{"article":{"__typename":"BlogArticle","id":"BlogArticle:245490","isTnfCompatible":true,"datePublished":"2011-09-22T13:00:00Z","title":"The Machinery of Death","slug":"the-machinery-of-death","wordCount":34,"layout":"standard","isFreelance":false,"isPython3":true,"preview":null,"watsonInfo":{"topCategory":{"full":"","one":null,"two":null,"three":null,"four":null,"__typename":"WatsonTopCategory"},"categories":[],"__typename":"WatsonInfo","keywords":[]},"grapeshot":{"segments":["an_bp","neg_fx","an_bankofamerica_negative","an_apple_negative","neg_att","an_saudiaramco","neg_apple_1","gs_news_and_weather","gs_news","pos_alcohol","pos_citibank","pos_disney_fxfargo","pos_hermes","pos_mobkoi","an_fidelity_safe","an_jpmc_safe","an_ms_safe","ap_citi_banking_safe","ap_citi_hurricanes","ap_citi_naacp_safe","ap_citi_sex_safe","ap_citi_transportation_safe","ap_fidelity_safe","ap_gwp","ap_jpmc_safe","ap_ms_safe","ap_netflix_israeli_safe","general_safe_gv"],"__typename":"Grapeshot"},"editorialMotivation":{"slug":"","__typename":"EditorialMotivation"},"editorialProject":null,"seoTitle":"The Machinery of Death","shareTitle":"The Machinery of Death","dek":"","shareDek":"","url":"https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/09/the-machinery-of-death/245490/","ampUrl":"https://amp.theatlantic.com/amp/article/245490/","fbiaUrl":"https://www.theatlantic.com/facebook-instant/article/245490/","canonicalUrl":"https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/09/the-machinery-of-death/245490/","hasMeter":true,"dateModified":"2011-09-22T18:07:31Z","shareImage2x1":null,"primaryChannel":{"displayName":"U.S.","__typename":"Channel","slug":"national"},"authors":[{"displayName":"Ta-Nehisi Coates","socialMedia":[],"__typename":"Author","id":"Author:1298","url":"https://www.theatlantic.com/author/ta-nehisi-coates/","ideasHeadshot":{"width":72,"height":72,"altText":"","srcSet":"https://cdn.theatlantic.com/thumbor/yunw9eRbfZsjZE7Bk0vopBIOxj0=/376x0:1873x1497/72x72/media/None/tnc_grey/original.png, https://cdn.theatlantic.com/thumbor/t5rL-_vXaNokGPcRiS1BaNe-ls8=/376x0:1873x1497/144x144/media/None/tnc_grey/original.png 2x","url":"https://cdn.theatlantic.com/thumbor/yunw9eRbfZsjZE7Bk0vopBIOxj0=/376x0:1873x1497/72x72/media/None/tnc_grey/original.png","__typename":"BasicImage"},"biography":{"short":null,"__typename":"Biography","default":"Ta-Nehisi Coates is a former national correspondent for The Atlantic. He is the author of The Beautiful Struggle, Between the World and Me, We Were Eight Years in Power, and The Water Dancer."},"headshot":{"width":100,"height":100,"altText":"","srcSet":"https://cdn.theatlantic.com/thumbor/0D6FHVGZQSimFM9BL0smXLOGv_I=/376x0:1873x1497/100x100/media/None/tnc_grey/original.png, https://cdn.theatlantic.com/thumbor/UJE0Psch5DOosGq_CUApfcwoJ_Y=/376x0:1873x1497/200x200/media/None/tnc_grey/original.png 2x","url":"https://cdn.theatlantic.com/thumbor/0D6FHVGZQSimFM9BL0smXLOGv_I=/376x0:1873x1497/100x100/media/None/tnc_grey/original.png","__typename":"BasicImage"}}],"channels":[{"slug":"national","__typename":"Channel"}],"primaryCategory":{"__typename":"Channel","displayName":"U.S.","url":"https://www.theatlantic.com/national/"},"reviews":[],"shareImage1x1":null,"shareImage16x9":null,"shareImage4x3":null,"shareImageDefault":null,"shareImageSquareDefault":null,"shareImageLeadArt":null,"htmlContentSections":[{"main":"

Doubts about Troy Davis aside, Rachel Maddow outlines the utter chaos around Georgia's attempt to craft a system of execution.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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