Provocative Questions for Lively Classroom Rap Sessions
Who are
the "barbarians" referred to in the book’s title?
Who is responsible for the terror referred to in the subtitle?
How might Tulsi’s tragedy have been prevented?
What factors made Jason vulnerable to Vicky’s scam?
Can a woman rape a man?
Was Vicky’s scam just a sweetheart swindle or would you say that she raped Jason with the help of drugs?
What is due process?
Who is responsible for the terror referred to in the subtitle?
How might Tulsi’s tragedy have been prevented?
What factors made Jason vulnerable to Vicky’s scam?
Can a woman rape a man?
Was Vicky’s scam just a sweetheart swindle or would you say that she raped Jason with the help of drugs?
What is due process?
Was Jason denied due
process by the Maui justice system?
What do we
call the part of the Constitution that guarantees due process, freedom of
speech and religion, and other fundamental rights?
Do you think the police and prosecutors on Maui are as brutal, corrupt and contemptuous of constitutional rights as they are portrayed in the book? If not, do you think they could become that bad by the 2020s in which the story is set?
One clear message of Barbarians in Paradise is that tyranny and brutality create a powerful need for vengeance. This need apparently has its origins in the brains of humanoids that are ancestors of Homo sapiens (humans). And this need for vengeance is said to be the biological basis of near-universal concepts of morality, justice and ethics. Does this seem plausible?
What is the definition of a psychopath? What traits and behaviors are typical of psychopathic persons?
Do you think the police and prosecutors on Maui are as brutal, corrupt and contemptuous of constitutional rights as they are portrayed in the book? If not, do you think they could become that bad by the 2020s in which the story is set?
One clear message of Barbarians in Paradise is that tyranny and brutality create a powerful need for vengeance. This need apparently has its origins in the brains of humanoids that are ancestors of Homo sapiens (humans). And this need for vengeance is said to be the biological basis of near-universal concepts of morality, justice and ethics. Does this seem plausible?
What is the definition of a psychopath? What traits and behaviors are typical of psychopathic persons?
Do you think a simple,
surreptitious test like the one Ryan used on Jason in Chapter 4 could be a
reliable test for psychopathy?
In Barbarians in
Paradise the dissidents are convinced that the "prison industrial
complex," including the various Hawaii county governments, police
departments, prosecutors and state law enforcement officials, engage in
behavior that is psychopathic by definition, and that the institutions
themselves are therefore psychopathic. But is it reasonable to impute
psychological characteristics to institutions or to societies?
Can you think of examples from history or
from recent times when it might be reasonable to conclude that a government or
agency is psychopathic?
If your most basic rights
and liberties were violated, infringed and stolen by police, prosecutors,
judges and lawyers, would you consider resorting to violence to restore and
keep your rights?
In its Liberty Lovers’ Manifesto the
rebel group Aka makes certain demands and threatens “continuous lethal
reprisals” until they are fully met. Which of Aka’s demands seem reasonable? Do
their threatened consequences seem justified?
Though they have similar grievances, the Video Vandals’ prefer methods of protest quite different from those of Aka. Do you think the Vandals’ methods could be justified in some situations?
Should lawyers be compelled to represent victims of government brutality and other abuses in civil lawsuits?
The Preamble to Aka’s manifesto, The Law is For All, refers to “revolution without overthrow.” What does this mean? Is it possible?
Which dissident tactics were more effective, those of the Video Vandals or those of Aka?
In the end did either Aka or the Video Vandals achieve their goals?
Which of the following statements about Barbarians in Paradise/Terror Comes to Maui are true? (Any, all or none.)
a. It’s just entertainment, a sci-fi political thriller with no political or social message.
b. It’s a revenge fantasy for people who’ve been abused by the government.
c. It’s a prophecy, a look into the future of Maui and possibly America.
d. It’s a cautionary tale, like Orwell’s 1984, a warning of what will likely happen, what Maui will become if the justice system is not radically reformed.
e. It’s a seditious, dangerous revolutionary manual disguised as a novel.
When the book was published almost 30 years ago it was strongly praised by responsible health experts and the rare responsible media, but trashed by new-age critics and even vandalized in bookstores by new-age fanatics. It is as true and relevant as ever, and has been mostly vindicated by time. Yet my courageous and far-sighted publisher, the venerable Prometheus Books, is still sitting on lots of copies. Please help validate their integrity by buying a copy. Or two or more as gifts. Perhaps 10 for your local school library and health classes. See their website for assorted discounts. Make them an offer. (My royalties are insignificant; this little promo is for the benefit of one of the world's great publishers, Prometheus Books.)
Maui's future foretold: Barbarians In Paradise -- Terror Comes to Maui. This is a prophetic flash novel about a future police state and those who rebel against it. Available in paperback and ebook at Amazon.com.
Though they have similar grievances, the Video Vandals’ prefer methods of protest quite different from those of Aka. Do you think the Vandals’ methods could be justified in some situations?
Should lawyers be compelled to represent victims of government brutality and other abuses in civil lawsuits?
The Preamble to Aka’s manifesto, The Law is For All, refers to “revolution without overthrow.” What does this mean? Is it possible?
Which dissident tactics were more effective, those of the Video Vandals or those of Aka?
In the end did either Aka or the Video Vandals achieve their goals?
Which of the following statements about Barbarians in Paradise/Terror Comes to Maui are true? (Any, all or none.)
a. It’s just entertainment, a sci-fi political thriller with no political or social message.
b. It’s a revenge fantasy for people who’ve been abused by the government.
c. It’s a prophecy, a look into the future of Maui and possibly America.
d. It’s a cautionary tale, like Orwell’s 1984, a warning of what will likely happen, what Maui will become if the justice system is not radically reformed.
e. It’s a seditious, dangerous revolutionary manual disguised as a novel.
Links to all my blogs: www.KurtButlerBlogs.blogspot.com.
For more detailed critiques of various forms of quackery, including naturopathy, see my book A Consumer’s Guide to “Alternative Medicine”. It was expertly edited by legendary quack buster Stephen Barrett, MD. The critics say:
"Superb!" -- Dr. Victor Herbert in the New England Journal of Medicine.
"Excellent" -- National Council Against Health Fraud.
"Five Stars" -- Cooking Light.
"Thought provoking; a great book" -- American Journal of Health Promotion.
Maui's future foretold: Barbarians In Paradise -- Terror Comes to Maui. This is a prophetic flash novel about a future police state and those who rebel against it. Available in paperback and ebook at Amazon.com.
