In the Crime Report: The Crime Report:A lot of people have compared your book to Jonathan Swift’s essay, “A Modest Proposal.” But Swift’s work was pure satire, where yours is an honest look at a possible alternative punishment. Does the comparison frustrate you, or is it apt? Peter Moskos:Neither. I like the comparison. True, I don’t think Swift was really…
Tag: In Defense of Flogging
The Right Choice
I like this line from Time Magazine: Reading In Defense of Floggingis a lot like reading Woody Allen’s classic “My Speech to the Graduates,” in which he declares, “More than at any other time in history, mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness. The other, to total extinction. Let us pray we have the wisdom…
“I mean this in the most flattering way…”
A friend and former roommate writes: By the way, and I mean this in the most flattering way – In Defense of Flogging: great toilet read! Coming from him, I know it isa sincere compliment. He says he’s averaging 10 pages a day, not that I asked, and not that he used the word “day.”
God Bless The Economist
For their review: Imagine that you–or, if you prefer, a younger, more reckless version of you–committed a crime. … And say you were offered a choice: you could either spend those years behind bars, or you could get ten lashes. … You may think flogging is barbaric, but is there any question which you would choose if you could? According…
Buy my book, damnit!
If you’re reading this, you’re in the good company of about 400 others. If you’re reading this, you probably have at least someinterest in what I write. But here’s the thing, if you’re reading this, you probably have not bought my book, In Defense of Flogging. Yeah, I’m calling you out. How, you may ask, do I knowyou haven’t bought…
In lieu of prison, bring back the lash
I have an op-ed in the Washington Post: Suggest adding the whipping post to America’s system of criminal justice and most people recoil in horror. But offer a choice between five years in prison or 10 lashes and almost everybody picks the lash. What does that say about prison? Read the whole article here.
Five Year, or Ten Lashes?
Josh Rothman writes in the Boston Globe: His book is, as promised, a well-reasoned defense of flogging. It’s also an attack upon the penal system. … It’s hard to say how serious Moskos is being (though my money is on “pretty serious”). Even if you aren’t convinced that flogging is the future, though, Moskos’ deeper argument is still compelling.
Oh, Canada
Macleans, the Canadian news magazine, has a great article and Q&A with me. There’s some very good new material here, even if you think you’re heard everything I have to say about In Defense of Flogging. What is it about the Canadians? Why are their articles smarter and more insightful than ours? And they are awfully nice people. I mean,…
Defense of Flogging
After 15 (count ’em) radio interviews today, I have one tomorrow on Virtually Speaking with Jay Ackroyd. Thursday, June 9, 2011, 9:00PM, New York time. I mention this because 1) He asked me to. And 2) it will also be done on Second Life. I like to think I’m tech savvy, but I’m a little confused by the concept. But…