02-06-2010, 08:26 AM
FWIW, the workers on the Deepwater Horizon who survived were not allowed to go home until they signed certain papers either, and I'm sure there are other similar situations of a variety of sorts. I think this would fall under the category of an "event cluster" as discussed by Witt and Kouzmin in their discussion about framing SCAD research (see the American Behavioral Scientist Volume 52, No, 6 reviewed here by me in another thread). The specific technique might be called a "negative information action" as defined by Chris Hinson in the same issue: when it is used to "hide criminal acts, conceal embarrassing information, silence critics, or manipulate popular perceptions of international incidents". There is something about habeas corpus here too, and I suspect any agreement signed under such duress would be null and void on the surface because of the duress.
"Where is the intersection between the world's deep hunger and your deep gladness?"