Wednesday, July 02, 2008

A new name for waterboarding: framing the torture debate

I've heard a number of people comment that the public might be more upset about waterboarding if it didn't have a name that made it sound like an X-Games event combining the skills of snowboarding and tubing. Christopher Hitchens's unequivocal declaration that his waterbording experience was one of torture called this issue to mind again.

I propose that we call the practice partial drowning. This name has the advantages of vividness and, even better, accuracy. Who's with me?

No comments: