/index.php/topic,24920.msg1141477.html#msg1141477 maybe?


btw, did you have any luck with AutoRealm?

[LMNO]

Chapter 19
Abandon blind faith and pseudointellectual bullshit,
the people will benefit.
Abandon absolute morality,
the people won't try to kill the Other.
Abandon intellectual copyright,
and there will be nothing to steal.

People will always be distracted by their imagination:
Religion; Territory; Morals; Politics.

_______________________

Anything that touches on one of those four will work.
Religion, Abortion, Politics, etc, etc.

[kingyak]

The Super Bowl anti-abortion ad might be a good one, too.

[LMNO]

There was a proposition to have the Plan B pill available in school vending machines.


And speaking of propositions, Prop 8 (gay marriage).

Ohhh.... You could report on things that Obama is doing that is waaaay not liberal/socialist, and is completely centrist conservative.  That should cause a little cognitive dissonance.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

The Super Bowl anti-abortion ad might be a good one, too.

The WHAT?   

[Cuddlefish]

Drone strikes in Pakistan.

The BIJ produced a report showing that the US is deliberately targeting rescuers or mourners with drone attacks

http://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/2012/02/04/obama-terror-drones-cia-tactics-in-pakistan-include-targeting-rescuers-and-funerals/

The government has hit back via an anonymous leak, claiming that they are enabling Al-Qaeda

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/06/world/asia/us-drone-strikes-are-said-to-target-rescuers.html

A senior American counterterrorism official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, questioned the report's findings, saying "targeting decisions are the product of intensive intelligence collection and observation." The official added: "One must wonder why an effort that has so carefully gone after terrorists who plot to kill civilians has been subjected to so much misinformation. Let's be under no illusions — there are a number of elements who would like nothing more than to malign these efforts and help Al Qaeda succeed."

Wow. I think I can bang that down to a handful of "bullet-points" (so to speak). It's only a 3-5 min report. This may get a heated discussion going, I know there's at least a couple of army guys in my class. Which, in my school, seem to be either red-neck equivalents, or really intelligent and insightful people. So, if the ones in my class are a little from column A and a little from column B, this story may get things fired up fast.

btw, did you have any luck with AutoRealm?

It's cool, but I couldn't really get it to do quite what I wanted, so I may just hand-draw it. (To be fair, though, I didn't really try to hard, and I only got the free version)

[Cuddlefish]

The Super Bowl anti-abortion ad might be a good one, too.

Googling. BRB

[Cuddlefish]

Also, to be clear, my goal is not necessarily to present something for it's intellectual value to serve as a basis for an illuminating discussion. It's more to get a shit-flinging monkey-fest started, so I can take my seat and  for (hopefully) the next two hours.

[Cramulus]

btw, did you have any luck with AutoRealm?

It's cool, but I couldn't really get it to do quite what I wanted, so I may just hand-draw it. (To be fair, though, I didn't really try to hard, and I only got the free version)

dude it took me all of 10 minutes to learn all of Autorealm's features! And it's open source, there is only a free version. If you have questions, let me know. 80% of what you need in Autorealm is just the "fractal polyline" (of various colors and fill patterns), and some stamps.

[Luna]

The Super Bowl anti-abortion ad might be a good one, too.

The WHAT?   

Oh, it gets better.  This is Randall Terry, the jackass from Operation Rescue.  He's decided that he's going to run for President against Obama in the Democratic primaries, and that ENTITLES him to DEMAND that he can run ads, specifically graphic anti-abortion ads featuring aborted fetuses (or what he claims are aborted fetuses) whenever the hell he wants to run them, including during the Super Bowl.

The FCC ruled against him in Illinois:

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2012/0203/FCC-Chicago-station-can-drop-graphic-antiabortion-ad-during-Super-Bowl

Colorado told him to go piss up a rope:

http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_19881005

More nutjobbery found while digging for these links:

http://www.goddiscussion.com/86373/randall-terry-in-graphic-anti-abortion-political-ads-voting-for-obama-is-attacking-jesus-christ/

The ad is here.  It is, as warned, graphic.  I got through about 10 seconds of it.

http://www.mrctv.org/videos/randall-terry-pro-life-super-bowl-ad

[The Good Reverend Roger]

 

Will peruse at home (Goddamn nannywall ruining all my fun, grumble grumble).

We should do something with this.