Coatfare in Freezeland

Today is a warm day in Freezland. It's about zero degrees and almost everybody is complaining about the heat because the weather is usually much colder. The temperature is almost always below zero and it's always windy. But the people of Freezland didn't mind the cold. In fact, they liked the weather there. They liked living in igloos and wearing their super-warm coats all the time.

But not today. Almost nobody was wearing his or her coat today. Instead, everybody just decided to complain about the weather. All anybody could say was, "Can you believe this heat?" Everybody was complaining, everybody, except for one person. Tonto wasn't going to complain about anything. He felt a little uncomfortable in the heat, but that wasn't what was on his mind. He was more concerned with what he was going to do when he got home from work.

Tonto had worked in the igloo factory for twenty years and he liked his job. Almost every morning for twenty-six years he woke-up at 6:00 a.m. and came home at 5:00 p.m. But as much as Tonto liked his job, he liked coming home to his family much more. He loved his wife and his son, Junta, very much. They lived in a nice igloo. It had two bedrooms, one bathroom, and a skylight.

After dinner, Tonto was going to tell his son he had a surprise-a new coat. Two years ago, Tonto and his family went to the Igloo Mall. They rarely bought anything in the Igloo Mall because they didn't have very much sand (they used sand for money in Freezland), but they liked looking around at all the cool stuff. While they were walking, Junta spotted a coat and fell in love with it.

"Mom! Dad! Look at that coat! It's soooooooo cool! Isn't it? Isn't it?" Junta said excitedly.

"Yes," Junta's mom replied, "it's a beautiful coat. It would look just wonderful on you."

They went inside the coat shop to try it on, and sure enough, it looked great. It was a beautiful white coat with five roomy pockets; it also had two hidden pockets complete with a compass and a knife. In the hood was a special visor that made it possible to see in the dark. Everybody in the family loved the jacket, but it was too expensive for them to buy. But Tonto promised his son that one day he would buy that jacket.

Now, nearly two years later, Tonto had finally saved enough sand to buy the jacket for his son. After dinner he planned to go to the Igloo Mall with his family and surprise Junta by buying him the jacket he had wanted for so long.

When Tonto came home from a long day of work at the igloo factory, he was surprised to find a guest waiting for him. Tonto did not recognize him. "Hello," said Tonto, "Do I know you?"

"I don't believe you do," the guest replied. "My name is Harold. I work for the government."

"Well, it's nice to meet you Harold," Tonto said, not knowing what to expect. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"As a matter of fact, there is," Harold replied. "The government has just started a new program called Coatfare. You see, there are a lot of people in Freezland who are very cold and unhappy because they do not have the money to buy warm coats. So, the goal of Coatfare is to make sure that everybody in Freezland has a good coat that can keep them warm during the winter."

"Okay," Tonto said. "What does this have to do with me?"

"Good question," Harold replied. "To buy a coat for everybody in Freezland who needs one, the government is forced to take a little bit of money from everybody else. Once the government has enough money, it can buy some coats and give them to people who don't have any. Now to talk about what this has to do with you. Our records show," Harold continued, "that over the past two years you have saved a lot of sand."

"That's right," Tonto said. "I've been trying to save enough money to buy my son the coat I promised him."

"Well," Harold said, "under the new Coatfare program you have to give the government some of your savings so they can buy coats for people who don't have any."

"But I've been saving my money for a reason," Tonto replied. "I've been saving my money because I promised I would buy this coat for my son. I've worked very hard for this money and I should be allowed to spend it however I want."

"Let me tell you a story," Harold said. "I once knew a girl named Samantha. She was born into a poor family. Both of her parents worked many hours at the coat factory and made only enough money to buy food and shelter. Because they had very little money, Samantha's family could not afford a very good coat. Her coat couldn't keep her warm for more than half an hour. Everyday she would come home from school feeling numb and frostbitten. She got very sick because she didn't have a warm coat."

"Now Tonto," Harold continued, "is it fair that Samantha got very sick because her family couldn't afford to get her a warm coat? If you were Samantha, wouldn't you want all of those people who had more money than you to give some of it to the government so you could have a warmer coat?"

"Yes," Tonto said, "but I also don't have that much money. The only money I have is the money I've saved to buy a nice, warm coat for my son."

"But surely you do not want to see people like Samantha freeze because they cannot afford warm coats. All the government is asking from you is just some of the sand that you've been saving for the last two years. You really don't have a choice: the Coatfare Law says that everybody who has saved some sand must give some of it to the government. And besides, you can buy your son a less expensive coat. You don't have to buy him that one."

"Yes, but that's the one he wants." Tonto sat down in his favorite ice-chair and began to think about the new Coatfare program. On one hand, he didn't want to give some of his sand to Coatfare because he wanted to buy the nice coat for his son. After all, that's what he had been saving his money for and he knew that buying that coat would make Junta very happy. But on the other hand, he didn't want other people to freeze because they couldn't afford warm coats. After all, it wasn't Samantha's fault that her family couldn't afford a good coat.

As he gave some of his saved sand to Harold, he thought about whether or not Coatfare was a good idea. He wasn't sure if he liked it, or hated it…

Think About It!
1) What do you think of Coatfare? Do you think it is good because it gives coats to people who can't afford them? Or do you think it is bad because it forces people who have worked hard for their sand to give it away?
2) Do you think Coatfare should be a law in Freezland or should people be able to decide when and how they share what they have with others? If it should be a law, then do people who think that Coatfare is wrong and refuse to give money deserve to be put in jail? If everyone should be able to decide for himself or herself, what would happen if everybody decided not to give any money to Coatfare?

[close story]

"Oh Come On Man!"

"Oh man! This test is going to be so hard!" Jordan said as he began to panic. "I'm going to fail. I just know it!"

"Don't worry about it, you'll be fine," Courtney said. "You say this before every spelling test that we have ever had and each time you do fine. Stop panicking."

Today Courtney and Jordan had a big spelling test in Mr. Frankel's class. Mr. Frankel was known for giving the hardest spelling tests in the entire school. Almost everybody in the school knew that if you didn't study, then you were almost guaranteed an F.

"I'm not going to do fine Courtney," Jordan said. "You know why?"

"Why?" Courtney asked.

"Because I didn't study. That's why," Jordan explained. "But it wasn't my fault. I couldn't study last night because I had to help my sister get ready for her piano recital. I had to help her learn three songs in one night. By the time we were done practicing it was already midnight and I was so tired that I couldn't have opened a book if I tried. Courtney, I have a huge favor to ask you."

"What is it?" Courtney asked.

Courtney and Jordan had been best friends ever since they were little. They spent all of their free time together. Almost every Friday night Jordan slept over Courtney's house, and almost every Saturday night Courtney slept over Jordan's house. Whenever one needed a favor from the other, it was almost a guarantee the other would do it. So when Jordan asked Courtney to do him a favor, Courtney was almost certain that she would do it before she even knew what Jordan would ask. But Courtney was not prepared for what Jordan was about to say to her.

"I need you to help me cheat on this spelling test," Jordan said.

"What?! Are you crazy?! Have you gone mad?! Cheat?" Courtney asked in a very surprised voice. "On one of Mr. Frankel's spelling tests? We could get kicked out of school if we got caught. No way, I'm not going to do it."

"Come on Courtney, we're not going to get caught. We both sit in the back of the room and Mr. Frankel will never think we're cheating," Jordan explained. "Besides, if I fail this test I might not pass this class, and if I don't pass this class I may have to be held back a grade."

"Yeah, but still. . ." Courtney said as she started thinking about what to do. "My parents have told me that cheating is wrong and that I shouldn't cheat for anyone."

"But we're best friends, right?" Jordan asked.

"Yeah," Courtney replied.

"And everybody knows that best friends would do anything to help each other out," Jordan said. "Come on, I need help and you're the only person who can help me. Please…"

"I don't know…" Courtney said, "I have to think about it."

"Think quickly, we have class in five minutes," Jordan replied.

Think about it!
1) If you were Courtney, what would you do? Should you help your best friend cheat, or should you let your best friend fail Mr. Frankel's spelling test? Explain.
2) Do you think there is anything wrong with cheating? If so, what is wrong with cheating? Do you think there are ever any times when cheating can be okay? If yes, when and why is it okay?

While Courtney was trying to think about what to do, Jordan kept bugging her, trying to convince her to cheat. If there was one thing that Courtney knew, it was that she did not want to be a bad friend. So she told Jordan that she would help him cheat on the spelling test.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you. I knew you were my best friend," Jordan said as they walked into Mr. Frankel's class.

Even Courtney was surprised by the number of words Jordan didn't know. The second Courtney finished spelling one word, Jordan asked in a whisper how to spell it. By the time they were done taking the exam, the two tests were exactly the same. Courtney was a little worried about Jordan handing in the same test as she did, but she figured Mr. Frankel wouldn't suspect anything so it would be okay. Even if Mr. Frankel did ask about it, Courtney would just say that the reason the two tests were the same was because they studied together the night before. Courtney figured that they wouldn't get caught cheating.

Well, it turned out that Courtney was right, they didn't get caught. Mr. Frankel didn't even think that anything was strange when they both got the same grade. After Mr. Frankel gave the exams back, Courtney and Jordan figured they were off the hook, and they were, because they never heard about it from anybody else except themselves.

"See, I told you that we wouldn't get caught," Jordan said one day after class.

"Yeah, like you actually knew that," Courtney said jokingly.

"I did, really," Jordan replied.

"Yeah right."

Think about it!
3) Does the fact that they didn't get caught cheating in this case make it okay? Is there anything wrong with cheating if you don't get caught? Why or why not?

Before Courtney and Jordan knew it, it was the end of June. The end of June meant only one thing to them: The beginning of summer. It was the last day of school and they only had one more test to take before summer could officially begin. It was another one of Mr. Frankel's spelling tests, except this was the hardest one of all. It was a test that combined all of the other tests into one huge test. There was no doubt about it, if you didn't study for this test, then you were guaranteed to fail.

This time it was Courtney who was not ready to take the exam. Since her mom wasn't feeling well, she spent all week helping her dad do chores around the house. She decided the only thing she could do besides failing the test was to ask Jordan to help her cheat on the test.

"Jordan, you know how last time when you needed my help on the spelling test, I helped you?" Courtney said.

"Yeah," Jordan replied.

"Well this time I need your help. I haven't had any time to study all week because my mom has been sick and so she needed my dad and me to do all of the chores around the house. We didn't get caught cheating last time, so we probably won't get caught this time. So what do you say? Can you help me?" Courtney asked.

Think about it!
4) What do you think Jordan should do?

"Well, you helped me last time I needed you, so it would only be fair for me to help you when you need my help. So sure, I'll help you," Jordan replied.

"Thanks a lot," Courtney said.

"No problem," Jordan replied. "After all, that's what friends are for."

Although Courtney and Jordan were both very nervous about getting caught, they both managed to get through the test without any problem. They thought they were done with school and that summer had begun. But the next day they both got phone calls from Mr. Frankel, asking them to meet with him later that afternoon.

They were both pretty scared as they walked into Mr. Frankel's office that Wednesday afternoon. They weren't quite sure what to expect, but they were pretty sure they had been caught.

"Hi guys," Mr. Frankel said in a nice voice.

"Hi Mr. Frankel," Courtney and Jordan said at the same time.

"So, how have you guys been doing?" Mr. Frankel said trying to make them less nervous.

"Good," Courtney said.

"Okay," Jordan replied.

"Well guys," Mr. Frankel began, "I've been looking over the spelling tests and I found something that I think is pretty interesting. But before I tell you about that I have some questions to ask you. First, Courtney, how do you spell 'business?'"

"Business?" Courtney replied, "Um. . .B-U-S. . .S-N-E-S-S."

"Jordan, how would you spell 'business?'" Mr. Frankel asked.

"B-U-S-I-N-E-S-S," Jordan replied.

"Interesting. Courtney, how about 'hippopotamus?'" Mr. Frankel asked.

"That's a hard one. . .um. . .H-I-P-P-O. . .T-O-M-O-U-S," Courtney said knowing that her spelling wasn't even close to correct.

"Jordan, how would you spell it?" Mr. Frankel asked.

"I would spell it, H-I-P-P-O-P-O-T-A-M-U-S," Jordan replied.

"What I found interesting, Courtney," Mr. Frankel began to explain, "is that just yesterday you knew how to spell both of those words correctly. Not only did you both receive the same grade, but your tests were exactly the same as well. Is there anything that you would like to tell me?"

"We cheated," they said at the same time.

"Good, I'm glad that you admitted it," Mr. Frankel said. "You do realize that there are serious consequences for cheating on an exam. The first thing is that you both are going to get zeros on the final test. Now, luckily for both of you, your grades were high enough on the rest of the tests so that neither of you will fail. As punishment you only have to do one thing. Write me a hundred-word essay on whether or not you think cheating is wrong. If you think that it is wrong, tell me why. If you think that it isn't wrong, tell me why. That's all that I ask. After you write that, you have a nice summer."

"Okay, Mr. Frankel. Thank you," they both said as they left his office.

"Do you know what you're going to write about?" Courtney asked.

"Yeah, I think so. You?" Jordan replied.

"Yeah, I think I know what to write about," Courtney said.

Think about it!
5) Now that you know that sometimes people get caught cheating and sometimes they don't, what to do you think is the right thing to do?
6) If you knew you would never get caught cheating, would you ever cheat ? Why or why not?

[close story]

A Frustrating Discussion with John the Hologram

School was a pretty cool place to be in the year 3029. All of the students hovered above their C-desks while the teacher led the class from the C-board (the future version of the old-fashioned chalkboard). C-desks were standard desks with built-in computers. Students used them to do everything from handing in homework to taking tests and quizzes. Teachers used the C-board for presentations that included pictures, videos, animations, and sound. As I said, school was a pretty cool place to be in the year 3029.

It was Friday, and that meant history day at Jasset Elementary School. Mrs. Wentworth decided to teach her fifth-grade class something about America in the early 1800s.

"As most of you probably already know, slavery existed in America in the early 1800s. Under this system, thousands of black people were kidnapped from their homes in Africa and shipped to America where they were bought and sold like property by white plantation owners."

"Life on the slave ships was inhuman. The slaves were packed below the ship's deck so close together they hardly had room to breathe. They were chained to the wall and the floor so they couldn't move. These slaves were hardly fed and they had no place to go to the bathroom. There was no ventilation, the smells were overwhelming, and disease spread.

"As you can see, this was an awful time in America," Mrs. Wentworth said. "How many of you agree?"

All the students in the class raised their hands.

"Good," Mrs. Wentworth said, "I'm glad you agree. Now, on your C-desk, write down three things you think are horrible about slavery. If you're having some trouble thinking of something, try to imagine what it would be like if you were a slave. How would you feel?"

Think About It!
1) If you were a student in Mrs. Wentworth's class, what would you write down on your C-desk?

Kevin, or Kev, as his friends called him, loved presentations like this one. He loved all of the pictures and movies and sounds. He felt that he learned a lot better when the material was presented in an interesting way. Kev thought about Mrs. Wentworth's question for a little while and wrote:

Three things I think are awful about slavery:

• never being able to do what you want
• working hard for no pay
• being separated from your friends and family

When everybody was finished writing, Mrs. Wentworth said, "Now that you've all written down three things, I have something incredible to tell you. What's amazing is, in the early 1800s slave owners didn't think that they were doing anything wrong. That's pretty hard to believe, but it's true."

Kev immediately raised his hand and asked, "What? How could they possibly think what they were doing was okay?"

"I'll be right back," Mrs. Wentworth said, as she walked quickly out of the room. Nobody in the class had any idea what she was doing, but they were all very anxious for an answer to Kev's question.

Mrs. Wentworth was back in no time. She walked into the classroom pushing something that looked like a huge circular telephone booth and parked it in front of the students. "This," she said, "will help answer your question."

"What is that thing?" somebody asked.

"This is the Hisimulator" Mrs. Wentworth replied. "It's capable of simulating history. All you have to do is set the dial to any date you want, and it will project a hologram of a type of person from that time period. So in this case, we'll set the dial to the early 1800s and we'll choose to have it project a hologram of a typical slave owner. All you have to do is go into the booth and hit the Go button. A hologram of a person will appear, and you can have a real conversation with him or her. It's really quite amazing. So, who wants to go first?"

Kev's hand was up before Mrs. Wentworth had finished asking the question.

"Kevin, I saw your hand first so you can go," Mrs. Wentworth said.

Kev approached the Hisimulator, slowly walked inside, and hesitantly pressed the Go button. A hologram of a middle-aged white man in overalls and a red shirt immediately appeared. The hologram scared Kev a little bit. It was so close to him and so lifelike. He spent a minute just looking at it and running his hand through it to make sure it wasn't real. He finally found enough courage to talk.

"Hi," Kev said.

"Well, hello there," the hologram replied in a voice that sounded completely real. "My name is John, what's yours?"

"Kevin. So are you really a slave owner?" Kev asked.

"I am," John said.

"What's it like being a slave owner?" Kev asked.

"It's wonderful," John said. "My cotton plantation made me rich. You see, I made so much money because I don't have to pay the slaves anything. I just bought them one day for a small price, and for the rest of their lives they have to work for me for free. They pick the cotton and I sell it. What could be better?"

"How could you do such horrible things to them?" Kev asked.

"What's horrible? I'm not doing anything wrong." John replied.

"You're taking away human beings' freedom. You're talking away their lives. You're separating them from their families. You don't think there's anything wrong with taking away their freedom just because of the color of their skin? Imagine if you were black, then you would be a slave. You can't possibly think that you aren't doing anything wrong by keeping slaves. . .can you?"

"Well, you're right about one thing, I would not like to be black," John replied. "However, according to my society, I'm doing nothing wrong. Everybody thinks as I do. Ever since I was a little boy, I was taught that black people are naturally inferior to white people and that they should be enslaved to work for us. So I'm just doing what I think is the right thing to do. You can't blame me for that."

"Yes, I can," was the only thing Kev could think to reply.

"Listen," John said. "Most or all of the things that you think are the right thing to do are the things your parents believe are right. Your parents probably tell you that cheating, stealing, and lying are wrong. And they also probably say that telling the truth, being nice, and sharing are right. Am I correct so far?"

"Yeah. . ." Kev said, not quite knowing where John was going with his question.

"Well, just the way you got your values-the things you think are right and the things you think are wrong-from your parents, I got my values from my parents. My values are just a little different. And don't you want to do what your parents tell you is the right thing to do?"

"Yeah. . ." Kev said again.

"Well, so do I," John said. "I'm just doing what I think is the right thing to do, just like you. So if I am just doing what I think is right, how could I possibly be doing something wrong?"

Think About It!
2) If you were Kevin and you were in the Hisimulator, what would you say to John to convince him that slavery is wrong? Remember, if you only say that he was doing the wrong thing by enslaving blacks, then he is just going to reply that he is only doing what he thinks is right. What makes you right and him wrong?

"I have to think about that," Kev said to John. "But I still know what you did was wrong."

"Well. . .just because you think that it's wrong, doesn't mean that it is wrong," John replied.

"What do you mean?" Kev asked.

"For example, I might think your haircut is ugly. But does that mean it's actually ugly?" John asked.

"No," Kev replied, "it doesn't."

"So, just because you think slavery is wrong, doesn't mean it actually is wrong," John said.

Kev couldn't take any more of this. He had had just enough of hearing John tell him slavery wasn't wrong. He had to get out of that machine, but he still didn't have a good answer for John. As he walked out of the Hisimulator, he promised himself that he wouldn't go to bed that night until he thought of something that would prove John wrong.

Think About It!
3) Even though John's parents told him that slavery was okay, is there anything that could have made him come to the conclusion that slavery is wrong? Should John have questioned what his parents told him was right and wrong? Should you do the same? Why or why not?
4) If you see somebody doing something you think is wrong (stealing, for example), but for some reason that person thinks it is okay, would you say anything to that person? What would you say? How do you think that person would respond? Would there be any way for you to convince him or her that the action is wrong?
5) Overall, do you think you can judge people whose values (the things they think are right and the things they think are wrong) are different from yours?

[close story]

A Country In Shambles

Sweden was in shambles. It had just suffered its greatest economic collapse in its history. People were poor, out of work, and depressed. The government had also collapsed. There were no laws and there were no government services like police departments or hospitals. Nobody quite knew what to do, and the future looked bleak.

A local by the name of Sven loved his country and hated to see it in the poor state it was in. After a lot of thought and a long walk through what was once a beautiful state capital, he decided to help get Sweden back on its feet. He decided to get the twenty smartest people in Sweden together in one room to set some goals for Sweden's future and then discuss how to get there.

After months of hard work, Sven finally had everything arranged. He and the twenty smartest people in the country would meet in his house and decide the future of their beloved nation. Before he knew it, people were arriving at his house and it was time for the meeting to begin.

"Hello, everybody," Sven said as he stood up in front of the crowd. "I cannot thank you enough for coming here tonight.

"As you know," Sven continued, "our country is worse off now than it has ever been. The economy has completely failed and, along with it, the government. Without a functioning economy the people of Sweden do not have jobs, money, enough food, or proper shelter. Without a functioning government, the people of Sweden are not protected by laws and are not cared for in hospitals.

"Ladies and gentleman," Sven said in closing, "it does not take a genius to realize that something must be done so the future of Sweden is not as dark as its present. We have to start sometime, and that time is tonight. Now I ask you: does anyone have any ideas about what we should do for our country?"

One particularly bright man in the crowd stood up and said, "I have an idea." The man's name was Gordon. He had been born in Sweden just like everybody else at the meeting. Gordon had always done well in school, and he had decided to become a politician. "I think the first thing we need to do is establish a system of government. We cannot do anything until we do that. Now the only question is, what kind of government should we establish? I think I have the answer to that very important question.

"I think," Gordon continued, "that we should establish a socialist government because it's the best type of government for its citizens. For those of you who aren't exactly sure what a socialist government is, allow me to explain. It's a form of government that owns most of the major industries. For example, in our case, the government of Sweden would own hospitals, roads, coal mines, steel mills, trains, and factories. Since the government doesn't operate to make money, it can provide goods and services to citizens at a cheaper rate than a business that operates to make a profit."

Then a woman in the crowd stood up and said, "Well, that sounds great and all, but how is the government going to pay for everything?"

"Good question," Gordon replied. "The government is able to pay because of the high taxes it charges citizens. I know most of you don't like the sound of 'high taxes,' but look at all the things that you get when you pay them. You get doctors, transportation, food, and other essential things at low rates. Doesn't all of that sound good?"

Another woman, named Smitha, stood up. "That might sound good for citizens, but it doesn't sound very good for the economy."

"And why not?" Gordon asked.

"Well, because we all know how slow the government is and how bad it is at running things. Everywhere the government goes it leaves a trail of paperwork a mile long. If the government owns these industries, then it will slow down their growth," Smitha explained.

"I don't see why that should happen. Can you explain it to me?" Gordon asked.

"Well, for example, if the government owns the computer industry-meaning that it owns everything in it, including the production and sale of computers-then nobody else can compete in that industry. Nobody else will be able to make or sell computers because the government owns the industry. If nobody else is allowed into the market, then the government has no competition. If there is no competition, then there are fewer new products and less motivation for the government to make existing products better. It would be best for the consumer if the government didn't own the industry. That way there would be competition, and where there is competition, there is a need for better and cheaper products. And where there is a need for better and cheaper products, everybody benefits."

"Well, that may be so," Gordon replied, "but if the government owns the computer industry, then citizens will be able to buy computers for a very low price. Just about everybody will be able to afford one. But if the government doesn't own the computer industry, then computers will be much more expensive and not everybody will be able to afford one."

Think About It!

1) What do you think? Should the government be allowed to own the computer industry or not?
2) What if they were arguing about whether the government should own all the hospitals? If the government owned the hospitals, then citizens would be able to get any operation they needed. If the government didn't own the hospitals, then only those who could afford the surgery would get it. Is there a difference between owning the computer industry and owning hospitals? Are there some industries the government should own and some it shouldn't? Explain your answers.
3) Can you see any problems with the type of government Gordon is proposing? Can you see any problems with the type of economy Smitha is proposing? Explain.

"I'll tell you what we need," a man named Castler said, as he stood up. "We need a strong government, a very strong government. In these times of trouble, we need a government that will move quickly. In order to get this country back on its feet, we need a government that can make decisions at the drop of a hat. We need laws to go into effect, but we can't wait months for politicians to pass them. We need a good economy, but we can't wait years for economists to plan one. Does everybody agree with me when I say that we need a government that can get things done and get them done quickly?"

"Of course," one person said.

"Absolutely," agreed another.

"Well then, what we need is a government with as few members as possible. The fewer the members, the quicker the decisions. This is why I propose a government with just one person who can pass laws. If there is only one person, then laws will be passed much more quickly than they are now," Castler said.

Think About It!
4) What do you think of Castler's idea? Given the facts that something needs to be done quickly, and the type of government he wants can be set up quickly, is his idea a good one? What could be good about the type of government he is suggesting? What could be bad about it?
5) If you had to propose your own system of government at this meeting, what would you propose? Explain your answer to Sven

[close story]

A Discussion on Drugs

Two high school students, Matt and Lisa, are having a conversation with each other. A teacher of theirs told them to talk about an important issue facing students their age and then to write down their opinions. Matt and Lisa decided they would discuss the issue of drugs and alcohol. This is their conversation.

LISA: You suggested we talk about drugs and alcohol, but they are really the same thing.
MATT: What do you mean?
LISA: A drug is a chemical that changes you in a lot of ways. For instance, some drugs make you think everything is funny, and others just make you feel good. And alcohol is a chemical that also changes the way you think and feel. Drunken people can't talk, walk, or think easily. That's because alcohol is a drug.
MATT: Hmm. Yeah, I guess you're right. Alcohol is a drug. So from now on, whenever we say 'drugs,' that includes alcohol. We'll have to remember to put that in our report.
LISA: Agreed.
MATT: Now what?
LISA: Well, what do you think about drugs? Do you think it's okay to do drugs?
MATT: I don't see any problem with it. I mean, people do drugs because it's fun or because it feels good. I like to have fun and feel good. For instance, if I play a game, I have fun. Or if I eat ice cream, I feel good. This is the same thing-it's just something people do to have fun.
LISA: I'm going to have to disagree with you. Drugs may be fun for some people, but they shouldn't do it. It is bad to do drugs.
MATT: Why?
LISA: Well, for one, my mom said so. But we can't write that in the report. I guess another reason not to do drugs is that they can really hurt you. For instance, I was watching the news the other night, and some movie star died because he had overdosed on drugs. He thought he would be fine, but apparently he wasn't.
MATT: That's true. I certainly don't want to die. I guess he had too much of a good thing. So, the solution is to make sure you don't overdo it, because too much will hurt you. But having a good thing in moderation is okay.
LISA: I disagree with you again. The movie star didn't have too much of a good thing; he had too much of a bad thing. Even if you knew exactly how much you could take without getting hurt, you still shouldn't do it. Doing drugs is bad, morally bad.
MATT: Doing drugs is immoral? No way. Like I said before, it's just another way to have fun. As long as you don't hurt yourself having fun, it's okay. What makes you think it's immoral?
LISA: Well, I guess because it changes who you are. You see, I think that if you act morally, then you respect yourself, you know, have self-respect. When you do drugs you temporarily change the way you think and act-you're not really yourself. Only people who don't respect themselves would not want to be themselves. And, like I said, people like that are people who act immorally.
MATT: So, you're saying that when you do drugs, you aren't being yourself?
LISA: Right.
MATT: But that doesn't really make sense. After all, it is you who is acting. When you do drugs, you might do things that you would normally be too embarrassed to do. So actually, drugs may make you act how you really want to act. They let you be more of who you are. When you don't do drugs, you are too shy to really act how you want.
LISA: But being shy is part of who you are. If you are too shy to do something you want to do and don't do it, that's part of your character, part of who you are. So, once again, doing drugs changes who you are.
MATT: Well, I'm not sure that I agree, but it doesn't really matter.
LISA: But it does matter. After all, when you have self-respect you like yourself. If you do drugs, you are trying to be someone else-you don't like who you are.
MATT: So if I do drugs then I don't like myself? That's ridiculous.
LISA: No it isn't. I like myself, and I respect myself. I don't want to change temporarily by doing drugs. I don't want to be someone else. I only want to be me, and so that's why I don't do drugs.

Think About It!
1) Lisa started the conversation by asserting that alcohol is a drug just like any other drug, such as marijuana or crack. Do you agree? Why or why not?
2) Matt says some people feel that doing drugs is fun and makes you feel good. Do you think that is a good reason to do drugs? Why or why not?
3) Lisa says that if a person has self-respect then he wouldn't want to do drugs because he wouldn't want to change himself, even temporarily. Do you agree with her? Why or why not?
4) Matt and Lisa talk briefly about what it is to "be yourself." Lisa insists that drugs change who you are. Matt says that drugs help you to be more like yourself, to do things you may want to do but ordinarily would be too embarrassed to do. Who do you agree? Why?

MATT: So you wouldn't want to temporarily change who you are? After all, it can be fun to change who you are for a little bit so you can do and feel things that you usually wouldn't. And besides, I'm sure you still want to have a good time, and this is fun.
LISA: I don't doubt that it may be fun to change temporarily. Everyone has a desire to have fun. But I don't think all desires should be satisfied. I mean, not all desires are good. Some are good, and some are bad.
MATT: Why do you say that? A desire is just a desire, and when you satisfy a desire it feels good.
LISA: I disagree. You have to decide if a desire is good or bad. For instance, the desire to lie to a friend or the desire to tell someone a secret you promised not to tell someone else is a bad desire. But the desire to help set the table for dinner is a good desire. My point is that some desires are good while others are bad.
MATT: I see what you're saying. And I think that the desire to have fun is a good desire. As such, there is nothing wrong with doing drugs, because it just satisfies that desire.
LISA: No. You're twisting things around. A desire to have fun is good, but then there is a different desire on how to have fun. You really desire drugs, not just fun, and the desire for drugs is bad.
MATT: And why is that?
LISA: Well, for instance, what I said before about self-respect. You shouldn't desire to change who you are, because you should like yourself. If you desire to change yourself temporarily with drugs, then that means something is wrong, like you don't really like or respect yourself.
MATT: No way. Doing drugs definitely satisfies a desire for fun, and so I still think it's okay. I would like to continue the conversation, but I have to go home now. I'm hungry. I'm pretty sure the desire to eat is a good desire.
LISA: Ha ha, very funny.
MATT: I thought so. Talk to you tomorrow. We'll write up the report.
LISA: Okay. See ya.

Think About It!
5) Lisa says that some desires are good, while others are bad. Do you agree? Why or why not?
6) Matt says the desire to have fun is a good desire, and so there is nothing wrong with doing drugs. Lisa responds by saying that he actually has a desire to do drugs, which is a bad desire. Do you think Lisa's response makes sense? In other words, is Lisa right about the desire being for drugs and not just for fun?

[close story]

Terrorism in the U.S.

New York City is in trouble. The problem is terrorism, rampant terrorism. Over the past twenty years the United States has grown to be twice as strong as any other country in the world. Generally speaking, the international community thinks the United States is too powerful. This has resulted in strong anti-United States sentiments. Although no country officially endorses terrorism, there has been a dramatic rise in the number of international terrorist groups and the activity of those groups in the U.S. And because New York City is generally thought of as the center of money and power in the U.S., it has become the prime target.

In the past six months terrorist activity in New York City has risen dramatically. Four buildings exploded without warning, bombs in two tunnels were remotely detonated, and the cables of the Brooklyn Bridge were severed. In each case hundreds of innocent people were killed. The FBI knows that a small Arab terrorist group is responsible for these latest attacks.

The people of New York are in a constant state of panic and fear. Ari Talib is one of those people. He is also Arab.

He is thirty-eight years old, has a wife and two kids, and works for a law firm in downtown Manhattan. He would love to get out of New York, but he can't because his job and his wife's job are in the city. Every time he rides the subway he fears there might be a bomb onboard, and every time he steps inside a building he worries about it suddenly exploding. Anywhere he goes he has to face the reality that he just might not come back alive. When he isn't worrying about his own life, he is worrying about his wife's and his kids' lives.

Just yesterday the Twin Towers were two of the most beautiful and renowned skyscrapers in the world-a monument to human achievement. Today they are a pile of rock and rubble. Thousands of innocent people were killed; people with husbands and wives, sons and daughters. It was the most destructive act of terrorism the world has ever seen. U.S. citizens are tremendously saddened and outraged at the same time; the collective voice of the country screams for justice.

Some people suggest that the U.S. start terrorist activities in other countries, "An eye for an eye . . . we should make them take their own medicine."

Others point out, "Two wrongs do not make a right . . . and besides, it's not the whole international community that is hurting us; it's only terrorist groups. We should devote all our efforts to catching terrorists before they have the chance to do anything."

Think About It!
1) Which of the two ideas presented above do you think would be the most effective way of putting an end to terrorist activity? Which course of action is the right one to choose? Explain your answer.

"They did what!" the President of the United States screamed at his top advisor.
"The Twin Towers are gone," his advisor said for the third time.
"You mean the Twin Towers?" President Rox asked again.
"Yes sir. The Twin Towers," the advisor repeated.
"Well, who did it?" the enraged President asked.
"We don't know for certain, sir, but we suspect that it is an Arab terrorist group."
"That's it. I'm going to put an end to this madness. Get me General McArthur on the phone." Within ten seconds the advisor had General McArthur on the phone.
"General McArthur," the President said in a commanding tone. "I want you to go to New York City and put an end to this."
"What should I do?" General McArthur asked.
"Whatever it takes. You have permission to do whatever is needed to stop the terrorists," the President said.
"Understood sir. I'm on my way," the General responded promptly.
And with that brief conversation, the war against terrorism officially began.

General McArthur understood what the President meant when he said, "You have permission to do whatever is needed to stop the terrorists." The President gave General McArthur permission to establish martial law in New York City. This essentially meant that the law was in the military's hands. The military could decide what was legal and illegal. General McArthur and his army had the power to do anything they deemed necessary, and nobody except the President could stop them.

General McArthur's first order of business was to meet with all of his top advisors to decide upon a course of action.

"Good evening, gentlemen," the General said. "I am sure you've all been told why you are here, so I won't waste any time with that. What I want to discuss is what we should do. Any ideas?"

Dalton, an advisor, said, "I think that our first action should be to round up all of the Arabs in the city for detainment and questioning. We just might end up getting the terrorists."

"You want to detain all of the Arabs in the city just because they happen to be Arab?" advisor Smity asked in response. "That's crazy! You want to put thousands of innocent people behind a twelve-foot-high fence for days on end just because of their ethnicity? Do you have any idea how many innocent people you'll be detaining?"

"Well," Dalton answered, "I would imagine that 99.9% of the Arabs we detain will be completely innocent."

"And you still want to do this? You'd be locking them up as if they were criminals. That's against their rights," Smity pointed out.

"Aren't you people aware of the fact that the President has declared a state of martial law in New York City?" Dalton asked, beginning to get frustrated. "That means we make the rules. As of now, nobody in this city has any rights unless we say so. We have one job, and that is to eliminate terrorism. And we are to achieve this goal no matter what. If we have to lock up thirty thousand Arabs to achieve this goal, we'll do it. If we have to torture five hundred people to achieve this goal, we'll do it. If we have to kill one hundred people to achieve this goal, we will do it. We will do whatever it takes to ensure that buildings won't blow up without warning and tunnels won't collapse suddenly. If we do not eliminate terrorism now, it is only going to get worse. Nobody wants to see that happen."

Think About It!
2) What do you think of what Dalton said? Do you think he is right? Is his idea of locking up all the Arabs a good idea? Why or why not?

"Dalton is right," General McArthur said. "We must eliminate terrorism no matter what the cost. I want all of you to get out there and bring back every single Arab that you see. Get a list of addresses and start bringing them in. Also, if you see anybody who looks suspicious, who looks like they may be up to no good, bring them in for questioning too."

Ari is heading home from a tough day at work when he is confronted by an armed soldier. "I'm sorry, sir, but you are going to have to come with me for questioning."
"Huh?" Ari says, completely confused. "I'm not going anywhere. What are you talking about?"
"You're Arab, right?" the soldier said to make sure.
"Yeah, so?"
"All soldiers have been ordered to take Arabs to a camp for detainment and questioning. It's part of a massive effort to put an end to terrorism."
"But I'm completely innocent. I wouldn't know how to build a bomb if somebody gave me a two-hundred-page instruction book," Ari says.
"That may be sir," the soldier responded, "but I still have to detain you."
"You can't detain me. I have a family to get home to. I have work tomorrow. I have a life! You can't just waltz in and stop my life just because a small group of terrorists, who happen to be Arabs, are terrorizing the city! It's not my fault. I didn't do anything wrong! Why are you punishing me for being Arab? This is not fair. It's discrimination, and it isn't legal."
"It usually isn't legal," the soldier replied. "However, the President has declared martial law. These are my orders. You can either go peacefully, or you can resist. I can assure you that resisting will be much more painful."
"If those are my choices, then I'll go with you," Ari says in disgust, "but I must see my family first."
"I'm afraid that won't be possible," the soldier says. "My orders are to take you in as soon as possible, and that means now. So let's go." With that the soldier takes Ari by the arm into a military jeep.

Ari is furious. He was being discriminated against just because he was Arab. He doesn't think this is fair. The worst part is that he won't be able to press charges when all this is over because the military is not breaking any laws.

He can't believe his eyes when he gets to the detainment camp. What looks to be thousands of Arabs are locked behind a huge twelve-foot-high barbwire fence. They are all standing there in a state of silent rage. They have to wait days, maybe even weeks, to be questioned. Ari is told he won't be questioned for at least a week. That news didn't make him any happier. Knowing that he would have to waste at least a week of his life without his family, locked up behind a fence and made to feel like a criminal only makes him more enraged. How could they do this? It's inhumane!

Before Ari is questioned he is told that his apartment will be searched thoroughly. This way the military would be able to find out more about who they were talking to. They might even find the terrorists or a link to the terrorists in the process.

Ari loses control when he hears this. "They can't search my apartment. That's where I live. It's my home! They don't have the right! Who do they think they are? I can't believe this is legal!" Soon after he hears that military officers have been torturing people who won't cooperate. "Torture! Are they absolutely crazy? Since when can anybody torture anybody else in this day and age? Isn't that cruel and unusual punishment!"

Ari spends a week in the detainment camp. He is told that his questioning will be delayed another week. He still hasn't seen his family, eaten a good meal, or gotten a decent nights' sleep since he arrived.

Ari and most of the other Arabs stayed in the camp for about fifteen days. It was on the fifteenth day that the military announced that they had caught the terrorists and that things would return to normal. Finally it was all over. Everybody was ecstatic.

Shortly after, everybody in the camp was set free. General McArthur extended his apologies but added that there was no other way the terrorist group could have been caught. He said that the measures that were taken were absolutely necessary to rid the city of terrorism.

After the terrorist group is caught, terrorism in New York City decreases dramatically. Apparently it was this small group of Arabs who had committed most of the terrorist crimes in the city. Ari is just glad that everything was over. He and everybody else in the city now feel safe riding the subways and walking into buildings-it was a feeling they hadn't felt for years.

Think About It!
3) What do you think of martial law as the general used it? Taking all of the discrimination, imprisonment, raids on personal property, and the torturing into account, was the President right in declaring martial law? If he was, explain what makes abusing the Arabs' human rights the right thing to have done. If he was wrong, explain why.
4) Imagine that the terrorists had not been caught. Would the President have been right in declaring martial law? In general, do you think that the consequences of an action make an action right or wrong? In other words, do you think that whether or not the terrorists had been caught determines the rightness or wrongness of the President's declaration of martial law? Explain your answer.

[close story]

Teacher's Guide: A Country In Shambles

1. Students should be able to explain why Gordon thinks a socialist form of government is the best form of government.
2. Students should be able to explain why one might not want to institute a socialist form of government.
3. Students should be able to explain the main idea behind a socialist government.
4. Students should be able to explain why Castler thinks a dictatorship should be instituted.
5. Students should be able to answer the questions in the Think About It! sections.

Breakdown:

Gordon's argument for a socialist form of government

1. Under a socialist government, important services, like medical services, are relatively cheap. "You get doctors, transportation, food, and other essential things at low rates." [page 22, bottom]
2. Without a socialist government products will be much more expensive and not everybody will be able to afford computers, for example. "If the government doesn't own the computer industry, then computers will be much more expensive and not everybody will be able to afford one." [page 23, bottom]
3. Therefore, since a socialist government provides its citizens with important services at low rates, it is the best type of government.

Smitha's argument against a socialist government

1. She thinks a socialist government would be slow and ineffective. "We all know how slow the government is and how bad it is at running things. Everywhere the government goes it leaves a trail of paperwork a mile long." [page 23, top]
2. It will also slow down growth in industries it owns because "nobody else can compete in that industry." [page 23, top/middle]
3. "If there is no competition, then there are fewer new products and less reason for the government to make existing products better." [page 23, middle]
4. Instead, there should be competition because that sparks a need for "better and cheaper products," and as a result "everybody benefits. [page 23, middle]
5. Therefore a socialist government, because it prohibits competition in the industries it owns, is not a good form of government

Castler's argument for a dictatorship

1. Castler thinks that in times of chaos, one of the most important features of a government is its ability to pass laws quickly and jump start the economy. "In these times of trouble we need a government that will move quickly." [page 24, middle]
2. Castler thinks that the quickest form of government is the one with the fewest members. "What we need is a government with as few members as possible. The fewer the members, the quicker the decisions." [page 24, bottom]
3. Therefore, in this situation, a dictatorship is the best form of government.

Notes:

Smitha's character is loosely based on the economist Adam Smith who advocated capitalism as the best economic environment.