Defending liberal democracy 17 Mar 20094 Oct 2017 I urge people to go read Russell Blackford’s submission to the Human Rights consultative committee in Australia. It deals with the changes and challenges to civil liberties in the modern era and although Australia-focussed, it generalises well once you get past our odd spelling conventions and local events. Censorship Politics Religion
Humor Carlin on the state of the US 25 Jun 2008 Here’s a somewhat different take on the late great George Carlin, in an interview with Keith Olberman last year: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UVXj8F9Fmk&hl=en] For me, though, he’ll always be the hip Catholic Archbishop who brings about the end of the world in Dogma. Read More
Logic and philosophy What is an Agnostic? by Bertrand Russell 10 Jun 2007 Bertrand Russell, a leading philosopher in his prime, was also a wonderful writer. And, it appears, many of my views were formed when I was but still Young in the Discipline of Philosophy by reading Russell. Here is an essay (stolen from here) from 1953, when I still was not,… Read More
Creationism and Intelligent Design The theological mindset 10 Feb 2009 Theologians can be monumentally stupid when they look at things through their doctrinal spectacles, especially when it comes to science. Since they think everything is theological, it must have a theological standing, either good or bad, and so they will undergo the most amazing gymnastics to achieve this outcome. Here’s… Read More
I argue that fully adequate protection of our rights and freedoms would require all of the following: The inclusion of core civil liberties — such as freedom of speech and expression, freedom of belief, conscience, and worship, and freedom of association — in a constitutionally-entrenched Bill of Rights, along with strong procedural protections before anyone can be subjected to punishment, imprisonment, detention, ill-treatment, or other loss of liberties. Hey! We Merkins tried this. It even works … occasionally. Very good, Russell.
I argue that fully adequate protection of our rights and freedoms would require all of the following: The inclusion of core civil liberties — such as freedom of speech and expression, freedom of belief, conscience, and worship, and freedom of association — in a constitutionally-entrenched Bill of Rights, along with strong procedural protections before anyone can be subjected to punishment, imprisonment, detention, ill-treatment, or other loss of liberties. Hey! We Merkins tried this. It even works … occasionally. Very good, Russell.