Englisch Abitur Kommunikationsprüfung

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(£40m per year) →in comparison: the Spanish monarchy costs £6.15m, Sweden pays £11.6m for their monarchy, an elected head of state would be cheaper monarchy would not work as a kind of constitutional barrier against a dictatorship. The monarchy simply would not have the political power to stop a potential dictator Although many members of the Royal Family head charities they do not really engage in practical work for those charities but rather serve as a kind of figurehead. 3 parts O O Privy Council → It would not make a big change if the monarchy was abolished since it's functions are mainly formal and for tourists Prime Minister Parliament Executive Legislative House of Commons Cabinet Judicative decides/appoints Crown The House of Lords (membership by appointment, heredity, or official function), House of Commons (democratically elected): making laws (legislation), checking the work of the government (scrutiny) & debating current issues King / Queen * the Queen cares a lot for the citizen → promised to devote her whole life to their service -> great matter for public life People The Queen may be the most expensive monarch in Europe, but this does not mean that a president would come any cheaper: most expensive head of state in Europe is the French president with £103.5m- more than twice as expensive as the British monarchy British monarchy has shown hat it is able to reform itself and adapt to modern times (e.g. Prince Charles was allowed to marry a divorced woman etc.) 1.2. British Parliament Life Peers The members of the Royal Family have important functions heading all kinds of charities. Their image and popularity help charities to continue their good work Lords Temporal Supreme Court Lords Spiritual House of Lords *Due to constitutional convention, the monarch will only act on the advice of the Prime Minister. 1.3. Commonwealth of Nations = an association of 56 countries working towards shared goals of prosperity, democracy & peace Helps to strengthen governance, build inclusive institutions & promote justice and human rights pros - Last English speaking worldwide organization not dominated by the Americans - Worldwide contact - Commonwealth Games - Avoids economic recession - Fight for equality and human rights - Diversity: most countries belong to the 'Third World', different nationalities, cultures, languages, faith 2009 1.4. 2013 cons - Illogical organization à despotism vs. democracies; slavish admires vs. frank opponents - Diametrically opposed trading interests No common defense - Lack of army, trade agreements, common views British exit: refers to the UK leaving the EU Britain's relationship to the EU has always been difficult (i.e. Britain did not adopt the Euro) Scottish problem: - Problems: Apartheid, misbehavior of newly independent rulers, question of migration ,,In-out" Referendum (2016) A public vote (referendum) was held in 2016 when voters were asked whether the UK should leave or remain in the European Union -> unexpectedly, the 'leave-EU side' won closely by 52%-48%, but the exit certainly didn't happen right away Brexit while young people voted for remaining, in particular older people voted against Europe, lower class people were generally more in favor of leaving the EU than people with higher social status at the core, the referendum was decided by the people's fear with respect to the growing influx of immigrants Scotland & Northern Ireland voted for remaining in the EU, as a consequence, Scotland prepares for a second referendum on Scottish Independence after having lost the 2017 General Elections, new prime minister Theresa May will face serious difficulties in realizing her aim of a ,,hard" Brexit, e.g. cutting off all ties in a very short time 62% people voted ,,Remain" -> Scotland never wanted to leave the EU Scottish Ministers continue to believe that staying in the EU is the best option for Scotland, and have published compromise proposals including remaining in the Single Market and Customs Union they hope for a second Referendum for Independence timeline: 2002 The euro: The common currency, the Euro, is introduced in most of the EU member states except for Denmark, Sweden and the United Kingdom Global financial crisis: Several private banks and member states of the EU cannot meet their expenditures anymore, the EU has to bail them out to avoid further economic damage, rising unemployment and even a break-up of the Eurozone. 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Rising Euroscepticism in the UK: increasing pressure on Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron -> Eurosceptics harshly criticize his EU policy & demand more rights for the UK or even to leave the union > David Cameron announces that a referendum on Britain's membership in the EU will be held on 23 June 2016 June 23 Second Referendum: the UK votes to leave the EU July 11: May becomes Prime Minister March 29 2017: Withdrawal was scheduled in law to occur → begin of negotiation period about the exit, Subjects: free trade in EU, costs of Brexit, open bills, backstop (border to Ireland open or controlled?) November 25: agree on withdrawal agreement Brexit gets postponed, May resigns July 23: Boris Johnson becomes Prime minister → wants Brexit until 31st oct., would even take "no- deal Brexit" into account he has pressure to finish at the end of Jan. 2020 Johnson wants forced parliament break to draw up new plan→ various lawsuits against suspension declined→scottish court determines unlawfullness → Supreme Court repeals break house of commons reject Johnson's call for early election and demands a "deal"Brexit October 17: Johnson & Jean-Claude Juncker's deal on orderly brexit flounders to house of commons→ postponement until Jan. 2020 October 29: Johnson needs majority vote in house of commons for his Brexit bill to pass December 12: Johnson's "Tory-party" wins parliament election new withdrawal passes January 31 Brexit day: the UK ends its membership of the European Union & enters a transition period Withdrawal Agreement: how much money the UK will have to pay the EU in order to break the partnership - (that's about £39bn) what will happen to UK citizens living elsewhere in the EU and, equally, what will happen to EU citizens living in the UK how to avoid the return of a physical border between Northern Ireland & the Republic of Ireland when it becomes the frontier between the UK and the EU Theresa May (*1956) former Secretary of the Interior (Innenministerin) from the conservative party 2016-2019 prime minister pro Brexit pro hard Brexit David Cameron (*1966) 2010-2016 prime minister against Brexit (did not expect the result of the referendum) Boris Johnson (*1964) prime minister since 2019 for hard Brexit Irish border problem: Ireland remains in the EU, while North Ireland & England leave the EU The impact of Brexit on the Irish border refers to changes in trade, customs,, local economies, services, medical cooperation, and other matters, because of Brexit The border on the island of Ireland is now the only external EU land border between the United Kingdom and the European Union. After the UK Parliament voted to leave the European Union, all parties said that they want to avoid a hard border in Ireland. Border issues were one of the focused negotiation in the Withdrawal Agreement. Following the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union on 31 January 2020, this border is also the frontier between the EU and an external country. Expectations vs Reality The plans of executing Brexit were accompanied by promises and expectations → reality struck for those who where full of hope → left many questioning their decision expectations reality • A Structured plan to a smooth EU- exit • Be able to independently negotiate trade agreements • Economic • Less terrorism Brexit • Political freedom, own decision making without regard to world leaders wealth • Less job competition for the British leading to higher wages Why is it such a big deal? • three and a half years of elections, uncertainty, lawsuits etc. • unnecessary uncertainty, looking at the fact that the trade 2021 isn't that much different from what had existed • GB's risk of losing world influence • travel & shipping barriers for everyone • isolation from well connected world, to a certain extent maybe even self-harm of power • less general economic power, lack of competitiveness weakens the picture of a financially sound country no country has ever left the EU before, it is completely new territory for everyone involved Europe is Britain's most important export market & its biggest source of foreign investment major businesses have announced that they are leaving Britain because of Brexit end to free movement for younger people who want to study/work abroad . . . . . Pro (leave EU) Britain can still have access to the European market without being bound by EU rules > Britain could then negotiate trade agreements on it's own GB could free itself from restrictions imposed by Brussels and become economically more successful Euro-sceptics believe that Europe's principle of free movement means too much immigration into the country and insecurity, perhaps even terrorism (closely 3.5 thousand terrorist related deaths in the UK since 1970) Smaller British companies do not trade with the EU and therefore would hardly be affected GB should get its sovereignty back since unelected officials in Brussels make rules that elected politicians can do nothing about = more political freedom and "self focused" decisions (EU rules all too often hurt British interests) Fewer people coming to the country would mean less competition for jobs among those who remained and, potentially, higher wages Con (stay in EU) Free trade among member states benefits Britain as British companies face no trade barriers when trading with other EU member states 2. The United States of America Most economists are skeptical about Brexit and believe that Britain would lose it's influence and suffer economically & politically Membership in the EU allows EU citizens to move freely to GB and work there, and vice versa > Many British workers living in Spain and France might not have easy access to health services there anymore Also making the entrance for foreigners tougher can have a negative impact on multiculturalism British farmers might lose out on subsidies, jobs in international companies might be moved and millions of British workers could lose their jobs In a globalized world isolationism is simply not possible. Global challenges such as climate change affect all countries, and as an EU member, Britain has much more influence economies and societies are becoming more interconnected and interdependent -> GB taking itself out of the well connected system = step back This could reduce economic competitiveness and growth → The good and bad aspects outweigh each other but it was not worth the stress racism: USA nation of immigrants about 500 million people immigrated in 300 years motives: religious persecution; political oppression; economic hardship aims: individual freedom; peace; equal opportunity; material wealth -> the American Dream 2.1. Immigration & Multiculturalism Roots of racism: Europeans enslaving African Americans to work on sugar / cotton -> justifying it by saying slaves were less worth than human The American history of racial segregation creates the base to people feeling entitled to view themselves as 'more valuable' American racism today: overrepresenting and idealizing whites and minimizing blacks in the media, police brutality towards blacks, Donald Trump Types of immigration: melting pot: one nation with mixed origins people from different cultural backgrounds thrown into a pot (America) result: all assume a new identity as Americans -> immigrants have to give up national identities to become ,,true Americans" salad bowl: all parts are vital to the whole, parts remain distinguishable separate identities /individuality people from different cultural backgrounds thrown into a salad bowl they become part of a new product → mixing, but they keep their original identity (more politically correct) Colonialism Immigration history US vs. UK US . God-given duty to expand the territory → superior nation UK God-given right to spread British influence → positive influence on the world because they're supremacy power Reasons for Colonialism Slavery Civil conflicts immigration ban/ reduction Origin of the immigrants Feeling towards immigration Immigration ban nowadays Is multiculturalism good or bad? . . . Americanization of the world spread of democracy and prevention of communism (Cold War) expansion of territory southern states were slave states black slaves from Africa civil war civil rights movement Chinese exclusion act immigration act 1. Hispanics 2. African Americans 3. Asian (Chinese/Indian) • insecurity because of illegal immigrants and negative attitude towards immigrants prejudices like immigrants pay no taxes, steal jobs, exploit America and are criminal Trump wants to build a border towards Mexico economic reasons spread democracy better trading possibilities and resources reputation NO SLAVERY Boston Tea Party conflicts between Scotland Commonwealth immigration act immigration act 1. Indian 2. Pakistanis 3. Caribbean mixed opinions towards immigration prejudices like fear of losing Britishness, immigrants stealing jobs and don't integrate into society multiculturalism has also good impact on economy and culture (huge variety on food and languages) Britain wants to leave Eu to pass immigration laws to reduce immigration Pro ● . . ● cultural diversity More possibilities to explore other cultures in one country → broaden your horizon; more tolerance and openminded people Country is based on immigration and consists of different nationalities from begin on Innovation & creativity: Immigrants from different nations bring a great source of diverse knowledge & experience, help to improve trade & bring a lot of creativity and innovation in a country Economic growth: immigrants can bring in new skills in the business; helps a business tap into local & international markets which contributes to economic growth Community flavor & flair: Ethnic restaurants & stores add flavor & color to communities to attract tourists through their cultural celebrations, diverse cultural foods & participation in local festivals Learn different languages: You can be friends with people from different nations and as you interact with them, you can learn their language Know religion & traditions: Multiculturalism gives you an opportunity to know other countries and know new traditions, new cultures, and religions by interacting with them Challenges • fear of losing the own culture & jobs to immigrants • British/American becomes a minority in the own country • ethnic minorities become isolated -> Segregation -> no contact with other cultures which leads to discrimination and prejudices (Cultural clash) • Dealing with different cultures: difficult for people to deal with different cultures, understanding their believes and norms Workforce: is very demanding to manage a multicultural workforce; the minority group may feel overwhelmed by adopting diverse culture; this makes it difficult for the multicultural team to collaborate Fear of losing jobs to immigrants • Fear of influence: fear that they may lose their original culture & identity by adopting cultures from others inform of lifestyle • Language barrier: People from different cultures use different language or terms which are different from that of the natives creating some barrier in communication Religious conflicts: Different religious beliefs brings a lot of conflicts within the community & can bring tribal clashes → Cultural diversity is really good, therefore, adapting traits of more than one culture can be helpful, but it's important to let everyone decide on their own whether they want to assimilate or not 2.2. American Dream concept: every individual is given the chance to be successful, wealthy, rich if he works hard (no matter where you are from, how much money you have) you can become everything with lots of hard work its up to you if you are successful in life "from rags to riches", "from dishwasher to millionaire" Beliefs & values: freedom: Americans regard their society as the freest & the best in the world, superior to every other nation, America as a land of individual freedom & opportunity Founding Fathers: all people are equal, the role of the government is to protect each person's unalienable rights (freedom of speech, press & religion) individualism: earlier days: success depends on their ability to confront the hardships & challenges on their own today: idealization of the self-reliant, self-sufficient, independent individual still alive; the individual's responsibility to make a living & succeed in a competitive society hard work: work ethic: the individual's duty to work hard & show self-discipline material success education as the key to prosperity patriotism: strong identification with one's nationality pride in being American importance of national symbols (Statue of Liberty, Declaration of Independence, Constitution, US flag, National Anthem, National holidays (Thanksgiving, Independence Day) manifest destiny: the belief that America is the one nation ordered by God to expand across the North American continent America = a country that is superior to all other countries to bring American values to the rest of the world & to spread Christianity USA has a godly mission to expand and explore new borders Homestead Act: several laws in the US by which an applicant could acquire ownership of government land or the public domain, typically called a homestead. good more than 160 million acres (650 thousand km²) of public land/ nearly 10 percent of the total area of the US, s given away free to 1.6 million homesteaders most of the homesteads were west of the Mississippi River. US - Constitution: Amendments: O Bill of Rights: first 10 Amendments to the Constitution 1st: freedom of speech, press, assembly, protest, religion 2nd: the right to keep and bear arms American Dream vs. American Nightmare American Dream • It's about equality of opportunities, not equality of rich and poor: free movement between the social scale. There are many examples of people who have moved up the social scale • People can still achieve their aims if they work hard. Success stories: Bill Gates • Self-reliance, the role of the state is minimal. Because of this, there is hardly any other country which offers chances like the US. • The American Dream is what you want it to be → not necessarily material goods. There are many examples of people who "made it" with seemingly crazy ideas, e.g. Bill Gates, Whoopi Goldberg, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg.... President Obama, the first black president, is a case in point • There is free education for everyone. Most colleges and universities also offer scholarships for gifted students and the state offers grants. . The American Dream is an ideal to encourage people to give their best → The ideal never dies. Everybody has the same opportunities to achieve their goals. This doesn't mean that everybody will succeed. American Nightmare • Statistics show that compared to other countries social mobility in the US is rather limited (actually lower than in Europe) • Those people who made their dream come true, make headlines. The thousands who don't succeed go unnoticed • However, if you are poor, it is seen as your own fault. "Just get another job!" • Recent developments → The rich become richer, the poor stay poor, the middle class decreases in size . It's not possible to do every job you want → no job, no money. Examples are not the rule and real success is rare • High quality schools or universities are very expensive. Many people rack up high debts for tuition and find it virtually impossible to pay them off and make ends meet at the same time The ideal has changed from something tangible to a vague idea that seems to become increasingly harder to reach these days There are not enough well-paid jobs (e.g. due to outsourcing) to get ahead. Many Americans have to work two or even more jobs to make ends meet. → The AD is a good way to keep the people motivated etc. but America should work on the equality of having the opportunity to achieve your own goals 2.3. 2nd Amendment: guarantees the right to bear arms 89% of Americans believe they have a right to own a gun there is no national gun register → impossible to know how many guns are in circulation or who has them history: hunting, foreign armies → central to the American identity each day 8 children die from gun violence in America, another 32 are shot & injured Firearms are the second leading cause of death among American children and adolescents, after car crashes The U.S. has had 1,316 school shootings since 1970 and these numbers are increasing. 18% of school shootings have taken place since the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012 In 4 out of 5 school shootings, at least one other person had knowledge of the attacker's plan but failed to report it NRA: (National Rifle Association) a powerful lobbying group in Washington that promotes the right of citizens to bear firearms in the US Gun Culture wants to protect the right of all Americans to bear arms to protect themselves & their freedom Weapons are not the problem → the people who use them great influence on politics "The right to own a gun must not be infringed." Pro gun • 2nd amendment -> US gun ownership always been a cultural aspect • prohibition is not the answer (think of drugs & alcohol) • guns for hunting → rural life (farmer need guns for protecting their livestock) -> it is unfair to restrict the recreational & peaceful use of guns (hunting, sports etc.) • guns don't kill people - people kill people • guns have to be kept in secure places; there will always be irresponsible people, and laws cannot change this fact. Con gun • the target group of the 2nd Amendment was the Militia, i.e. the National Guard, & not civilians • even legally owned weapons can lead to tragic deaths . shooting as a sport desensitizes people to the potentially lethal nature of firearms . ,,How many people would a riot killer be able to stab with a knife?" -> sheer profusion of guns makes it much easier for people to kill other people guns are made for killing • Even legally owned weapons can lead to tragic deaths, they can be stolen and end up in the hands of criminals • no ban will keep criminals from committing crimes • police are often simply unable to protect all citizens from violent crimes • banning guns will lead to a better organized & much larger black market for illegal fire arms 3. Globalization . Globalization • suicides & crimes of passion are easier to commit with high gun availability because they are impulsive acts & reaction is instantly possible if a gun is at hand → educational programs can replace banning guns • since many crimes involve guns, restricting gun ownership would reduce the gun crime rate the increase of trade around the world, especially by large companies producing and trading goods in many different countries • While it is certainly true that banning guns will not turn the US into a gun-free country, having fewer guns around will definitely mean fewer gun- related deaths a worldwide movement, involving the integration of financial, economic & communications systems often seen as an unstoppable process affecting people all around the globe, no matter whether they live in industrialized or developing countries, in big cities or rural villages Everyone can experience the results of globalization, e.g when: Travelling keeping in touch with friends or business partners in distant countries with the help of new means of communication buying goods which come from far away Pro the population hopes for new jobs (for example in the local branches of multinational companies) Con people fear an increasing dependence on foreign support, investment & credits, or they warn against the danger of foreign investors suddenly pulling out their capital . . . . 3.1. market economy is generally seen as a successful economic system which will hopefully result in rising living standards and less poverty Contains seeds of a better future for all the world's people Economic prosperity and work for developing countries > Business opportunities for industrial countries Major improvements in productivity, innovation, creativity Spread of democracy -> Freedom and human rights 3.2. shared universal humanity and shared profits > cross-cultural understanding → fewer wars homogenous and largely commercial culture (music, fashion, food, worldwide style culture) economic trade currencies factories & firms cooperation outsourcing competition imports sweatshops Olympics political NATO UN world power → New Job opportunities are always good since the global population is growing but it's very important to keep an eye on the environment A world of change international relations alienation . the history of globalization . fear that the majority of people will not profit from globalization: largely uncontrolled economic activities are expected to produce increasing inequality as well as a growth in regional & ethnic tensions, or in pollution cultural Social goals are being ignored, stand second to financial interests wealth creation has become the essential requirement of globalization - is this a goal in itself? danger to the environment, massive pollution in third-world countries (China, India) Erosion of democracy and fair play through increasing power of multinational companies trade barriers still exist e.g. subsidies in agriculture of rich countries keep developing countries away from the world market Americanization : McDonald's, Starbucks, Hollywood, Disneyland, Coca Cola, pop music food clothing lifestyle influences diversity competition identity inequality feelings & reactions higher awareness environmental issues dependency issues child labor opportunity terrorism www climate change driving force key technologies major players size of world time frame 3.3. sweatshops Globalization 1.0 countries globalizing religion, imperialism horsepower, 9/11 facts: wind power, windmill, steam power, ship Western countries, companies & explorers, governments large to medium 1492-1800 Globalization 2.0 multination companies, companies globalizing Government reaction: steam engine, railroads diffusion of the telegraph, telephones, the PC, satellites, www Dutch & English, joint- stock companies, European & American Individuals & companies medium to small 1800-2000 Globalization 3.0 individuals collaborating & competing globally flat-world platform production facility employees work in inhuman conditions, receive a ridiculously low salary for often very hard work; long working hours, disregard of human rights, not entitled to vacation. Applicable labour laws are deliberately ignored by employers because they know that they will not face consequences. 3.4. Americas global role individuals from all over the world that have access to technology small to tiny 2000 - now America's global role in the 21st century: with the collapse of the Soviet Union & the end of the Cold War, the US became the only political superpower in the world → As a result, it took on the role of the global policeman" Following the terrorist attacks on 11th September 2001, President Bush declared war on terrorism The US have tried to control dangers (e.g. terrorist attacks) and to build up democratic and free societies in unstable areas by using diplomacy, trade contracts, economic pressure & military interventions → By intervening militarily in Afghanistan and Iraq, the US has also demonstrated that they are prepared to use their military power in their own self-interest (Guantanamo Bay) On September 11, 2001, nearly 3,000 people were killed The four terrorist attacks were coordinated by the terrorist group Al-Qaeda against the United States Four passenger airlines were hijacked by 19 al-Qaeda terrorists. Two of the planes crashed into the North and South towers, respectively, of the World Trade Center complex A third plane crashed into the Pentagon (the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense) The fourth plane crashed into a field in Pennsylvania Cases of PTSD are common among 9/11 survivors and rescue workers, unfortunately The Frontier/ The pioneer Spirit: war on terrorism preventing the emergence of terror networks economic and military sanctions increasing global surveillance Pro . "frontier" dividing line between the white settlements and the free unoccupied land (border country between civilisation and the "wilderness" was conquered bit by bit → westward movement into unknown territory quest for cheap land and natural ressources, economic opportunities, better living conditions for families and self-improvement America's global role high values on independence, self-confidence and individualism → the virtues of pioneer lifestyles the pioneering spirit has promoted people's ability to adapt new circumstances and to overcome difficulties through private intiative and invention the US is one of the best models for democracy -> spread universal values like human rights, freedom, equality Germany is a good example of America's positive influence: Democratic countries are less likely to wage war The US is the only remaining super power and the only democratic one that has enough military and economic power to intervene and help when things go wrong in other countries and their people suffer -> current developments & multiple wars in the Middle East & also Africa (e.g. Sudan) show that there is the need for a political role of the US Con Maybe other political models should be respected, because they suit their respective countries best. Interfering in other countries' internal affairs is never justified The US did not abide by its own rules, moral and democratic values (Guantánamo Bay) The many wars in the 21st century are a result of US interventions Intervention against the will of the people in these countries can lead to terrorism & unrest Also, Democracy cannot be exported, but has to be chosen & supported by the people themselves . . 3.5. The US has to intervene if its own interests are at stake, even if they have to cooperate with tyrannical regimes to achieve their goals The US needs to secure their access to raw materials Def: The US can promote peaceful relationships among most countries in a globalized world They have the economic, financial and military means as well as the moral values to initiate and advance nation building and democracy They are the only super power that can stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons → The intention of the US is right (to make the world a better place) but its actions are rather self-centered Torture Cooperation with dictatorships to ensure economic benefits is morally not tolerable. The US has to defend their values inside & outside their home country. Human rights are inalienable rights for everybody, not just Westerners. The US should not be the world policeman because other countries want to remain independent & sovereign countries. There is already too much interference Other countries might reject the US definition of democracy and human rights They might want to use/abuse their nuclear weapons in their own best interest the action or practice of inflicting severe pain or suffering on someone as a punishment or in order to force them to do or say something Guantanamo Bay facts: After the 9/11 attacks, the US Navy base in Cuba, Guantanamo Bay turned into an internment camp for terrorists and war criminals as a sign to the outside world, that the US is willing to take action against terrorism Highly disputed for various reasons: often alleged criminals are captured without actual evidence/proof and without formal examination by a judge Should torture be allowed? Methods of torture, such as sleep deprivation, deafening noise, beating and many more are used to force the prisoners to make a confession Pro President Obama had promised to close Guantanamo for good but could not keep his promise, president Trump declared to leave it open Con . . . . If there is time pressure, the authorities don't have time to get an answer by normal interrogation (ticking time bomb scenario) Arguments that state that the activities in areas such as Guantanamo bay are illegal, are wrong since the Geneva conventions only apply to a country's own land and to prisoners of war The dignity of the lives of many people overweighs the dignity of one individual Torture is a significant way of uncovering the truth, because many fold under severe torture despite being trained to withstand Brutality is a terrorists language and other methods will not leave an impression/ you will not be taken serious A country that is known for using torture uplifts the image of strength and drastic measures towards violence . Starting the conversation . . ,,if" - scenario is hypothetical for one and often used to score moral and policy points -> torture is always wrong Society often forgets, but criminals are still human and if torture is accepted, the line between right and wrong will become more blurred than it already is in today's society What strikes me first about this whole issue is... I would like to start by looking at... I suggest we start talking about... You simply cannot put a value to a persons life/dignity -> one human is worth the same as a large group Torture raises the level of anger to whoever is experiencing it -> in the long run tortured criminals might lie to stop the torture / pursue acts of revenge How are we any different from the people who cause severe pain to others if we do the exact same? → Violence won't ever be the right answer, terrorists and criminals have to be stopped by using a different method A country that is known for torture rather spreads the image of being outdated and having a violent atmosphere, which is - obviously an image you do not want Conversation gambits Asking for your partner's opinion Agreeing with your partner Is there anything you would like to add? How do you feel about...? How about you? Disagreeing with your partner . You have a point here it cannot be denied that... I totally agree with you on... Asking for clarification I see what you mean but I don't believe..... I'm not sure you're on the right track when you say that... because... In my opinion it is not right to assume that... What bothers me about that is... because... Sorry, could you repeat what you just said? I didn't quite catch that Did I understand you correctly? Did you mean to say....? Interrupting politely . Sorry to interrupt you but... Excuse me, can I just stop you for a moment? I apologize for interrupting but I think you misunderstood me Referring to an earlier point I'd like to come back to a point you made earlier, namely.... Taking the conversation in a new direction I would like to bring up another issue Now that we have looked at... let's think of another aspect, namely... On top of everything we have said so far we also need to consider the fact that... Playing for time So, basically, what you were saying is that... Is that right? So what you are saying is... If I understand you correctly you are saying that... Summarizing Now let's quickly go through the issues again that have been raised. Ending a conversation Time is almost up so we should reach a decision.