Post 1 -1Taylor

Post

May 9, 2010 English 101 Dickinson Essay 4 As the United States wages its War on Terror, there have been many parallels made that reflect past dictatorships. The End of America by Naomi Wolf shows how the United States can be compared to Nazi Germany. These comparisons made by Wolf are very effective in showing the changes that America is currently undergoing. The use of secret prisons have been used in many different countries. During the times of Nazi Germany, secret prisons were used to silence opposition. The use of these prisons started out as smaller underground prisons that were guarded by SS officers (Wolf 49). Later on, these became public concentration camps that were used to create fear. Guantanamo Bay is a prison that is used to hold potential terrorists by the United States. These prisoners are being held because they are seen as a threat to America. While being held, many of these prisoners have had Constitutional rights taken away from them. The prisoners also are subjected to many acts that are seen by many as torture. All of these things also happened in the concentration camps of Nazi Germany. While the concentration camps that were found in Nazi Germany used extreme torture and execution that have not taken place in Guantanamo Bay, both prisons started out in similar ways and practices. This example is effective because it

Post 2

makes a comparison to something that is seen as so tragic and awful that it brought about the creation of the Geneva Convention. By comparing an American prison to this it really makes a reader realize how bad the currant situation is. The practices used on the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay are similar to those used in the concentration camps found in Germany. Many of the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay have sited the use of torture in interrogation methods. Many of these interrogation methods mirror the methods of those used by the Nazis (Wolf 60). In Guantanamo Bay, Muslim prisoners have had their beards forcibly shaved which mirrors the Germans forced shavings of the Jews beards and peyos (Wolf 61). Along with this the United States has used waterboarding, sleep deprivation, and stress positions (Wolf 62). By using torture the United States is breaking the Geneva Convention and is demonstrating many acts that go against what Americans have believed for years. Many Americans wouldnt begin to compare the interrogation tactics used by the United States to those used by the Nazis in the 1930s which is what makes this such an effective comparison to use. Another parallel that can be made between the United States and Nazi Germany is the arbitrary detaining and releasing of citizens. Arbitrarily detaining and releasing citizens is when people are held for no reason other than for comments made about their government and are released later after no charges were filed. This has been used widely in America since the events of 9/11. In some cases, innocent people have been detained for over a year and subjected to torture (Wolf 97). In Germany during 1933, it was quite

Post 3

common for people to be detained for no reason (Wolf 100). By showing how America is similar to 1933 Germany, Wolf shows how a government that is known for being fair and free can easily take people into custody for no reason and even have them tortured without showing proof of their guilt. Another similarity between the United States and Germany during the 1930s is how the press has been restricted. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press (Wolf qtd. Bill of Rights 114). This statement is one of the ideas that the United States was founded on. Because of this it is shocking to see that since 9/11, the press has been restricted and has had some receive harsh penalties for going against it. Dan Rather lost his job at CBS after a show that was critical of President George Bushs service in Vietnam (Wolf 115). Also the government has labeled the media as a threat to the nations security which is making it harder for the media to gather and report the news. Also, some reporters have faced jail time for the material that they recorded or the sources that they keep private (Wolf 121). When the Nazis came to power they too controlled the media in order to benefit themselves. They replace around 13% of the radio employees within months of being in power (Wolf 123). By restricting the press, a government can control the information that is received by the public and be used to control what people think about their government. Because of the fact that the First Amendment is such a cornerstone of our society, it makes this parallel very effective to readers.

Post 4

The use of secret prisons, torture, arbitrarily detaining and releasing citizens and restricting the press are all things that are currently taking place in the United States and were used in Nazi Germany. The use of these parallels in The End of America by Naomi Wolf, is very effective in the way that it gets a reader to believe the information being presented in the book because of how shocking and surprising they are.

Post 5

Work Cited Wolf, Naomi. The End of America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot. Vermont: Chelsea Green, 2007. Print.